Pin-up models are the embodiment of femininity, capturing the spirit of what it means to be a woman. They represent an idealized form of beauty, often characterized as wholesome in American popular culture. In contrast to sex symbols, who are associated with pornographic magazines and films, pin-up girls represent a perceived alternative to immorality or promiscuity (e.g., Marilyn Monroe).
The term pin-up may refer to drawings, paintings and other illustrations as well as photographs of attractive women who are admired for their beauty. However, this is not an exhaustive list. The practice of pin-up is documented back at least to the 1890s. Pin-up images could be cut out of magazines or newspapers, or on a postcard or lithograph. Such pictures often appear on walls and desks as well as calendars. Posters of pinups were mass-produced and became popular from the mid 20th century.
In the 20th century, male pin-ups were less common than their female counterparts, although a market for homoerotica has always existed as well as pictures of popular male celebrities targeted at women or girls. Examples include James Dean and Jim Morrison.
In the early nineteenth century, pin-up modeling had theatrical origins. Burlesque performers and actresses used photographic advertisement as business cards for their shows. Attached to the mirrors in the green rooms of theaters, these adverts allowed women to be seen beyond the stage. The burlesque women who hung them developed an identity that was not only visible within the theater, but outside as well.
To understand both the complicated identity and the subversive nature of the 19th-century actress, one must also understand that the era's views on women's potential were inextricably tied to their sexuality, which in turn was tied to their level of visibility in the public sphere: regardless of race, class or background, it was generally assumed that the more public the woman, the more 'public,' or available, her sexuality. Among the celebrities who were considered sex symbols, one of the most popular early pin-up girls was Betty Grable, whose poster was ubiquitous in the lockers of G.I.s during World War II.
In Europe, prior to the First World War, the likes of Fernande Barrey ("Miss Fernande"), were arguably the world's first pin-ups as is known in the modern sense. Her pictures were cherished by soldiers on both sides of the conflict.
Predicting the future, The Gibson Girl was an artistic representation of the feminine ideal in the early 1900s. Like today's pinup girls, each figurine represented a modern woman with a healthy sex drive and self-confidence. While this was considered true beauty back then, many of these statues were intended for private viewing only; unlike photos back then, artists could draw women in different ways without reducing their appeal.
