The Pin up

Alberto Vargas took over Esquire magazine’s monthly pin-up post in late 1940. By 1942, when the U.S. joined the war, he had more than a million ardent enlisted fans who carried his pin-ups in backpacks and duffel bags as reminders of the American girls they’d left behind. When Esquire was charged with obscenity over a particularly spicy pin-up in 1943 the military stepped in to fight for the Varga Girl, declaring her necessary to maintain the morale of young fighting men. Today these wartime pin-ups are the most collectible of Vargas’s work. Find them all in this pocket-sized delight.

They’ll always be there for you: A new pin-up to brighten your every day
There’ll never be a weary morning with these delightful dolls on your desktop. For those of you whose datebooks have been replaced by smartphones, let these pin-up lovelies help you rediscover that warm feeling of marking the date with the touch, and turn, of a page. Each day presents a new model alongside saucy soundbites, as well as the birthdays of pin-ups’ finest. These sweethearts are more steadfast than they might suggest too-at the end of the year, simply turn back to the beginning and find them waiting for you as peachy as before.

One big slice of cheesecake, brought to you by Dian Hanson. This extra-large, extra-lush compendium gathers nearly 100 pin-up artists, with showcase chapters for the top 10, including Gil Elvgren and Alberto Vargas. Each chapter opens with a tipped-in reproduction of an original calendar or magazine cover and boasts original model photos as well as preparatory sketches.