stronglight

Being both an obsessive old bicycle fancier and also an incorrigible Ol' Pervert... I'm always fascinated by any photos or prints showing attractive girls on bicycles. After discovering the title of the following painting, I began to search for more images of this same in hopes of perhaps finding a larger print to purchase.


During my search, I unexpectedly came across an entire photo group showing this same model posing for the same artist, Gil (Gillette) Elvgren. Apparently, he was a very popular commercial and calendar pin-up artist during the 1930s through 1960s. The woman's name is Janet Rae. She had posed for literally dozens of Elvgren's memorable paintings. This is one of only two in which he had also used a bicycle, the other one an earlier work dating from the 1930s.

Here is Janet in the photo from which Elvgren produced the final painting seen above. https://www.flickr.com/photos/sheepbackcabin/3096088945/ This was just a prop which he had spontaneously thought of using one day and quickly pulled out of his own garage. The colors and graphics of the bike and the outfit on the girl in the photo were modified by the artist to compliment each other. (Hmm, this thought makes me want to go shopping for clothes to match specific bikes which I own...)

I'm not positive what bike was used, but the graphics on the bike in the photo remind me of certain early Schwinn "Continental" decals of the 1950s... such as this example: https://www.classicrendezvous.com/ima...n/Schwin_c.jpg

An entire group of photos has been posted on Flickr.com by Stuart Woodfin, the SON of model Janet Rae - as his tribute to the world's memories of his beloved and now immortalized mother. According to him:Fans of Pin-up Art in general may view the entire photo set here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sheepba...7612120525641/ This is really a rare glimpse into a now vanished age of politically incorrect pop art.

YungBurke

is she classic or vintage?

tolfan

Interesting , I never thought about wether pictures like that had real models.

Veloria

Thanks for this post, this is so interesting. I find the original photo of her more intriguing than the painting, especially the set of photos that shows the artist adjusting her skirt to make it look like it is blown up by the wind.

noglider 

Check out some 1890's posters. The women aren't usually what we would call pin-up material, but it did glorify women on bicycles, for lots of good reasons, not all of them prurient.

noglider 

Veloria, you're right. That flickr set is fascinating (as well as alluring).

cycleheimer

Some great old pix on Flickr worthy of an artist's rendering....



Those 1890s posters, by the way, are pretty nice.

noglider 

That's what I'm talking about!

In one of my many books on the history of bicycles and cycling, there is a passage from that era about why women should cycle. "It puts color on her cheeks..." or something like that.

JohnDThompson 

Top-heavy, I'd day.

cycleheimer

"In one of my many books on the history of bicycles and cycling, there is a passage from that era about why women should cycle. "It puts color on her cheeks..."

I'd blame that on the saddles they used back then.

mkeller234

Whats with the non-drive side poses?

Sixty Fiver

Alphonse Mucha created so much beautiful artwork in his lifetime and much of that body of work included women and cycling as he was commissioned to paint adverts for companies at the turn of the last century.

Mr IGH

I love the Raleigh girl

gerv 

noglider 

This thread gets better and better.

The term "bike porn" now has a new meaning.

cycleheimer

modern pin-up girl with a bicycle...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/9636630@N04/2586954782/

cycleheimer

Road Fan

She's always classic, but by now, vintage as well!

Road Fan

I really think that's a Schwinn; I worked on a 1954 Traveler with those wings.

Mike Mills

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeYABBAH DABBAH DOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sailorbenjamin

Yup. Definately a Schwinn. Maybe a continental but probably a New World or a Traveler.
I've posted these here before, sorry but they're just so yummy;


It's actually sort of interesting to me to see how our idea of "attractive" has changed over the years. Growing up in the 70s and 80s, a really dark tan was essential. nowadays the pale look is in.
Bikes are always sexy, though.

stronglight

Pretty girls to sell bikes. And, not only the idealized goddesses seen in many vintage posters. More "realistically" depicted attractive girls never went out of style for selling bikes... or anything else.

Many early posters promoting the bikes of French manufacturer TERROT presented
fit, slim and elegant young women effortlessly cycling.

1900 poster ... by Plouzeau

Riding this TERROT this woman has no concern over the rapidly approaching train.



1903 poster ... by Maurice Tamango

This lady has not even worked up a sweat, yet she has easily dropped the other
bicycle tourists on this demanding ascent.
- Notice she's riding a men's style bike with a horizontal top tube.




1970s ad for Crescent bicycles of Sweden... (she probably still looks good today at age 60).
Detail of a modern ad page from Handsome Cycles.

Builder of sensible, affordable bikes with practical features such as a multi-speed hub gear, a
simple coaster brake, and a useful front rack (... shown here hauling bottled beer).

cycleheimer

Can you believe this? I think this is popular in Japan.

lotek 

I've always been partial to this poster:

photo courtesy Classic Rendezvous

cycleheimer

Somebody already thought of a calendar.



One of the models from the calendar.




A calendar featuring some of that fantastic 1890s poster art? A B.F. exclusive? Done already?