They have excited generations of men, on calendars and covers, as centerfolds or even on playing cards: pin-ups. What started as an exercise in oils was soon taken up in various media --pin-up mascots graced the fuselages of American fighters, and became an essential feature of the male world of garages and barracks. The age of political correctness hasn't ended their appeal. This book tells the tale of a genre as utterly American as the paintings of Edward Hopper, describing its origins and development in detail and showcasing the most important artists. With over 900 illustrations (many full-page), The Great America Pin-Up is one of the first comprehensive studies of the genre to appear anywhere. We get work by Gillette A. (Gil) Elvgren, Edward Runci, Edward D'Ancona, Art Frahm, Zoe Mozert, Earl Mac Pherson, Joyce Ballantyne and many, many others --some you may know of and others you will be pleased to get to know.