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Grapefruit Moon Gallery

Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration

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lingerie

A fabulous c. 1940s original pin up pastel by Earl Moran created for the Brown & Bigelow Calendar Company of Saint Paul, MN.

The Chamber Maid

Artist: Earl Moran
Price: $14,500.00 $10,150.00

Filed Under: Pin-Up & Glamour Art
Tagged With: 1940s, american, Brown & Bigelow, Earl Moran, fadeaway girl, lingerie, original calendar art, pin up, risque
Added to Gallery: February 25, 2018

A 1942 original pastel on board by Cardwell Higgins created for an advertising display sign for “Adola Brassieres”. Higgins executed a series of these images all with erotically charged pin-up girl style and often times set in Hawaii as in this example. This is the only known surviving pastel from this campaign, the text on the die-cut display created from the artwork read “The Secret To a Lovely Figure”.

Secret To A Lovely Figure

Artist: Cardwell Higgins
Price: $4,500.00  $3,150.00

Filed Under: Illustration & Advertising Art
Tagged With: 1940s, advertising, american, art deco, Cardwell Higgins, erotic, hawaiiana, lingerie, pin up
Added to Gallery: January 27, 2018

A genre defining girl in peril, menace themed pulp cover painting by the prolific and gifted American illustrator Peter Driben, this appeared as the cover for the December 1941 issue of Expose Detective True Crime Cases. Illustrating the interior story The Scarlet Sinner’s Final Exit, this lurid, large and rare surviving pulp cover painting has it all. Beautifully framed and in a fine state of conservation.

The Scarlet Sinner

Artist: Peter Driben
Price:  Sold

Filed Under: Sorry, It's Sold
Tagged With: 1940s, american, damsel in distress, Expose Detective, lingerie, lurid, menace, Peter Driben, pulp
Added to Gallery: March 12, 2015

An original oil painting by Earl Moran for the Brown & Bigelow Calendar Company used as a March 1947 calendar girl with caption that read “My teacher says I’m quite advanced – For one so young in years. And that the answers that I know – Should vanish all my fears.” This image also appeared […]

My Little Scheme

Artist: Earl Moran
Price:  S O L D

Filed Under: Sorry, It's Sold
Tagged With: 1940s, american, Brown & Bigelow, cheesecake, lingerie, mutoscope, original calendar art, pin up, risque, The Golden Gallery
Added to Gallery: October 7, 2013

An unabashedly pure cheesecake situational pin up painting by Harry Ekman likely for The Shaw-Barton Calendar Company of Coshocton, Ohio. In this summertime sizzling scene, a pin up dream–clad only in the skimpiest negligee–finds herself at the fuse-box. The combination of the model’s attempt to keep cool with only a fan and her revealing see […]

Blowing A Fuse

Artist: Harry Ekman
Price:  Sold

Filed Under: Sorry, It's Sold
Tagged With: 1940s, american, cheesecake, Harry Ekman, lingerie, nude, original calendar art, pin up, Shaw-Barton Calendar Company, summer, The Golden Gallery
Added to Gallery: August 19, 2013

Alberto Vargas’ first work for Playboy Magazine appeared September of 1960, exactly one year before the publication of this artwork. In this flirtatious view, a pretty brunette in a diaphanous pink nightgown smiles to the viewer after applying red lipstick to her full lips. This was generously gifted by Hugh Hefner and Playboy Magazine to an Easter Seals charity telethon auction in Chicago in the 1970s. This work was chosen specifically by the foundation, which wanted an image that could be shown on TV.

Vargas Girl – Playboy 1961

Artist: Alberto Vargas
Price:  S O L D

Filed Under: Sorry, It's Sold
Tagged With: 1960s, Alberto Vargas, american, erotic, Hugh Hefner, lingerie, original interior illustration, pin up, Playboy Magazine, risque, The Golden Gallery, Varga Girl
Added to Gallery: May 27, 2013

This ravishing red headed pin-up illustration by the prolific American illustrator and fine artist Roy Besser epitomizes the mid century modern style of pin up art popularized by George Petty & Alberto Vargas. In the image, a perky sun loving bathing beauty in stylish cats eye sunglasses shows off her bad girl side with a coy and inviting smile. Signed lower right a gouache painting on illustration board and a published work for as of yet unidentified print usage. Handsomely framed and double matted behind glass.

Red Headed Pin Up

Artist: Roy Besser
Price:  S O L D

Filed Under: Sorry, It's Sold
Tagged With: 1950s, american, illustration, lingerie, pin up, Roy Besser, tattoo
Added to Gallery: March 23, 2013

Simply stated, Thanks for the Orchid, is the finest Joyce Ballantyne artwork to come on the market. Commissioned by Brown & Bigelow in 1955, the luminous quality of the image and the detail and texture of the brush strokes display the impact of Elvgren’s teachings and collaboration on Ballantyne, if they do not indeed betray the hand of Gil Elvgren. Ballantyne worked closely with Elvgren for the better part of a decade, and it has often been suggested that he ghost painted some of her best work.

Thanks for the Orchid

Artist: Joyce Ballantyne
Price:  S O L D

Filed Under: Sorry, It's Sold
Tagged With: 1950s, american, Brown & Bigelow, Joyce Ballantyne, lingerie, Marilyn Monroe, orchid, original calendar art, pin up
Added to Gallery: November 24, 2010

An original 1962 oil on canvas by Gilette Elvgren commissioned by the Brown & Bigelow Calendar Company and published under the titles “Just Right”,”Hat’s Nice” and “The Eyeds of March”. This sexy pin-up masterwork explores the silk stockings & garters scenario for which the artist is best known. A brunette Elvgren girl admires her wiles in an aptly named vanity mirror in this provocative over the shoulder derriere exposed creation. For those of you not keeping track, recent auctions have seen Elvgren’s pin-up works for Brown & Bigelow topping $200,000.00 on three recent occasions. The high water mark of $262,900.00 was seen at Heritage Auctions June 5th, 2008 sale in Dallas Texas (Lot #66097).

Just Right

Artist: Gil Elvgren
Price:  S O L D

Filed Under: Sorry, It's Sold
Tagged With: 1960s, american, Brown & Bigelow, Gil Elvgren, Great American Pin-up, lingerie, original calendar art, pin up, stockings, The Golden Gallery
Added to Gallery: November 15, 2010

George Petty’s enormously successful career as an illustrator began in the mid-1920s painting magazine covers and images of beautiful girls for calendars. The creation that made him legendary debuted in the first issue of Esquire magazine in 1933. The “Petty Girl,” with her dreamy curves and witty banter, quickly became a popular symbol of the American male’s feminine ideal.Esquire produced two other calendars by Petty in 1955 and 1956. This painting appeared as the September Petty Girl in the 1956 Esquire calendar. Rendered in watercolor on board, nicely framed and ready to hang.

Petty Girl, September 1956

Artist: George Petty
Price:  S O L D

Filed Under: Sorry, It's Sold
Tagged With: 1950s, american, art deco, Esquire, George Petty, lingerie, nude, original calendar art, Petty Girl, The Golden Gallery
Added to Gallery: October 19, 2010

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    About Grapefruit Moon Gallery

    Grapefruit Moon Gallery, based in Minneapolis MN, specializes in vintage pin up and original illustration art.  We are the proud home of the Bunny Yeager archives.

    Since 2003, Grapefruit Moon Gallery has been a leading dealer of exclusive original paintings by Gil Elvgren, Alberto Vargas, Earl Moran, Rolf Armstrong and Henry Clive, as well as vintage photographs, prints, and period decorative arts in ceramic and metal.

    All artworks featured are original, accurately represented, and guaranteed to be the work of the named artist.

    Interested buyers may view pieces by appointment and we are happy to answer any questions you may have. [Contact Us]

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