Vamps and Virgins
October 7, 2004 through June 12, 2005
Vamps & Virgins: The Evolution of American Pinup Photography, 1860-1960
The Museum of Sex celebrates its second anniversary with the October opening of Vamps & Virgins: The Evolution of American Pinup Photography 1860-1960 which traces the development of the classic American pinup photo from early hardcore imagery in the mid 19th century to her apex in cheesecake images of the 1950s.
According to exhibition curator, Jennifer Kabat, Vamps & Virgins exposes the secret history of the pinup, which mirrors mainstream 20th century history and charts how the role of women has changed and their images have been employed for more than 100 years. “The development of the pinup and its accompanying spread of scantily-clad ladies across American culture, from ads and billboards to TV, is easily the single most important development impacting women’s rights, the history of sexuality, and feminism over the last century,” says Ms. Kabat. “In this post-modern, post-Playboy world we’re used to our pinups coming self-aware, self-assured and as self-described feminists, but it wasn’t always the case.”
At its inception erotic photography was far more explicit than contemporary images. Traded privately, these pictures now have a quaint feel with their couples (and threesomes, foursomes and more) sporting serious expressions and often matching costumes. Toned down as the images spread to the populace at large in postcard form, the pinup started to wear the camp, coy expressions that are the genre’s hallmark, reaching her highpoint with Bettie Page. After Page, the style changed again, turning towards the explicit look of the contemporary centerfold.
“Looking at thousands of images of mute women, one can only wonder what they would say about their images and how they were used. Unfortunately most are still silent witnesses to what has been one of the most important cultural events in history,” Kabat continues. Vamps & Virgins brings the classic American pinup to the forefront of discussion, displaying the historic import of her legacy — one that has given impetus to such fashionable entertainment today as the popular resurgence of burlesque,” says Museum of Sex founder and Executive Director Daniel Gluck. “As the Museum celebrates its second anniversary, we look forward to continuing to provide museum goers with provocative exhibitions, unique in the American cultural landscape.”
Based on work in the Mark Rotenberg collection, Vamps & Virgins makes available to the public the breadth of his holdings for the first time ever. With hundreds and thousands of films, photographs, and magazines, the collection is virtually unparalleled, and the exhibition uses them to explore the shifting place of women in erotic material from the Victorian era through the early 1960s. Vamps & Virgins: The Evolution of the American Pinup 1860-1960 opens to the public on October 7, 2004. The exhibition will be on view through June 12, 2005.
Tickets
Adults (18+): $14.50 + tax
Students and Seniors (with valid ID): $13.50 + tax
Group Visits are also available
Ticket sales by phone: (866) MOSEXTIX / (866) 667-3984
Advance or day-of-visit tickets may also be purchased or reserved without a service charge in the Museum Lobby. There is a $1.50-per-ticket service charge for tickets purchased online or by phone.