Petty

From the 1930's through the 1950's, George Petty was perhaps the most famous illustrative artist in America, rivaled only by Norman Rockwell. Petty was to the American woman what Rockwell was to the American family; and the ubiquitous Petty Girl was to print what Jean Harlow and Betty Grable were to film.

George Petty not only created a new American beauty; he was the true father of the pin-up, the magazine gatefold, and the first great master of airbrush illustration.

Petty's art reached new heights of popularity during World War II, when his pin-ups seemed to be responsible for much of the morale-boosting of overseas servicemen, and Petty Girls became "nose art" mascots on such military aircraft as the famed Memphis Belle.

Reid Austin's magnificent book, the first-ever biography of Petty and discussion of his artistic output, is a treasure trove of these priceless images, a collector's delight, and a treat for all lovers of American illustration and the American pin-up.