Girl in the wind: Windy Girl vs. Varga Girl and mystification Zippo

Surely everyone knows the famous advertising image of a girl, lights in the wind from Zippo. For the first time a stranger named Windy Girl appeared on advertising Zippo back in 1937, however, after the Second World was somewhat forgotten ... to triumphantly return to the early 1990s, but under a different name ... - Varga Girl. What really happened and who created it? ..

If you look closely at this ad, published in the journal «Esquire» in December 1937, in the area of girls' skirts copyright notice: Painting by ENOC BOLES. But after a year the artist's name disappeared from the posters and Zippo girl was left alone. But its author was well-known and successful artist!

It is difficult to say why his name is written on the poster with two errors. In fact his name was Enoch Bolles and he was one of the famous American illustrator who worked in the mid-20th century in the then fashionable style pin-up. From his pen came not one hundred magazine covers of the time, as well as countless promotional items and illustrations. And, of course, the famous pin-up girls, flooded the America of the 1940s. One of them - without exaggeration, one of the most famous - was the Windy Girl with a Zippo lighter in the wind. However, having tasted fame in the late 1930's - early 1940's, when its image has been widely used on posters and boxes for Zippo, Windy Girl disappeared from view for nearly 50 years.

In 1982, the Windy Girl in passing appeared on boxes, which were packed commemorative Zippo for the 50th anniversary of the company. It was only in 1992, she returned and appeared on the new models lighter, but her name this time - Varga Girl. What has happened and what is the reason the name change?

History substitution name is actually amazing and was first excavated in the mid-2000s, the author of art magazine «Illustration» named Jack Raglin. After talking with the historian and curator of the museum in Bradford Zippo Mebon Linda (Linda Meabon), he discovered a surprising fact: The story of a girl in the wind was re-invented in the early 1990's, and the authorship was attributed to another American artist named Alberto Vargas . Vargas, a Peruvian-born photographer and son, lived in the U.S. since 1916 and was a famous illustrator, he also worked in the style of pin-up, and quickly earned a name and popularity. As Bolles, Vargas painted for the magazine «Esquire», and the particular fame brought him his pin-up beauties, which he gave his name, so that they remain in the history as Vargas, or Varga Girls. According to legend, the founder of Zippo George Blaisdell loved work by Alberto Vargas, and even had his picture on his office wall - at least, so says the legend :) It is possible that Blaisdell was anxious to advertise for its lighters Vargas drew it - in this If the legend gives a wonderful tribute to George's request. Jack Reglin, but he doubts that Blaisdell could know about Alberto Vargas in the late 1930s, when the latter was living in California and was virtually unknown outside (wide fame came to Vargas only in the 1940s), and considers that advertising like to order another famous pin-up artist of the time George Petty - but somehow, it did not happen, as the price of work and Petty, and Vargas was at that time could not afford to George Blaisdell (and so he had to to get into debt to borrow $ 3,000 to pay for advertisement in the magazine - 1937 amount to more than decent), and finally a girl for advertising drew Enoch Bolles. But be that as it may, the legend persists, survived time and was revived by Zippo - so Windy Girl in the early 1990s turned into a Varga Girl, inheriting the new name of Alberto Vargas.

Further - the story: after a period of confusion and litigation with copyrights company Zippo justice and the girl back her original name Windy Girl, stored it until now. Probably no longer so important, who, George Blaisdell in 1937, wanted to order advertising lighters - the girl in the wind forever in the history of Zippo, but we also restore a piece of justice: this page will meet with the girl on the cover of enoki Bollesa and pin-up Beauty Alberto Vargas.

© Alberto Vargas

© Enoch Bolles

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Tags: History , windy Girl

2 Comments

  1. [...] Print advertising Zippo, starting with the famous Varga Girl, the story of advertising Zippo from 1950, Zippo in the second [...]

  2. Igor (04.12.2010 22:57) ( Reply )

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