Gil Elvgren (1914 - 1980) 

Gil Elvgren was the most important pin-up and glamour artist of the 20th century. During his professional career, which began in the mid - 1930's and lasted more than 40 years, he established himself as the the clear favorite of the pin-up art collectors and fans worldwide.

Although most of his work was created for commerical use, it has been increasingly recognized as "fine" art by many private collectors, dealers, galleries and museums.

Elvgren's fame is undoubtedly due to his now legendary series of pin-ups painted over a period of nearly thirty years. However, his twenty-five year stint on advertising work of Coca-Cola helped to established him as one of the great illustrators in this field as well.

Station WOW, undated

While Coca-Cola artwork included some typical "Elvgren Girl" pin-ups, most of it depicted typical American families, children and teenagers - ordinary people doing everyday things. During World war II and the Korean War, Elvgren even painted military scences for Coca-Cola which eventually became acknowledged icons of American life.

Elvgren's Coca-Cola subjects portrayed the American dream of a secure, comfortable lifestyle, but his well know illustrations for magazine stories often captured timeless scenes that reflected the hopes, fears and joy of thier readers.

These publishing assignments were commissioned during the 1940's and 1950's by a host of mainstream American Magazines, including McCall's, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping and Woman's Home Companion.

Elvgen stood out not just for his painting and advertising graphics. He was a notable professional photographer, wielding the camera with the same dexterity as he wielded his brush.