#301398 - Selbee Glamour Guide Gentlemans Choice Anita Ventura

Glamour Guide, Semi-Annual No. 1
Selbee Associates, Inc.
New York, New York
1962

digital replica

Gentlemans' Choice Anita, Number One
Ultra Publishing Co.
New York, New York
ca. 1961

digital replica

Glamour Guide, Semi-Annual No. 1

Few Burtman-related publications have a “Publisher's Notice” on page two. Found on the inside front covers of hundreds of racy 1960s booklets showing women's nipples, the statement functioned as a denial of lascivious intent for the sexy pictures that followed.

Written to deflect “prurient interest” vulnerability coined by the Supreme Court's 1957 Roth decision, notices claimed that pictures were intended to serve as instructive guides for artists, photographers and models. In Glamour Guide and similar contemporaneous booklets, the technical pretext continued to the inside back cover, which lists camera, film, and darkroom specifications.

While none of these publications (i.e., 1960s booklets of bare-breasted pin-ups) became the subject of litigation, the artistic-purposes disclaimer would have little value in court. Why so? Because the covers do not advertise the content as a photographic figure reference for professionals. Rather, booklet covers entice customers with suggestive titles, titillating promises (here, “ . . . the most beautiful girls in the world”), and pictures of models in lingerie. In other words, the covers were designed to attract men who expected to be entertained and stimulated by looking at pictures of nearly-nude women.

Anita Ventura appears first in the booklet. On 16 pages, she poses abundant curves in lacy garter belt, stockings, metallic mules, and nothing at all. Her countenance varies from contemplative to flirty. In a few pictures, she looks like she knows what's on your mind.

Cheerful and provocative, other models show off their curves in garter belts, hosiery and panties. Some wear even less but positioning of limbs obscures full nudity.

In the second issue of Diabolique, sultry Palva Itano presented her impeccable form. A few pictures from that photo set appear here.

Except for covers, the booklet contains no text, which means that models are not identified. Each of 64 pages contains one photograph, and most bleed off the edges.

Brightness, contrast and levels were adjusted, shadows reduced and many specks re-touched. Most of the photographs show competence and these transposed well to ebook format.

The digital replica includes all content in the booklet in the original page sequence. Some walls, floors and empty margins were cropped out.

All new scans.

Gentlemans' Choice Anita, Number One

The text of the inside-front-cover disclaimer for Gentlemans' Choice Anita throws words at the subject but expresses few ideas. Some of it is incoherent.

Close ups aid in shadows, contours and viewing poses in an overall composition as their purposes.

But who's counting?

Sometimes wearing a waist-cincher, hosiery and mules, Miss Anita poses her zoftig form with grace. Womanly smiles reflect a relaxed mood in living room and bedroom settings.

While most photos were properly exposed, some are dark. Brightness, contrast and levels were adjusted, shadows reduced and many specks re-touched. Some dark areas were dodged. All pictures were improved by application of multiple image-editing techniques and most appear clear in the ebook.

All new scans.

Two ebooks, delivered by download from your 30th Street Graphics account.