Peter Driben (October 22, 1903 - September, 1968), an American

pin-up A pin-up model (known as a pin-up girl for a female and less commonly male pin-up for a male) is a model whose mass-produced pictures see widespread appeal as part of popular culture. Pin-up models were variously glamour models, fashion models ...

artist, was perhaps one of the most productive pin-up artists of the 1940s and 1950s. Although both

Alberto Vargas Joaquin Alberto Vargas y Chávez (9 February 1896 – 30 December 1982) was a Peruvian-American painter of pin-up girls. He is often considered one of the most famous of the pin-up artists. Numerous Vargas paintings have sold and continue to se ...

and

Gil Elvgren Gillette Elvgren (March 15, 1914 – February 29, 1980) was an American Painting, painter of pin-up girls, advertising and illustration. Best known for his pin-up paintings for Brown & Bigelow, Elvgren studied at the American Academy of ...

have extensive catalogues of work, neither came close to the output of Driben. Driben's pinups delighted the American public from the beginning of World War II until the great baby boom of the 1950s. Born in Boston, Driben studied at Vesper George Art School before moving to Paris (circa 1925). While taking classes at the

Sorbonne Sorbonne may refer to: * Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities. *the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970) *one of its components or linked institution, ...

in 1925, he began a series of highly popular pen-and-ink drawings of the city's showgirls. His first known pin-up was the cover to ''La Paree Stories'' in March 1934. By 1935, he was producing covers for Snappy, Pep, New York Nights, French Night Life and Caprice. Driben's popularity continued to rise in the late thirties with covers for ''Silk Stocking Stories'', ''Gay Book'', ''Movie Merry-Go-Round'' and ''Real Screen Fun''. Driben's career expanded into advertising with his move to New York in late 1936. He created original three-dimensional die-cut window displays for Philco Radios, Cannon Bath Towels, and the Weber Baking Company. Perhaps his most famous work being the original posters and publicity artwork for The Maltese Falcon. Peter Driben was also a close friend of publisher Robert Harrison, and in 1941 was contracted to produce covers for Harrison's new magazine ''Beauty Parade''. Driben went on to paint hundreds of covers for that publication and for the other seven titles Harrison was to launch - ''Flirt, Whisper, Titter, Wink, Eyeful, Giggles'', and ''Joker''.Robert Harrison Publications Driben would often have as many as six or seven of his covers being published every month. Driben's work for Harrison established him as one of America's most recognized and successful pin-up and glamour artists. Just before he began to work for Harrison, Driben married the artist, actress and poet, Louise Kirby. In 1944 he was offered the unusual opportunity, for a pin-up artist, of becoming the art director of the

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, a post he retained until 1946. During the war, his popular painting of American soldiers raising the flag at Iwo Jima sparked a considerable amount of media attention. In 1956, Driben and Louise moved to Miami Beach, where he spent his retirement years painting portraits (including one of

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

) and other fine-art works, which were organized into successful exhibitions by his wife. Driben died in 1968, Louise in 1984.

References

External links

Peter Driben artwork can be viewed at American Art Archives web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Driben, Peter Artists from Boston Pin-up artists University of Paris alumni American illustrators 1968 deaths 1903 births American expatriates in France

See also

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External links