this is so typically odd... an artist who is so talented, unable to pay the bills with art, has to have a regular job to pay the bills.... David Wright, famous pin up artist, was a driving instructor!

one of the most popular pin-up artists during World War II. 

During the war he worked as a driving instructor for the armed forces in Abersoch, Wales, which left him plenty of time to continue his illustration work.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Wright_(artist)

P 38 nose art made from a Earl Macpherson pin up, Wishful Thinking

The original was known as Seasons Greetings

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=8857468671003611&set=gm.10161216835264472&idorvanity=14020804471

I found a pin-up website you might be interested in, a look back at the 60s pin up calendars that were in every garage service station, advertising for Napa, tire companies, paint companies, and tool companies

Gil Elvgren - "Fast Lass" - September 1967 American Beauties Calendar

Mayo Olmstead - 1959 Victor Gaskets and Seals Advertising Calendar

Bill Medcalf - "Vicki" - 1961 Victor Seals and Gaskets Advertising Calendar

Bill Medcalf - "Vicki" - 1962 Victor Gasket Company

Bill Medcalf - 1961 NAPA Automotive Advertising Calendar

Bill Medcalf - 1950s Ditzler Automotive Advertising Calendar

Bill Medcalf - 1962 Kelly Springfield Tire Company Advertising Calendar

https://www.tumblr.com/theamericanpin-up

The Cars guitarist, Elliott Easton, shared a Flintstones-themed version of the band’s 1979 Candy-O album, on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYPU5Whuyij/?hl=en  via https://www.mensjournal.com/entertainment/cars-guitarist-elliott-easton-shares-spoof-of-iconic-album-cover-candyo

notice that the names of the guys in the band were renamed in the Flintstones theme Roc Ocasek, Benjamin Ore, David Rubbleson, Elliot Eastrock, and Slag Hawkes

The iconic Candy-O album cover was created by pin-up artist Alberto Vargas. It featured a model sprawled across a drawing of a Ferrari 365 GTC/4, and it was based on a photoshoot at a car dealership 

Cars drummer David Robinson spoke about the photoshoot and cover artwork in a 2020 interview, where he noted that he came up with the idea to do a “pinup thing” and sought out Vargas.

“I spent a day with him and he said he would do it,” Robinson recalled. “We went to a Ferrari dealership, and I can't believe they let [the model] get on the car… it was like on the hood of the car, and we moved her all around as we took pictures.”

and here's some crazy trivia... you know the cover of that album, Candy O?

https://nihilistnotes.blogspot.com/search?q=Meconium

I didn't know that the model, was one I was familiar with from the Pro Trac Racing Profile wheels (which I bought a pair of N 50s in 1990 and put on my 71 Challenger, and 88 Dakota) advert was the same woman! 

And I posted this in the "automotive parts advertising used sex to sell car parts" part 5 post way back in 2009 (if you haven't seen those 1960s and 70s ads you're going to get a kick out of them -  https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/07/when-automotive-parts-advertising-used.html 

ever heard of a WW2 ambulance with a nose art pin up?

 Picture of “Beached Bessie”, a former French ambulance used by the Germans, gift of a US Officer to the ARC. 

Quite heavily decorated (paintings removed by order of the CO), the vehicle first served as a transport for the American Red Cross contingent, but was later taken over by the 25th General Hospital for use as a mess truck to carry the food to the different wards, being christened “Meals on Wheels”. 

This vehicle saw some use during the hospital’s stay at Lison, between August and November 1944.

https://www.med-dept.com/unit-histories/25th-general-hospital/

Just found a pin up Tumblr site

With all the usual artists, Elvgren, Petty, Vargas, and a lot I've never heard of. NSFW 

 https://www.tumblr.com/theamericanpin-up

this booth was using pin ups to grab attention, and had hired women who looked like 1940s pin up models to work in the booth too

 

one of the first 332nd fighter group pilots to fly a P-51D painted a nude pin up on both sides of the plane... the front on the port, the rear on the starboard

https://www.vintageleatherjackets.org/threads/random-cool-photo-thread.26448/post-332600

nice pin up nose art on a Tinian B29

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10224641824303931&set=pcb.3884133701817467

pinup artist Bill Medcalf's mix of women and cars (thanks Martin D! )

In 1940 and 1941, he worked in the art department of the United States Treasury's Bureau of Engraving and in 1942, he joined the Navy as a gunners mate.

When Medcalf joined the staff of resident artists at Brown & Bigelow on 18 March 1946, he hoped to get some pointers from his two idols, Gil Elvgren and Norman Rockwell, who were both contributors. When he met both men at a Christmas party that year, he was therefore stunned and flattered when they asked him how he imparted such a finished glow to his work.

For his first assignment in 1947, for Kelly-Springfield Celebrity Tires, Medcalf painted a beautiful girl walking her dog on an estate, with a sports car in the background. Then, for Dorman. Products (auto parts manufacturers), he created a breathtaking picture of a girl and her dog having a picnic in front of an automobile. While still handling these special pin-up projects, Medcalf also went on to deliver one winner after another to a new, more traditional Brown & Bigelow series, The Baseball Hall of Fame.

http://www.thepinupfiles.com/medcalf.html

a Jeep called "Shortstop", "Sue", and another "Rough Rider"

Cpl. Paul F. Janesk, Antrim, Penn., with the face of Mussolini crossed out. (3 Sep 43) Signal Corps

with pin up art!

http://hmvf.co.uk/topic/17090-vehicle-names-and-cab-art/#comments
https://dorsetfinds.wordpress.com/2011/05/24/the-bog-of-war-wwii-military-jeep-pump-ca-1940s/

loving this art by Romain Hugault ! Thanks Maxime!

and he did this advertising posted for a real beer brand

https://www.facebook.com/pg/romainhugault/photos/?ref=page_internal

I had forgotten that I'd posted his art before, my memory is getting pretty bad, it was only 3 years ago, and a much better post: https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2017/10/thanks-to-yanick-ive-never-heard-of.html  

there was a thorough article on him at https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/drawings-of-magic-the-aviation-art-of-romain-hugault.html

Napa calendars used to have a single image for the whole year, while you tore off the month, page after page

By the way, if you go to EBay, and look around, you can buy a 1969 calendar, with pin ups by Elvgren, as the 1969 calendar is laid out the same as the 2020

Really well painted pin ups on the Hellcats of VMF(N)-541 lined up at Falalop Airstrip, Ulithi Atoll, Caroline Islands, May 1945. The only squadron with 2 enlisted pilots, and the only squadron to get the Army Distinguished Unit Citation

according to the internet, the Marines rarely had nose art on their aircraft.  They must have had a terrific artist in their squadron

The closest plane is names 1 O'Clock Jump

The Hellcat had the best kill ration of any Navy fighter plane, 19-1, a record that still stands, and was out of reach of all the other Navy planes.

US Marine Corps Fighter Squadrons of World War II By Barrett Tillman


And if you've never heard of the Ulithi Atoll, it's not a surprise, they used it for a short time to ready for the attack on Okinawa Japan, then deserted it. Ulithi is 1300 miles south of Tokyo, 850 miles east of the Philippines, and 360 miles southwest of Guam.

It is a classic Pacific atoll with coral reef, palm trees, and white sand. It had depths ranging 80 to 100 feet; suitable depths for anchoring the huge naval ships. It was the only fitting haven for 800 miles where the US Navy could anchor its ships.

For a short time, in the spring of '45, it was the largest, and most strategic, US military base in the world, with the largest convoy of US Navy ships and personnel

Six thousand ship fitters, carpenters, electricians, and welders arrived at Ulithi aboard repair ships, destroyer support ships, and floating dry docks within a month of the occupation; afloat in the Pacific, an entire naval base was in operation.

USS Iowa in drydock... it had to off load 700,000 gallons of fuel to meet max weight the floating drydock could lift

This monumental force comprised of 106 destroyers, 29 aircraft carriers, 15 battleships, and 23 cruisers, 105 landing craft-vehicle-personnel (LCVPs) and the 45 landing craft mechanized (LCMs), and you can just imagine how many support personnel was required.

The troop landings at Okinawa required 1,500 freight cars of ammunition and 600,000 gallons of fuel oil, and it was all staged at Ulithi.

When the Leyte Gulf was secured by the Allies, the floating base from Ulithi moved on.

https://www.asisbiz.com/il2/Hellcat/VMFN541/pages/Grumman-F6F-5N-Hellcat-VMFN-541-White-FN59-center-at-Peleliu-1944-01.html
https://ww2db.com/image.php?image_id=22793
http://wings-aviation.ch/29-Marines/5/541/541.htm
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/didnt-know-this-its-existence-kept-secret-throughout-the-war-the-us-naval-base-at-ulithi-was-for-a-time-the-worlds-largest-naval-facility.html/3
https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/12-photos-island-city-navy-built-invade-japan
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/military-vehicle-news/the-massive-floating-dry-docks-of-the-pacific-fleet-that-could-carry-battleships-and-aircraft-carriers-you-never-heard-about.html
https://forum.worldofwarships.com/topic/176259-americas-industry-vs-japan/