Bernard of Hollywood Pin-Ups: Guide to Pin-Up Photography (Evergreen Series) [Paperback]

Bruno Bernard (Author)

Book Description

Series: Evergreen Series | Publication Date: May 1, 1999

The glamorous denizens of Hollywood in the fifties were doing what the whole of America could only dream about. Los Angeles was the permanently sunny city where the stars came out to play, while the rest of the country eagerly awaited the latest issue of Hollywood Dream Girls to pore over gorgeous in-ups of their favourite icons. When it came to these 'glamour' shots, the man they called Bernard of Hollywood was the best photographer in town. He was a German emigrant, seeing American stars with a fresh eye. He fled before WW II, hopping onto a boat bound for LA instead of Brazil after watching a Clark Gable movie. He was hooked on fame and celebrity, teaching himself into the professional studio game, and helping to school other budding amateurs with his accessible how-to guide (included in this volume). After the war, America was booming; the films and adverts reflected this new optimism, and Bernard was the lens man of the Technicolor era. He was instrumental in discovering Marilyn Monroe -- and soon became famous himself with his classic collection of the most beautiful women of the time, "Pin-Ups: One Step Beyond."The stars never shone as brightly as they did under Bernard's light bulbs.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The editor:

Susan Bernard is the author of six books, including the best-selling Bernard of Hollywood's Marilyn and Joyous Motherhood. President of Bernard of Hollywood, she preserves, exhibits, and publishes her late father's work. She is also an actress and a producer. At 16, she starred in the cult classic Faster, Pussycat, Kill! Kill! With Whoopi Goldberg, she co-produced The Mao Game, a film based on her son Joshua Miller’s first novel. A resident of Los Angeles and New York, she is working on a novel and a film about her father’s life. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Taschen (May 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3822871729
• ISBN-13: 978-3822871720
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 9.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #735,200 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great reference for taking Classic styled Pin-Up Photos, June 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bernard of Hollywood Pin-Ups: Guide to Pin-Up Photography (Evergreen Series) (Paperback)

Bernard of Hollywood Pin-Ups is a fun and fast way to get started recapturing the look and feel of the '40's and '50's styled Pin-Up Photography. Of course, this book's instruction applies to anytime, but the examples shown are all Classic Pin-up. Each page comes with a short summary of the thought behind each full page Black & White photo and a small diagram showing lighting and camera position. A bio of Bernard of Hollywood and the philosophy behind his photographs completes the book. It's straight forward and to the point, a worth while addition to a Pin-Up book collection, and a simple instructive guide for beginning photographers.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eisenhower, eyes and wow, October 1, 2002

By 

Jay Heldman (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bernard of Hollywood: The Ultimate Pin-Up Book (Specials) (Hardcover)

The photographs of Bruno Bernard are historic treasures documenting a period of Americana when purity and innocence masked the prurient. As teenagers when my friends and I joined the military after Pearl Harbor, we considered ourselves to be tough men; our images of naughtiness were induced by the pin-up.

The Ultimate Pin-Up is a coffee table collection of beautiful photographs--the colors are brilliant, the hair styles and clothing which drape the subjects who found their way to Hollywood or Las Vegas in the forties and fifties are significant representations of the American spirit post WWII; this being an era of US military might and rapid technological changes. Decades ago I felt these photographs were of loose women yet as I peruse the book I am amused by the sweetness and demurenss of the models and their poses.

The book is printed with high quality paper, the collection is heavy so it needs to rest on a table. It is fun to peruse; each page delights and tickles my memories of the days before the younger generation elected JFK to the White House.

This book makes me happy. Bernard of Hollywood will be remembered for his documenting history. Although the book is filed with the topic "Sex" I feel it should be referenced as "History". The images are certainly "Art". Smithsonian.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ABSOLUTELY AWESOME......, October 27, 2002

By 

Mark Norvell (HOUSTON) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bernard of Hollywood: The Ultimate Pin-Up Book (Specials) (Hardcover)

This is truly the ultimate pin-up book. I have seen some of these photos over the years and it's satisfying to put a name to them. But what's really surprising is the vast quantity of output this man had. He was certainly prolific and there's no question as to why he was sought after by the rich and glamorous. He was a genius. These are amazing pictures and portraits of some of the most stunning women on the planet from the 40's and 50's. We'll never know another era like that. Beautiful clothes, costumes and jewelry adorn these women from a time when glamour was GLAMOUR. From starlets to cheesecake models to showgirls to stars---they're all here and captured in all their splendor. Even the stunning 50's stripper Lili St.Cyr is here in rare and incredible photos. Thanks to Susan Bernard (from "Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!") her fathers' work is receiving another round of applause and admiration. This book is embedded with legend. A MUST for auteurs of glamour photography and a MUST for nostalgia lovers. Recommended HIGHLY.