FetHistory: CARTOON AND MODEL PARADE & the Pre-Bettie Page Days of Irving Klaw, circa 1950

If you’ll recall from last week, we left off with a brief look at remnants of some very early Irving Klaw bulletins. Today I thought it might be fun to trace the earliest Irving Klaw catalogs. What’s the difference between Irving Klaw’s bulletins and his catalogs? Well, for one, the catalogs are much thicker. They also generally represent “the best of” his bulletins (or what, most likely, was his “best-selling” material. Let’s not forget that Irving Klaw, first and foremost, was a businessman).

By this time, the late 1940s, Klaw had been selling movie star pin-up photos and Hollywood memorabilia for about a decade. He was a seasoned businessman with mail order experience. Although Irving Klaw was married (also for about a decade), his real partner in crime was his sister Pauline (aka “Paula”).

Irving Klaw Paula Klaw Irving Klaw Pin Up Photos, Richard Pérez Seves

Irving Klaw’s earliest catalogs were called Movie Star News. Since I own a few of these I can say they’re pretty bland: just straight listings of mainstream Hollywood material with very few pics, except for the occasional celebrity PR shot.

By the mid-to-late '40s, “borderline” material would be introduced in these catalogs. This was a natural progression (following Darwin's Law, we might say), as what sold would be featured more and more.

Already by issue #27 of Movie Star News, for instance, there’s mention of “Girls in Extreme High Heels,” “Dominant Female Sirens,” “Curvaceous Corset Girls,” “Fighting Girls,” “Slave Girls,” “High Laced Boots Poses,” “Gagged Model Poses.” Many of these same ads, which are actually quite innocent, can also be seen in issue #29 (below):

Movie Star News #29, Richard Pérez Seves

The 29th edition of Movie Star News would morph into issue #30 of Cartoon and Pin-Up Parade, then finally by issue #31, Cartoon and Model Parade, which you see below.

Cartoon and Model Parade #31, Richard Pérez Seves

Not only is this the first Cartoon and Model Parade, it’s also the first catalog not to be printed on newsprint. This accounts for the paper not browning so much, the smoother texture, and the better image quality. Although this item has no publishing date, an accurate guess would be 1950.

Since I own this particular issue, would you like to take a peek inside? If so, tune in next week!

But here’s a special preview (click to enlarge)!

—Richard Pérez Seves

=> Index ~ of FetHistory ~ From the Beginning:

http://fethistory.blogspot.com/p/1.html

>> Peek inside the Charles Guyette tribute <<

Charles Guyette: Godfather of American Fetish Art
** 2018 Expanded Second Edition **

>> HERE <<

* * * * * *

Peek inside with Dita Von Teese:

==>> HERE <<==

Dita Von Teese, Instagram, Charles Guyette: Godfather of American Fetish Art

Reviews:

"If New York collector, writer and fetish historian Richard Pérez Seves had not decided to assemble what he knew about Charles Guyette (along with a substantial selection of images) into this paperback, this influential forerunner of the genre's better known exponents would have continued a lot longer as the great unsung hero of American fetish art."—Tony Mitchell, thefetishistas.com

"If you're at all a fan of fetish art ... then this book will be right up your alley." —kinkweekly.com

"I've often cited John Willie's gals as my biggest fashion inspiration but I'll have to start tipping my hat to Guyette as well."—Dita Von Teese