To: pml1@yahoogroups.com From: Mark Tomlonson Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 12:09:38 -0500 Subject: [PML1] CC: Eleanor Bradley In Eleanor Bradley's centerfold (February 1959) we see one of Playboy's early experiments in "How to make a centerfold". The experiment was to see what kind of framing is best in a centerfold. Currently, the standard is a full to three-quarter height shot, with the camera even with or slightly above the model. For Eleanor's centerfold, the camera has moved in close, and it is well below her line of sight. In a time when much of a woman's body had to be hidden, this made sense. While there are many current shots of nude women taken from angles much like this, there are no other centerfolds. I'm going back and forth as to whether this is a good thing or not. Eleanor looks like she's on the beach on a windy day. She probably was. Her lack of any kind of hairdo is understandable under those conditions. Her full lips seem to be made up in the style of the day, not enhanced by kicking the reds up a notch. The fishnet works here, providing a pattern without obscuring. The phrase "consumptive French whore" does not spring to my mind. Experiment or no, Eleanor's smile shines above all. Photographer: Ron Vogel Scoring: Pin-up: 2.0 Erotic: 1.5 Artistic: 1.5 Overall: 1.8 out of 4.0 Cyber Club Portfolio Photo I like better than the Centerfold: none http://cyber.playboy.com/members/playmates/files/1959/02/centerfold.html Update: The phrase "consumptive French whore" dates back to a Saturday Night Live sketch. Its use here refers back to an earlier critique where I stated my general dislike of fishnet as an erotic prop. Mark Tomlonson Kalamazoo MI