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Wink-wink - The Classic Manual Camera photographic magazine


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<p><strong>Wink-wink</strong><br>

<em>The Classic Manual Camera photographic magazine as anthropological data</em><br>

<em> </em><br>

When I was in 5th grade in school or so, some magazine I subscribed to (a comic book?, I don’t remember) quit publication, so I was offered to complete my subscription in some other magazine, for which a list was given. I chose a photographic magazine. <br />I remember distinctly that my parents were not thrilled at my choice. At that time, photo magazines were considered a little “risky”. Moreover, boys of my age were known to show great interest also in <em>National Geographic</em> articles on Africa and the South Seas. Was there a common thread?<br /><br />I was reminded of this just today, when I was looking for an article on an Ansco do-it-yourself camera kit for kids (“Craftsman Kit” <em>Modern Photography</em> August, 1950). I thumbed through the copy I have of that issue, and of course many mainstream advertisements were what the comic book people call “headlight” illustrations, even including an article on how to avoid having your nude images be ‘conventional’. <br /><br />Actually, it was all very tame, even by the standards of 1950, but as I looked through the back page ads, there were some vendors promising more.<br /><br /></p><div>00e0vN-563858384.jpg.910a7140e4db0db5a131376a601ca8d1.jpg</div>

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<p>So, “wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more”, I present you with a pdf file of most of the titillating small ads in the August, 1950 of <em>Modern Photography</em>. One full page of classified ads is included to give some idea of the relative numbers.<br /><br />You will remember this was in the day before major body modifications were commonplace, so this is also by the way of anthropological “raw” data on natural extremes. I trust you will tolerate this for scientific purposes. Male figure studies were also offered.</p>
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<p>BTW, there is also something of interest in the use of the phrase "<a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/where-did-the-phrase-hubba-hubba-come-from-724400/?no-ist"><em>hubba, hubba</em></a>". The usage above was the way I always understood the term, but apparently the phrase was also used during WWII as a request for speeding things up, as on a letter....</p>
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<p>I must be older, or hung out with a rougher crowd -- my clear recollection is that hubba hubba was used as an exclamation of admiration, of women, cars, etc. and sometimes paired with "will ya look at that!" That usage makes sense in context with the ad posted above. Secondary usage was hurry up, though I can't recall hearing it in that context. May have been regional.</p>
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<p>Thanks, JDM -- you made my day.<br>

My first encounter with the expression was with my older sister -- she and her teen-age girl friends used the expression "Ooh La La, Hubba hubba hubba!" when referring among themselves to some particularly desirable hunk of meat on the high school football team. It's been over 70 years, and I still smile when it pops into my mind.</p>

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<p>"Hubba Hubba" always reminds me of a 50's or 60's Mad magazine parody (Mad was one of my childhood reads) of pulp magazine stories, in which the joke is that it's essentially the same story every time (boy meets girl, and Hubba Hubba...), transported to a different venue, and, one of those bits that sticks in memory, there is a jungle version in which occurs the statement "Mhubba, Mhubba, he hissed, in fluent Wasabi..."</p>
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<p>We always referred to "Amateur Photographer" as "Amateur Pornographer". Way too many articles on "Lighting for nude photography etc. etc." As if 90% of their readers were really taking photos of naked and semi-clad women. They must have known their market.</p>
Robin Smith
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<p>Nice collection, <strong>JDM</strong> ! Even as a callow youth the "Art " approach left me unimpressed. I knew art when I saw it, and photographs of pretty girls without their clothes really didn't qualify. I was even sceptical of Andre De Dienes and and his sculptural nudes. However, that fine American poet E.E. Cummings summed up my opinion with his immortal line:</p>

<p>"A pretty girl who naked is, is worth a million statues."</p>

<p>The expression "Hubba Hubba" found it's way downunder, along with the wolf whistle, expressing admiration of feminine pulchritude.</p>

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<p>I thought I had posted a response to Jochen's query on the economics of the Hubba Hubba offer of 22 glossies for $1, but apparently I failed to press <em>confirm</em>??</p>

<p>In any case, in 1950, first-class postage for 1 ounce was 3¢, and the average ANNUAL income was less than $4000. Fred Spira and others were making money developing and printing 35mm film for a $1 a roll. <br /> Let's just say that the dollar bought a lot more back then. ;)</p>

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<blockquote>

<p> Way too many articles on "Lighting for nude photography etc. etc." As if 90% of their readers were really taking photos of naked and semi-clad women. They must have known their market.</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Today's magazines are similar. I mean, photos from places like Anarctica and Svalbard? As if 90% of THEIR readers will ever even manage to travel beyond the U.S. border?</p>

<p>As for "hubba hubba," I believe it dates from the 1920s, not 1950s.</p>

<p>Kent in SD</p>

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  • 4 weeks later...
<p>JDM, seeing that ad clicked in my memory. In my National Geographic inspired youth the Miami paper used to run ads for the clubs on Miami Beach. One such show ad featured none other than "Evelyn West and Her Treasure Chest". By the way Kent, just got back from Svalbard - hubba, hubba!</p>
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  • 1 month later...
<p>Somehow, I often end where I should have started. Of course there is a wiki on West (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evelyn_West">link</a>), not mention many photos (<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=evelyn+west+%2Btreasure+chest&num=100&newwindow=1&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiSxfLA_P3OAhUIeCYKHSAqBa4QsAQIKg&biw=1192&bih=608">hubba hubba</a>) on Google images.</p>
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