If you haven’t added these volumes to your collection, and you are in love with the aesthetic of 50’s women, fashion, and bodies, please read on. After visiting Powells in August I came home with some books that must be mentioned: 
History of Men’s Magazines Vol. 1
History of Men’s Magazines Vol. 2
Here is the info from the Taschen:
In 460 full-color pages, Volume 2 documents the proliferation of men’s magazines following WWII. Before the war France and Germany were the world’s leading producers; after the war the US surged ahead. When a little magazine called Playboy debuted in December 1953 a new breed of sophisticated imitators followed. And when America redefined its obscenity laws in 1957 scores of new and more revealing titles followed. Volume II also covers the early evolution of English men’s magazines, profiles the top five covergirls of the 1950s, and ends with the hilarious ads from the magazines’ back pages. Male girdles, anyone?
SERIOUSLY these volumes are worth the money. Luckily, we got them on sale because it’s Taschens 25th anniversary this year AND Portland has no sales tax. 2 for $50 anyone? Yes!
They are FULL of beautiful women, busts and bellies from 1900-1959. Not just pin-ups, this Taschen beast has 460 pages of photos, scanned images, book covers, magazine covers, excerpts, flashbacks and more amazing graphic design than you can imagine. Black and white, color, screen printed and cartoons, it has every beautiful, disturbing and sometimes shocking image from mens magazines and more from this era.
I can’t get enough of it because the women are so full-bodied and luscious. Not a six-pack in this whole book. A few svelte figures here and there, but mostly thick thighs and high heels.
Two thumbs up.
I also got my hands on:
AND
My eyes have been feasting on these…
