Summer’s almost here, but, in a way, also the Spring/Summer 2012 catwalks shows are almost here, so let’s look today at fun inspirations for possible collections.
This post actually moves from an exhibition that took place in 1970 at the Galleria Breton in Milan.
The event revolved around backglasses for pinball machines.
As much as this may sound as a a rather bizarre topic, it is actually quite interesting.
At the time people had indeed started collecting backglasses from pinball machines from the early ‘50s.
Most pinball machines (or flippers) were produced in America after the Second World War and, a few decades after, they achieved the status of collectors’ items.
While some collectors were more interested in the early pinball machines, others looked instead at the “themes” of the backglass, the vertical graphic panel mounted on the front of the backbox. Quite a enthusiasts started framing this part of the pinball machines and hanging it on walls as if they were paintings.
Apart from featuring the score displays, the backglasses usually included eye-catching colourful and blinking graphics printed onto a translucent piece of plastic-like material called a translite.
Pinballs were usually built around a theme, so the backglasses featured scenes that related to that specific theme: “Solitaire” usually referred to betting games (poker, roulette and other table games), while “Tivoli” featured scenes from entertainment and amusement parks (see first image in this post).
But there were also sport-related themes (baseball, basketball and golf); horse and car races; jungle scenes inspired by popular characters à la Tarzan; scenes from the Wild West or portraying relaxing holidays (swimming pools, cruises and beaches), by circuses and burlesque shows or even by beauty contests and fashion (cover girls was a popular option - see second image in this post).
After 1969 themes revolving about lunar landings, space discoveries and futuristic towns also became rather popular (see first image in this post, picture in the lower right corner and third image).
As the years passed pinball enthusiasts claimed the backglass had a sort of artistic value and could be considered as an early example of popular art.
Since quite often the scenes portrayed in the backglass panels took place in nightclubs and bars, some even claimed that, if Toulouse-Lautrec had lived in the '50s, he would have been a pinball artist and not a poster artist.
Some of the most interesting pinball machines were produced by Gottlieb (most of them illustrated by Roy Parker, considered a legend by flipper enthusiasts) and Williams.
One of the most exciting sites about pinball machines with a lot of images of blackglasses is actually an Italian one, Vecchi Flipper (Old Flippers): with an extensive collection of images showing pinball machines and blackglasses from different countries, it will prove extremely useful if you ever opt for a fashion collection revolving around pinball machine prints (the second and third image in this post are taken from this site).
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What a very creative design of the photos in this post.
Even the content, I was really caught up to read this.
Posted by: Mens Suits | May 25, 2011 at 06:36 AM