Varga’s Last Esquire Girl Calendar – 1947, 11 of 12 Leaves

Description

Offered here is a near-complete set of 11 (of 12) original leaves from the 1947 Esquire Girl calendar—missing only November. Each page features a lush, painterly pin-up illustration by Alberto Vargas, whose “Varga Girls” helped define American glamour during and after WWII.

This calendar is sometimes misattributed to E. Chiriaka, who illustrated Esquire calendars in the 1950s. However, this 1947 edition has been confirmed by the University of North Texas Digital Library as one of Vargas’s final contributions to Esquire, created just before his break with the magazine following a legal dispute over the “Varga” name.

Each leaf is printed on heavy stock and is ideal for display, framing, or collecting. Pages are overall in very good condition, with some light wear around the original binding holes (see images). A rare chance to own a significant piece of mid-century illustration and the final chapter of the original Varga Girl era.