As the traditional burlesque market started to dry up in the 1950s (due to television, which kept patrons home and censorship, which gave right-wing politicians something to run on) It was not unusual for burlesque dancers to take photographic shoots. These early risque, and soon even nude photographs became common in the late 1950s and become more graphic in the 1960s.
Illustrator Eric Stanton sold work to both Irving Klaw (of Bettie Page fame, who took hundreds of photographs of moonlighting burlesque dancers) and Leonard Burtman (who used artists to create fetishistic scenes it was harder to do with actual models, such as the above imaginary "wrestling women" scenario) He also photographed his share of nude pin up models who came from the burlesque stage. The unseemly smut from these two publishers had as much to do with the exploding pornography market as anyone, including Hef and Playboy.
Today it is reversed. Pornography workers supplement their income with stage work...in upscale and WAY downscale joints.
As the 1960s came along, it was possible for men's magazines to put actual naked women on the covers instead of drawings. As his work was in less demand for pinup magazines and vintage sleaze novels, he went into business for himself, selling "Stantoons" from his house...and doing more interior pages.
BOOKS AND $5.99 EBOOKS BY THE AUTHOR ARE AVAILABLE HERE
