Gil Elvgren: All His Glamorous American Pin-Ups

As the country plunged into war Elvgren provided the troops with pin-up girls galore. His technique involved photographing models and then painting them into gorgeous hyper-reality, with longer legs, more flamboyant hair and gravity-defying busts, and in the process making them the perfect moral-boosting eye-candy for every homesick private.

Elvgren defined the classic ""pop"" vision of Americana, a bold visualisation that has been endlessly appropriated and recycled in advertising, TV, film and art. His style is instantly recognisable. Dubbed ""The Norman Rockwell of cheesecake,"" Elvgren's images combine desire for a better life with nostalgia for the nation's innocent apple-pie past.