Bob Landry - Part 2

Rita Hayworth - Bob Landry (1941)

As well as war photography, Bob Landry perhaps rose to fame with this iconic shot of American actress Rita Hayworth. It rapidly became one of the most popular pin-up shots of the war, adorning GI's lockers all over the world. It was considered racy and provocative in 1941 but is, of course, tame by modern standards. In technical terms, it isn't even a particularly good shot - Hayworth's face is a tad over-exposed and she is casting a fairly strong shadow - but this wasn't a set-up studio shot. Landry managed to capture Hayworth in an intimate moment, and there is no single definitive story of how this came about. Landry managed to capture intimate glamour - indeed, I would argue that the technical deficiency of the image actually enhances this. The viewer is invited to feel like they are looking at a cheeky clandestine shot of one of the world's most famous women. The image feels (by 1941 standards) voyeuristic - a forbidden pleasure.