AHowe1RA+Draft

Amber Howe's 1RA draft

 Howe  In 1941, just a few months before the attack on Pearl Harbor, LIFE magazine ran a black-and-white photograph of an up-and-coming movie actress and dancer named Rita Hayworth. Rita was the crown jewel of her time. She was a beauty that all men fighting in the war kept with them in their bunkers. This photo of Rita Hayworth gave our American solders hope and courage for a brighter tomorrow. All thanks goes to the talented Mr. Bob Landry who was able to capture the most iconic and seductive photo of Miss. Hayworth. Many of the pin up photos of Rita Hayworth taken by Bob Landry captures the idea of seduction, desire and the power of women.

 For those of you who have never seen the iconic photo, it is one to behold. Bob Landry has Rita sit on a bed spread out with silk sheet, a single pillow and a wide headboard. The wall behind her has a single picture, but one cannot tell what the small background painting is because Rita's beautiful face blocks the picture. Rita sits with her left side facing the camera and her legs folded underneath her bottom. Her slender arms rest on her lap as her face turns toward Bob, but her large eyes look slightly to the right and away from the camera. Rita is wearing a very beautiful negligée. The silky material hugs Rita's body all the way down to her toes. Her bodice is embroidered with black lace that contrasts with the smooth white silk of the gown. Rita looks as if she is giving a come hither look that demands her audience’s attention.

 Who viewed this photo? This iconic photo was taken in 1941 and the audience of today views the picture slightly different today. In 1941 Miss. Hayworth was a rising star with many talents. She was the daughter of a Spanish dancer and an Actress. The photo just oozed with budding talent and beauty. During the time this photo was taken, it had become so popular that it even made its way onto the cover of LIFE Magazine. Rita was seen as seductive, beautiful and talented. Her seductive form tempted all men and women envied her. Her form is a timeless beauty even by today’s strict standards of beauty.

 During this time WWII was underway. Death and destruction surrounded American troops, looming over them with the dreaded sound of gunfire and the smell of death. One companion most men had in this hopeless situation was a keepsake or something to remind them of home. Sometimes this was a picture of their sweet heart and other times it was the alluring photo of Rita. Many men had posters of Rita in their barracks to give them encouragement. To these men during this time, this was not just a photo of a girl in a nighty; it symbolized victory, what was waiting back home and her seduction worked to create a sense of safety in a lovers arms. This photo comforted the men and gave them a sense of what they were fighting for. The men were comforted by her seduction and they wished to protect what the photo represented; the American Dream. Another interesting fact about the photo was that it was printed on the first atomic bomb; encapsulating the photos impact of victory and American pride.

 The audience of today views the photo slightly different now. The photo is still seen as iconic but does not have nearly the fame it did during the 1940s. Today we look at the photo with respect. She is tempting her audience with her eyes and alluring figure not just by having little to no clothing on. We see a shift to a more modern form of beauty and timeless beauty. Today looking back at this photo we see mild and tamed pin up compared to the more outlandish photos today. We see a star at the start of her career and with an elegance and gravity all her own.

 This photo has an identity all to itself. The given identity for this photograph would be Rita’s natural beauty and figure along with the background. The readymade identity is the identity that others would place onto the photo. This photo has a readymade identity of pure seduction and desire. Men particularly see the photo as the epitome of what real women should look like thus women wish to have the same identity as this photo. Along with this women wish to emulate the photo so that they can have the same effect on men, but sadly most women don’t look like Rita in the photo. This results in jealousy and even desire toward the photograph by women. Her readymade identity is seduction and desire; men want her and women want to look the way she dose in the photo.  Then there is the constructed identity; the identity the photo makes for itself. The photo shows us the power of women. How women can be tempting and desirable yet keep control of a situation. In the photo Rita bears her face to the camera, yet averts her eyes. It is almost as if she is saying we may look upon her because she knows she is beautiful, but we do not get her undivided attention. Her eyes are averted from the camera so that we cannot look into them. She allows her audience to see her in a seductive pose wearing a negligée but she will not give the audience full eye contact. The photo portrays that Rita may be bearing herself to her audience, but they do not have control.

 The second iconic photo of Rita Hayworth taken by Bob Landry also has similar characteristics of seduction and beauty as the first photograph. In this photograph Bob Landry captures a more playful version of Rita. The photo shows Rita sitting on a sunny beach having a picnic alone. She sits on a white blanket with her right side facing the camera. Her feet are flat on the blanket and her knees are about waist high, it almost looks as if she is about to sit Indian style but not quite. She holds a sandwich in one hand while the other delicately wipes her cheek. She looks right at the camera with a big smile as the wind blows her hair behind her. Rita looks as if she is enjoying herself on the beach.

 This photo bacons you to come and join Rita for a picnic on the beach. The smile brings people in and gives them a sense of happiness and desire for her company. The photo is not necessarily as seductive as the first photograph, but she is wearing a very flattering swimsuit that shows off her figure. I love this photo because it looks far less guarded than the first. The smile and self-grooming show her as an approachable and friendly person, while still looking beautiful and tempting to men and envied by women.

 The audience for this photograph now and then would be young teen boys and girls looking to emulate Rita or to have fun on the beach. I could see this being used to get people to consider going to the beach for vacation. The message would be that the rich and beautiful go to the beach to hang out and have fun. Another audience would also be young girls buying swimsuits. Department stores may have posted the photo in their shops to encourage young girls to buy their swimsuits if they want to look beautiful. The final audience could be people in restaurants sitting down to have lunch. Restaurants could use the photo to say that sandwiches are delicious and even this beautiful girl likes to eat messy sandwiches.

 This photo also has its own meaning and identity. The given identity for this photo is the sandy beach, picnic basket and Rita in her swimsuit eating her sandwich. It is given that she is a young woman having a picnic by herself while the wind blows her hair. The given can also be what is not present in the photo. This would be people, there seems to be nobody else on the beach behind her. There is also no shade for her, like an umbrella, for her to be under.

 The readymade identity of this photograph would be that of fun in the sun. Going on vacation and taking some time to enjoy yourself and let your guard down. I would label this as being inviting and carefree. The photo shows that it is ok to le ones guard down and enjoy the sun shine. On the same hand it also has a sense of danger to it. There is no umbrella and Rita is a fair skinned woman so if she stays out in the sun for too long she is going to burn. We could bestow an identity of warning that it’s great to get out and have fun while letting your guard down, but if you do so too often you could get hurt.  The constructed identity that this photo makes for itself is a simple one; go to the beach and have fun, you don’t have to have anyone else, and you can do it on your own. Independence and self-confidence appear strong in this photo. The photo lets women know that they don’t have to be in a group. The photograph encourages you to believe that individuality and self-confidence leads to a bright and fun future.  Both of these photos work very well together to capture the essence of seduction and the power of independent women. Rita’s is captured beautifully in both photographs showing of her inner and outer beauty. They both set a standard of beauty for women to achieve and men to desire. Bob Landry knew how to pose Rita and show her attributes and womanly body so that people would be drawn to his photographs. These two moments were forever captured in time and immortalized by their enormous popularity. They show the female form at an epitome of physical perfection and awe, using their power of seduction to bring one in. Bob Landry’s photographs show the two photos of Rita Hayworth capture the power of women’s seduction, individuality and he power to draw you in with a smile or coy look.