Paper Dolls: Australian Pin-Ups of World War Two (ATOM Study Guide)

Paper Dolls explores the intriguing phenomenon of the World War Two pin-up. The film draws on the recollections of three former Australian pin-up girls, as well as a number of veterans. These now elderly men remember how the pictures of wholesome bathing beauties boosted morale and raised their spirits during a frightening, desperate and lonely period of their lives. Many pin-up models received hundreds of letters from servicemen stationed in far-flung places abroad, admiring 'their' girls and telling of their loneliness, their fear and their desire to return home. For all its apparently light and playful subject matter, Paper Dolls offers us a powerful glimpse into the emotional lives of men on the frontline. Using archival footage, moving excerpts from letters written by servicemen, photographs and artworks of the time, the chronological events of the war years place the stories of these fascinating Australians in socio-historical context.

With its engaging approach to history, Paper Dolls implicitly endorses the intellectual value of pop material as a rich source of information about the cultures and times in which it is produced. Ultimately, this film is not only about the pin-ups and their collectors; it is also a study of the social standards and mores of a country faced with the threat of invasion by enemy forces. The joyous images of the pin-ups open a window to the dreams of a nation at war. In those dark years, the pin-up girls represented hope and longing, enduring in the face of hardship, loss and austerity.

Paper Dolls would be an excellent adjunct to any senior secondary level unit in Australian Social History and World War Two. It could also be situated in Women's Studies, Media Studies and Photography.