Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, June 1921 · page 66 of 67
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #21 — page 66: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is not a satirical cartoon page—it's purely **advertising**, specifically a mail-order catalog from The American Art Company in Janesville, Wisconsin, dated 1921. The page advertises "genuine photographs" and "art nudes"—euphemisms for nude and semi-nude photographs of women, sold by mail. The carefully clinical language ("statuary," "excellent poses," "art nudes") masked the explicit nature of the product. Sealed express shipping preserved buyer anonymity. This reflects the early 20th-century photography trade in borderline-obscene material, sold semi-legitimately through catalogs disguised as "art" to evade decency laws. The prominence of "bathing girl" and "movie star" photographs alongside frank nudes shows how entertainment imagery blended with more explicit content for male consumers seeking mail-order erotica.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
GENUINE PHOTOGRAPHS We are headquarters for photographs and pictures of all kinds, offer- ing the most complete line in the country. Catalogue "A," 1921 edition, now ready. Contains illustrations of 409 Nude and Semi-Nude, 304 Bathing Girl, 192 Movie Star and 49 Statuary Photographs. More than 1,000 illustrations in all. Shipped by PREPAID EXPRESS. Price $1.00 per copy. 25 Art Nude Photographs, size 3¼x5¼, no two alike................$2.00 25 Semi-Nude Photographs, size 3¼x5¼, no two alike................2.00 50 Art Nude Photographs, size 3¼x5¼, no two alike................3.00 50 Semi-Nude Photographs, size 3¼x5¼, no two alike................3.00 100 Art Nude and Semi-Nude, size 3¼x5¼, no two alike...............5.00 12 Semi-Nude Photographs, size 3¼x5¼, no two alike................$1.00 16 Statuary Photographs, size 3¼x5¼, no two alike..................1.00 20 Bathing Girl Photographs, size 3¼x5¼, no two alike...............1.00 20 Movie Star Photographs, size 3¼x5¼, no two alike................1.00 50 Bathing Girl Photographs, size 3¼x5¼, no two alike...............2.50 50 Movie Star Photographs, size 3¼x5¼, no two alike................2.50 100 Bathing Girl Photographs, size 3¼x5¼, no two alike...............4.00 100 Movie Star Photographs, size 3¼x5¼, no two alike................4.00 250 Bathing Girl Photographs, size 3¼x5¼, no two alike..............10.00 500 Bathing Girl Photographs, size 3¼x5¼, no two alike..............20.00 12 Art Nudes, size 8x10, excellent poses, all different...............$10.00 25 Art Nudes, size 8x10, excellent poses, all different...............15.00 50 Art Nudes, size 7¼x9¼, our leading sellers, no two alike...........25.00 100 Art Nudes, size 7¼x9¼, excellent poses, all different.............50.00 25 Art Nudes, size 5x7, no two alike...............................$10.00 50 Art Nudes, size 5x7, no two alike...............................20.00 100 Art Nudes, size 5x7, no two alike..............................35.00 SPECIAL ASSORTMENT In order that you may become acquainted with our line of beautiful nudes, we will forward, upon receipt of Ten Dollars, a special assortment of twelve genuine photographs, comprising four each of the following sizes: 7¼x9¼, 8x10 and 11x14. If the selection does not prove entirely satisfactory upon receipt, you may return the same to us intact, and we will immediately refund your money. Art Nudes are shipped by sealed express. Remit by money order or bank draft. All orders shipped promptly. THE AMERICAN ART COMPANY Wholesale and Retail JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN, U. S. A.