From MARGOT RILEY, cultural historian and curator at the State Library of NSW, comes a new slice of Australia’s history.
PIX tells the story of PIX magazine, a tabloid that became one of mid-20th century Australia’s most popular weeklies. With it’s eye-catching, lipstick-red logo in the corner, PIX was an instant sensation.
Read on to see a selection of images from the book.
ABOUT THE BOOK
PIX magazine hit Australian newsstands in January 1938 and went on to become one of the country’s most popular newsweeklies, national in scope and read by millions. With a mix of scandal and sensationalism, cover girls and human-interest stories, and covering fashion, politics, scientific innovation, pop culture and entertainment, what was most distinctive about PIX was its compelling black-and-white photos. Drawing from the extraordinary image collection at the State Library of NSW, and including an essay from ABC Radio presenter Kate Evans, this is the first book to celebrate PIX magazine and its unforgettable photography.
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Luna Park slide (Bob Donaldson, 27 December 1948) – The young woman (on the right) was unaware that she was being photographed, let alone that she would become a PIX cover girl. Keen to capture holiday thrills at Sydney’s Luna Park, photographer Bob Donaldson persuaded an attendant to put her on an extra-slippery mat that gave her a surprising uplift, resulting in this expression.
Harbour bridge (Alec Iverson, 18 September 1945) – Swinging between sea and sky in a web of steel, leading-hand painter Stan Giddings applies layers of protective paint to Sydney’s Harbour Bridge, a ‘job that never ends but always begins again’. Giddings worked more than 75 metres above the water and used more than 7000 litres of paint per year.
Pick-a-box (Bob Donaldson, May 1961) – The most successful contestant on Pick a Box by far was Victorian teacher Barry Jones (right), who won a total of 208 episodes over eight years between 1960 and 1967, winning more than $58,000.
Permanent wave (Ivan Ive, 13 January 1938) – A man gets a permanent wave.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Margot Riley is a cultural historian and curator at the State Library of NSW. She has expertise in photography, fashion and popular culture, and has written and lectured extensively about the Library’s collections.
She has researched and curated a wide range of exhibitions for the Library, including On Sale!: Shops and Shopping; Australian Glamour: Model, Photographer, Magazine; Flashback: 160 years of fashion photos; Memories on Glass; Coming Out in the 70s; How’s Tricks: Magic in the Golden Age and, most recently, PIX: The magazine that changed everything.
Read more about Margot HERE.
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