PIX, volume 26, number 24
Date28 July 1951
Object number00016612
NameMagazine
MediumInk on paper
DimensionsOverall: 351 x 262 mm, 0.15 kg
Copyright© Skye Group
ClassificationsEphemera
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionThe front cover of this 1951 Australian PIX magazine features a photograp of a model wearing a Jantzen Nylastic swimsuit. The maillot features a central ruched panel, with frill detail around the bust, and would have been linked to the article `Ruffles and Frills: femininity is the keynote of new swim-suit fashion for 1951', pp. 10-11.
HistoryPublished by Associated Newspapers Limited, PIX had a wide readership at the height of its popularity in the 1960s and 1970s. The Australian magazine featured a mix of scandal, sensationalism, human interest stories, fashion, politics, culture and entertainment.
In 1971 PIX merged with People, and became more daring with their covers and content, running stories that focused on adultery, hedonism and nudity. Though potentially offensive to more conservative readers, PIX was indicative of the ways in which society came to terms with political and cultural change.
SignificanceThis PIX magazine is representative of 1950s marketing and media in Australia, and is an important record of the use of swimsuits on the cover of magazines during this period. The swimsuit featured was also depicted on the cover of the sheet music for the Jantzen jingle 'There's nothing like a Jantzen in the world', and in a 1951 advertisement for Jantzen Nylastic swimsuits.
