Aside from our look at the souvenir editions, this is our first
review of a classic era issue of GI. Issue 30 was the first
to feature the centre spread Girl Of The Month, the honour
of being doyenne going to Athenian Melina Christopolous.
The inclusion of this feature was apparently in response to comments
received from the readership, but bizarrely the concept of the single
45"x30" photo (which no glamour magazine today would consider being
without) proved so unpopular that it was axed after only 11 issues.
It's place was taken by a photo series surrounding a concept or topic,
a feature which would evenually swamp the pages of GI much to its
detriment.
But all this was still to come back in 1969 when issue 30 arrived
in the shops featuring the Swedish blonde Janeth Agren on
the cover, not quite perfectly posed - that right leg is looking
a bit wooden - but nevertheless a good choice of cover model.
A little while ago I received a smashing email from Mr Robin Baker who at the time of the publication of this magazine was a student and aspiring photographer. In Janaury 1969 he paid a visit to Norland Astoria studio in Finsbury Park and took some pictures at a group session of two models. One was Wanda Van Dotson, the other was Daniella Denis (or Denise). Unfortunately Robin didn't have any surviving evidence in the form of print, but upon further questioning, he revealed that he had organised a session with Sue Chester that afternoon and after finishing that session the studio manager said there was a group meet that night if he was still around. With nothing better to do and the offer of two experienced models he agreed to stay on and Wanda and Denise were the two that were working that night. He did several other sessions at Norland Astoria, although he has rarely seen in print any of the other models that he used, except for Annette Johnson, although by that time she was long past her blonde days, but still an excellent model.
Why do I mention all this here? Because one of the first photos inside GI 3:30 is the very same Wanda Van Dotson of Wimbledon. The name sounds a bit dubious - I like to think that she's a Donna Watson but that's just wild speculation. Please let me know if you know better.
That aside, I include this single photo of her for your viewing pleasure, as it is such a classic
pose. I like the use of light and shade in this pic which shows
intelegent use of b&w photography, and the same can be said of the
set of four photos featuring American Sharon Tintelman.
The second photo selected for inclusion here is of another British
girl, Linda Dene from Reading. Again this is from a set of
four pictures, the one featured here being the most mysterious and
alluring. Next comes 19 year-old au pair Gina Pellucini. Even
in black & white you can tell that she is of pure mediterainian stock,
and was in fact born in Genoa. Carla Puccini, the colour
picture betraying her blonde hair, has less of the classic Italian
look, but as niece of the famous composer and musician, is no less a
girl of the med. Clearly a good month for Italians, next comes
Sylvia Sorrente, sporting the much requested wet look,
although one might revise that to drowned look. She takes turns
at standing and lying in the sea, and maybe it's just the pose, but
the onset of pneumonia appears immenant. We are also treated to four
studies of voluptuous German, Ursula Eicher who has a very
mature look about her that defies her 18 years.
Probably the best of the colour pics is that of black beauty
Mirelle Mathias from Togo as she poses in the mirror - the
clarity of the image is excellent. My choice of favourite model in
black and white definately goes to 20 year-old Liz Zintz from
Hungary. You can see the more concealed, but sexier, of the two
pictures of her here - invitingly curvey!
There is no letters page in this particular issue of GI, but
instead a half page advert for the forthcoming first souvenir edition
which would prove to be one of GIs finest moments.
| Cover | Janeth Agren |
| Back | Dania Faber |
| Inside | Barbara Carrol |
| Anda | |
| Wanda Van Dotson | |
| Sonja Cordoba | |
| Kay Boutell | |
| Sharon Tintelman | |
| Gina Scotti | |
| Linda Dene | |
| Gina Pellucini | |
| Carla Puccini | |
| Sylvia Sorrente | |
| Mirelle Mathias | |
| Maxime Shumacher | |
| Melina Christopolous* | |
| Bambi Delval | |
| Angela Green** | |
| Liz Zintz | |
| Karin Lemfort | |
| Brigitte Gardin | |
| Derry Grant | |
| Monique Tesson | |
| Ursula Eicher | |
| Myriam | |
| Sansan Short | |
| Charlotte Regis | |
| Lysette Brunet | |
| Rita Rubin |
*girl of the month
**apparently the world is full of models named Angela Green