1949: Architectural Illustrators Need Tailfins To Sell Buildings!

by Murilee Martin

Published: January 27th, 2012

1949 architectural illustrators need tailfins to sell buildings

While waiting for my wife to stagger out of the dentist’s chair after a root canal, I grew bored with the October, 1994 issue of Highlights and other similar waiting-room reading material and noticed this painting on the wall. It turned out to be the illustration made by the Denver architectural firm that built the dentist’s office building, back in 1949.

Look at those fins! Harley Earl generally gets the credit for the first postwar Detroit tailfins, which went on the ’48 Cadillac. It wasn’t long before artists trying to pitch building plans started adding this futuristic styling element to the idealized cars in their illustrations. Sure, it looked dated as hell 15 years later, but by then you saw Chrysler Turbine-influenced cars gracing these paintings.

You’ve really got to admire the snazzily-dressed gentleman— no doubt heading out to his parked Caddy— giving the once-over-twice to the babe with the 11″ waist. Owooooo!

#1949 #Architecture #Denver #Fins #Tailfins

Murilee Martin

Murilee Martin is the pen name of Phil Greden, a writer who has lived in Minnesota, California, Georgia and (now) Colorado. He has toiled at copywriting, technical writing, junkmail writing, fiction writing and now automotive writing. He has owned many terrible vehicles and some good ones. He spends a great deal of time in self-service junkyards. These days, he writes for publications including Autoweek, Autoblog, Hagerty, The Truth About Cars and Capital One.

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2 of 14 comments

Maymar on Jan 28, 2012

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v3207/13/19/122700371/n122700371_34247309_1198513.jpg I'm still impressed at the conceptual artist who included a BMW 850i and Citroen XM in their illustration of a Toronto condo building.

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Brobdingnagian on Feb 01, 2012

Those are my parents. Well, they remind me of my parents. Dad was one of those suit-wearing smoking guys, and Mom was a 40s babe. Nice little illustration, I think. Thanks for sharing it.

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