DECCA PROMO BOX SET FOR THE BOY FRIEND/ GIRL FRIEND/ THE PETTY GIRL /ESQUIRE MAG

$

650

This Box Set includes the box, a comb bound booklet with samples of all 8 Decca Boyfriend / Girlfriend LP Covers and a Promo Canadian issue LP In a Custom Printed Promo Sleeve. All except the LP are printed/made in the USA. 

George Petty: From the very beginning of Esquire Magazine, George Petty was there. First as a cartoonist (back in 1933), quickly moving up to providing some of the most alluring, and enduring artwork associated with the magazine. His command of the airbrush, a strong foundation in drawing, plenty of practice drawing lissome women, and a willing model, Petty had assembled the components of a meteoric career. Although he was not doing nudes, his renderings of the female body looked like, if you will pardon the expression, their clothes were airbrushed on. The exposure brought Petty to the attention of national ad agencies and within 2 years George was doing monthly magazine ads. Quickly dubbed The Petty Girl, the public clamored for more of her and Esquire was more than happy to oblige. By the time the '40s rolled around Esquire's pay was not suiting Petty's fame, and he left the magazine. They brought in a suitable replacement, the near look-alike Alberto Vargas in 1942.
Beyond the magazines, Petty retained the rights to his art and licensed their use on playing cards, drinking glasses, and elsewhere, such as this set of 8 record albums for Decca in 1956. 

The Promo / Salesman’s Sample Box: This is the highly coveted salesman's book for that set. The notion was to have 8 albums, 4 under the guise of "Music For The Girl Friend" and 4 as "Music For The Boy Friend." Each sported a different Petty girl drawing. In the set were music by a mix of artists like Artie Shaw, Harry Herman, Bebo Valdez and The Four Aces (for the gals), and Woody Herman, John Graas, Bill Haley & The Comets, and Peggy Lee (for the guys).

In this booklet you got all eight jacket slicks, each custom printed on both the front and on the back with the actual plates for the LP album. All eight are comb-bound with a red plastic comb and with a clear acetate cover and hard cardboard back. There were few of these produced for Decca salesmen in the field, and even fewer have survived all these years later.

I offer the Booklet described in the last paragraph, exactly as described and containing the notation “Printed In U. S. A.” on the front and back of each “slick”. These “slicks” are flexible – not the heavier pasteboard used for LP covers as one might expect. The Booklet in is Excellent condition, as is the plastic “comb”.

The Booklet is contained within a black, hinged, box such as would be used to house a multi-disc set of LPs and which has printed on the front “Decca Presents Music For The Boy Friend – Music For The Girl Friend – Featuring The Petty Girl As Presented In Esquire Magazine”. It also says “Printed In U.S.A.” in the lower left corner of the front of the box. The box also has a Cut-out in the center of the box front in the shape of a keyhole with a portion of the Petty Girl artwork from the “He Digs Rock ‘N Roll” LP showing through the cut-out. It appears to be glued to the inside of the Cover. The box is in Very Good condition, having only 1 broken corner at the lower right on the front cover and two splits in the upper back box edge about 5-inches and 2-inches long.

The set also includes a Promotional LP issued by Decca to showcase 16 individual cuts from the LPs. This Promotional LP has a Silver on Black Label that indicates it was pressed in Canada. It and the special promotional paper sleeve both carry the # DL 38014 but the Sleeve indicates it was printed in the USA. I have seen the USA issue of this Promotional LP and it carries a PINK Decca Label, as is typical of Decca Promo LPs issued in the USA. The Record itself is in Very Good condition with excellent Gloss but also carrying some surface scuff marks on 1 side only, that although obvious, do not appear significant enough to affect play. The Sleeve is in Mint condition.