A collection of classic magazine advertisements that cut to the chase of what many men were buying cameras in the hope of photographing.
You might not be familiar with Japanese camera manufacturers Orion Precision Products Industries Co. or their camera the Miranda, but in the late 1950s, they made a concerted effort to break into the American market with an advertising campaign that would have seemed daring then, and unthinkable now. While the idea of photographing naked girls might have been in the back of many a camera buyer’s mind, the Miranda ads – shot by Hal Reiff – put that fantasy front and centre, as they tried to associate the camera with nude modelling.
There were several ads, the majority featuring a couple that Reiff identified as Nancy and Bill. She’s always near-naked, he’s always dressed like a city gent. And they are actually pretty good teasing glamour shots.
The Miranda ads must have been popular, as Reiff published a 20-page booklet in 1960 called How I Shot the Miranda Ads, which is full of behind-the-scenes imagery.
You can read more about the history of the Miranda and check out scans of Reiff’s booklet here.
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