ETA 31 May 2009 10EST: Harlequin’s blog has been sending folks over to see the review and the swag contest, so to give those folks a chance, I’m re-opening the contest for another 24 hours. This time, there will be TWO bags, so two winners will take home a big bucket o’swag. Ready set go!
This afternoon I went to the press premiere of the Harlequin cover art gallery display, better known as “The Heart of a Woman: Harlequin Cover Art 1949 – 2009. The show opens tonight and runs through 12 June, and is open for folks to see at the Openhouse Gallery, 201 Mulberry Street in SoHo.
The Curator of the exhibit, Elizabeth Semmelhack, was kind enough to take me on a brief tour of some of her favorite parts of the exhibit. Bullet points ahoy!
– Elizabeth’s favorite part of the exhibit is “The Lure of the Exotic” – but to understand why that’s her favorite section, you have to see the section leading up to it.
– Women during WWII were empowered – jobs! workforce! your country needs you! Rosie! There’s rivets! Get to it! – then, after WWII, they were all laid off, pushed back into the domestic sphere, and removed from that professional life with stunning speed.
– If you look at the doctor/nurse covers from the 50’s, there’s a lot of professional interest. The women are almost always shown in their work role.
– There are some powerful images, like the Byzantine Christ-like image of a doctor complete with 90-degree angled jaw floating in a halo of light above a hospital.
– And alongside that image are women and men in professional spheres, interacting in the workplace. The romance, says Elizabeth, was the every day interaction of women and men in professional settings. It wasn’t about the rescue or the sweeping her off her feet. The imagery was professional and collegial.
– Then, in “The Lure of the Exotic,” the images show the progress from nurse in a local hospital to doctor in a remote, uncivilized location. The women were the doctors—they were already adventurous and in these covers achieve the most powerful position. They’re outside of the house and home, they’re in control and in some position of authority—“…and only that far away from civilization can women be doctors?” I asked. “Yup,” Elizabeth confirmed. Women doctors were in the wild.
– The passionate clinch didn’t start showing up until the 70’s – a response to the sexual ambivalence of the time.
So, does Elizabeth read romance? Turns out: no. She hardly has any time for pleasure reading of any kind, but she’s a huge non fiction history buff, and she loves reading history books. She did read a few Harlequins as she prepared for the exhibit – and from idea and concept to finished product was the fast-paced work of a few months – and really enjoyed them, she said. She read a Blaze and said, and I quote, “Oh, my gosh.”
So, want to see more? I put up a photo album of the exhibit with additional captions. Enjoy – and thank you to Harlequin for inviting me.
I was given an extra goodybag of swag – pictured here. There’s books, bookmarks, a calendar, and some really cool notepads. Want one? Leave a comment, and you’re entered to win. I’ll pick one comment at random.
Oh, that one you thought totally looked familier? That was Diamond by Ruth Langdon the first of her Jewels of Texas series.
Also my very first romance novel, ever.
Aw man, if I weren’t all the way in Japan I would love to go see that exhibition.
But count me in for the swag!
“I gotta a feelin’, that tonight’s gonna be a good night.”
Indeed.
Cool pictures *and* swag? Sign me up, please!!!
Thanks for sharing the pics, it looks like an interesting exhibit. And count me for the draw, please, that swag looks awesome.
That’s a fabulous display. I really wish I could have been there to see it in person, but virtual travels with the Bitch herself has to be the next best thing. Thanks for taking all the pictures!
A very cool-looking exhibithion, and so nice of them to give you extra swag. I’m crossing my fingers that I’m the random comment selected.
What a seriously fantastic exhibit! There are so many good reasons to go to New York right now but of course, I can’t! Annoying how that happens. Thanks for sharing the pics so that we can see at least a little. =)
Can I please please have some swag. Please.
Thanks for posting your photos of the exhibition. Harlequin sponsored a “mashed potatoe martini” lunch at the RT convention in Orlando. Their lunch included a sampling of their cover art. I had so much fun talking to the Harlequin authors about their cover art that I forgot to eat! Congratulations Harlequin on your 60th anniversary!
Thank you! I love this! I’d love the swag, too…
I love the old novels for just the reason of the strong, competent heroines. Will definitely look more closely at the covers now!
Swag, please 🙂
I wish they would bring the exhibit to Canada. I doubt they’d bring it to Montreal but I’d be willing to go to Toronto to see it.
Please count me in for the draw, the good bag looks fantastic.
Check out this response from The Globe and Mail: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/harlequins-manly-masterpieces/article1160168
“Favorite” quotes:
I especially like how the author makes it clear that women’s “needs” can be satisfied by “hacks.” I’m trying to think of a way the author could be more condescending, but I just can’t get there.
Thanks for the report Sarah!
Why are all the good exhibits only in the US? If they brought that to the AGO I would be so excited!
Love your pictures. Wish I had cool business cards now.
Well, I guess now would be a good time to stop my lurking! Yay for vintage romance!
But please, would someone find me a romance novel about a female doctor NOT in the wild? Preferably in which she beds a male nurse? I’ve got an audience of female med students for you.
Please, please, please, make this a traveling exhibit. The whole country – nay, the whole world – deserves to bask in the mantitty.
Make mantitty, not war.
recent26 – sadly, no. 26 was a while ago.
Oy. That swag looks awesome.
People donate a lot of older romances to our library. Most end up on the Friends of the Library Booksale racks, where they make up quite the history of the genre, from covers to themes—and eye shadow. Lots of it.
Love it – thanks! Would love the swag too!
pick me please.
I have become such a huge fan of Harlequin in recent months.. More so than I ever though possible.
I would treat that swag with the honor it deserves! Me! Pick me!! ;p
Cool swag. Loved the pictures.
Swag is good- hope I win some.
Thanks!
***Pedant alert***
Yep, sorry Sarah. Like Al the Girl, I’m pretty sure that’s not a mountie in the first pic. Looks like one of the Foot Guards (they’re the ones often parading about outside Buckingham Palace in their bearskin caps, annoying the pigeons and guarding the queen).
It also kind of looks like the Tower of London in the sketch at the bottom… And while I’m still sporting an (attractive titian blonde) Nancy-Drew-teenage-sleuth wig over my bed head, I’d say that the gas-masked villain is assaulting on the bearskin-capped, hapless-bystanding guard with his hanky of chloroform in front of what looks like Traitor’s Gate.
All of which lead me to deduce that the book involves some kind of 1940s Theft Of The Crown Jewels Plot by Evil Villains Most Foul And Underhanded in WWII gas masks that do little to mask their Evil Intent and Accents Most Teutonic. Or possibly, more fiendish still, a Plot to Remove the Ravens from the Tower of London, thus guaranteeing that the Fall of the Monarchy, and yes, even ze Kinkdom eeetself, and our Ultimate Triumff. Mwahahahaaaaa.
The swag is most cool and enviable, but I’m good without it – the postage alone would be ruinous.
(Nerd fact alert: there are also I think a couple of Canadian Foot Guards regiments. So the guy could possibly still be Canadian, but not a mountie, and I have no idea if that would mean he could be guarding the Tower of London in that case.)
This was much fun to watch unfold on twitter. Thanks!
I’m sad that my upcoming trip to NYC doesn’t coincide with this. The swag would soothe me, though.
Thank you for putting up the photo gallery! I loved it!
We talked about this a little on Twitter (sorry, I guess that should be “we tweeted about this”). Wouldn’t a line of merchandise featuring old skool covers be full of win? I have a favorite handbag made out of a replica of an old Nancy Drew boxed set, and I frequently get positive comments when I carry it. Jane from DA mentioned a matchbook notebook with vintage cover art; I think more of that sort of thing would be a big hit. Especially in conjunction with Harlequin’s anniversary celebration this year.
First of all, my initial reaction (after mis-reading it the first time) wouldn’t it be fabulous if everyone had an orgasm shelf conveniently located in the bedroom … these are great — I especially love the ginourmous man-titty looming threateningly over the happy couple. And I agree with SonomaLass, I think a line of old skool cover merchandise would be twelve different kinds of awesome! 🙂
Not only does that look like some quality swag, but I love any opportunity to use the word swag in everyday speech. Sign me up.
Ok I’m leaving a comment to try and win the swag.
Umm…work92? I could have sworn I made 108 apple
pies today.
Don’t suppose this exhibit is coming to New Zealand in like, the next century? Yeah. Figured as much. Thanks for putting up photos of the exhibit so I could at least live vicariously and sigh over it’s fabulousness. Guess I’ll keep buying those Lotto tickets.
Cheers
M
Please put my name in the hat to win the swag. Looks pretty cool. 🙂
Wow, cool Orgasma shelf. I think I need one of those!
This brings back memories of snitching my mother’s HQR and hiding under the front porch to read it lol Seems a lifetime ago.
That’s some serious awesome right there!