Vintage Photos From a Ball-Point Bathing Suits Party in January 1950s

In 1950, LIFE magazine published photos from an event dubbed “Ball Point Bathing Suits”… a racy cocktail party / fashion show at which popular strip cartoonists were invited to draw all over models in white swimtanks.

“All that’s missing is a bunch of those cartoon sweat drops surrounding the heads of these guys as they try to get a ballpoint pen to draw over the nylon-encased curves of the models” wrote Heidi McDonald, setting off a small re-post virus.

Vintage Photos From a Ball-Point Bathing Suits Party in January 1950

Vintage Photos From a Ball-Point Bathing Suits Party in January 1950

Vintage Photos From a Ball-Point Bathing Suits Party in January 1950

Vintage Photos From a Ball-Point Bathing Suits Party in January 1950

Vintage Photos From a Ball-Point Bathing Suits Party in January 1950

Vintage Photos From a Ball-Point Bathing Suits Party in January 1950

Vintage Photos From a Ball-Point Bathing Suits Party in January 1950

Vintage Photos From a Ball-Point Bathing Suits Party in January 1950

Vintage Photos From a Ball-Point Bathing Suits Party in January 1950

Vintage Photos From a Ball-Point Bathing Suits Party in January 1950

Vintage Photos From a Ball-Point Bathing Suits Party in January 1950

Vintage Photos From a Ball-Point Bathing Suits Party in January 1950

Vintage Photos From a Ball-Point Bathing Suits Party in January 1950

Vintage Photos From a Ball-Point Bathing Suits Party in January 1950

Vintage Photos From a Ball-Point Bathing Suits Party in January 1950

Vintage Photos From a Ball-Point Bathing Suits Party in January 1950

Vintage Photos From a Ball-Point Bathing Suits Party in January 1950

Vintage Photos From a Ball-Point Bathing Suits Party in January 1950

Vintage Photos From a Ball-Point Bathing Suits Party in January 1950

Vintage Photos From a Ball-Point Bathing Suits Party in January 1950

Vintage Photos From a Ball-Point Bathing Suits Party in January 1950