Nude calendars are a type of wall calendar that feature nude models in a variety of scenes and locations. Predominantly in the United Kingdom, nude calendars are produced to raise money for charity.[1]
Types
Calendars featuring pin-up models
Commercial advertising on calendars started in the late 19th century and has often been linked to pictures or photographs of pin-up models. The products being advertised may be incorporated via product placement in the pictures themselves or separate via logos and corporate in-house style. Calendars featuring female nudes became a common feature in workplaces which were predominantly male (e.g. garages, car dealerships, etc.), although many employers have banned or restricted their display considering them a form of sex discrimination.
The first nude charity calendar was made by a group of middle-aged Englishwomen, members of a local branch of the Women's Institute, who were posing nude to raise funds for Leukaemia Research. The calendar was released in 1999, and became an international sensation, and also inspired the movie Calendar Girls.[4] Following this lead, charity nude calendars proliferated in the 2000s. Proceeds usually go to various health or social causes. Participants may include artists, celebrities, sportsmen and sportswomen, firefighters, military forces, the police, or members of a group such as farmers, Women's Institute members who wish to raise funds for a chosen charity.
The women's rugby match Oxford and Cambridge, which was played at Twickenham in 2015, was publicised by the Oxford team making a nude calendar.[5]
Successful charity nude calendars include:
Rylstone Women's Institute 2000 Alternative WI Calendar, the first ever nude charity calendar
