Woman with a Bottle

Gold Medal 117, State Department Murders, by Edward Ronns, has a cover illustration showing a woman of questionable virtue answering her door, facing a stiff, proper-looking gentleman.

It has been pointed out to me by more than one viewer of the website that the bottle in her hand appears to be "drawn in," almost as an afterthought. There was a lengthy discussion of this cover illustration, pointing out that same observation, in the Vintage Paperback Yahoo Group.

The original cover illustration was by Barye Phillips.

HOWEVER ... it should be pointed out that if the bottle WAS drawn in after the original illustration was done, whoever did it went to the trouble of adding a shadow cast by the bottle.

HOWEVER ... a clear, empty bottle would cast no shadow.