Honestly, if you close your eyes and think of Wonder Woman, you probably don’t see a comic book drawing first. You see her. The blue eyes, the height, and that specific shade of 1970s saturated red. Even now, with Gal Gadot having done an incredible job in the modern films, the world is still obsessed with pics of Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman.
There is a reason for that. It isn't just nostalgia. It’s the way she occupied the suit.
When Lynda Carter landed the role in 1975, she was basically broke. She had about $25 left in her bank account. Can you imagine? One of the most iconic women in television history was a week away from not making rent. She wasn’t even the first choice for some executives. Names like Raquel Welch were floating around, and ABC had already tried a pilot with Cathy Lee Crosby that... well, it didn't really land because she didn't wear the costume or have superpowers.
But then came Lynda.
The Story Behind the Most Famous Shots
Most of the pics of Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman that we see floating around today aren't actually from the show itself. A lot of them are studio portraits or promotional posters. There is one specific shot—the "Gold Poster Award" winner—where she’s standing with her hands on her hips, looking directly into the lens. In 1977, that poster outsold Farrah Fawcett’s legendary red swimsuit photo. That’s how huge she was.
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The lighting in those 70s photos is something else. They used a lot of "hard" lighting, which made the gold of her tiara and the eagle on her chest pop against the matte blue backgrounds. If you look closely at high-res versions, you can see the sheer craftsmanship of the costume. It wasn't spandex back then. It was a mix of poly-satin and wool.
Donfeld (Donald Lee Feld) was the designer. He was nominated for an Emmy for this work, and honestly, he deserved it. He didn't just make a costume; he built a silhouette. He even had to redesign the eagle on her chest for Season 2 when the show moved from ABC to CBS. In Season 1 (the WWII era), the eagle had full wings. By Season 2 and 3 (the "New Adventures" era set in the 70s), the wings were divided into segments. Most fans don't notice the difference until they see the photos side-by-side.
Why the Transformation Still Looks Cool
We have to talk about the spin.
In the comics, Diana Prince would just kind of run off and come back changed. Boring. Lynda Carter actually came up with the "Wonder Woman spin" herself because she was a dancer and thought it looked more magical. In the early pilot photos, you can see how they tried to do it with slow-motion dissolves, which was a nightmare to film. Eventually, they added the "thunderclap" and a flash of light to hide the jump cut.
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It’s a simple trick, but it’s the most recognizable move in superhero history.
Behind the Scenes: The "Real" Diana Prince
There’s a vulnerability in the candid pics of Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman that you don't get in the polished promo material. There are shots of her on set between takes, wearing a heavy bathrobe over the costume to stay warm, or sitting in a director's chair with her hair in massive rollers.
She took the job seriously. She famously fought against the producers "dumbing down" Diana Prince. She wanted her alter ego to be just as capable as the superhero.
- The Bracelets: They weren't just plastic props. Some versions were made of hammered brass. To get the "bullet-deflecting" sparks, Lynda actually held a small control trigger in her hand that set off tiny charges on the bracelets. Talk about dangerous.
- The Lasso: It was basically a gold-painted rope that was notorious for breaking or losing its luster under the hot studio lights.
- The Cape: That massive patriotic cape she wore in the pilot was incredibly heavy. It looks majestic in photos, but it was a logistical nightmare to move in.
The Impact of Her Latina Heritage
A lot of people don’t realize this, but Lynda Carter is part Mexican. Her mother, Juana Córdova, was from Chihuahua. At a time when Hollywood was even less diverse than it is now, she brought a multiethnic background to a character that was traditionally seen as "all-American." You can see it in her features—that regal, Mediterranean-meets-Latina look that made her feel like she actually came from a hidden island like Themyscira.
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What to Look for in Authentic Collectible Photos
If you’re a collector looking for original pics of Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman, you need to know what you’re looking at. High-quality prints from the Ron Samuels Enterprises or Pro Arts Inc. are the ones that usually hold the most value.
- Check the Copyright: Look for the "Thought Factory" or "DC Comics" marks usually hidden in the bottom margin.
- Texture: Real 1970s promotional glossies have a specific "tooth" to the paper. They aren't as perfectly smooth as modern digital prints.
- The "Blue" Fade: The shorts in the original costume were a deep blue, but in many surviving photos and the costume itself, they've faded into a bluish-purple. This is a sign of age and authenticity.
It’s weirdly comforting that in an era of CGI and AI-generated art, these 50-year-old photos still hold so much power. They represent a time when a superhero was just a person in a really well-made suit, standing in front of a camera, convincing us she could fly.
If you're looking to dive deeper into this history, your best bet is to look for the "Warner Bros. Corporate Archive" releases or the 2004 DVD commentary where Lynda herself explains the struggle of making those shots work. You can also track down the work of photographer Harry Langdon, who captured some of her most stunning beauty shots during the peak of the show's run.
Start by organizing your digital collection by "Season" (WWII vs. 70s) to see the evolution of the suit. It makes the subtle design changes way more obvious.
Next Steps: You can actually verify the costume differences yourself by comparing the "Full Wing" eagle from the 1975 pilot episodes against the "Divided Wing" version used in the 1977 CBS premiere.