Style Icon Bettie Page Critically Ill

I’m a fan of pin-up art. Something about the power those women wield with a coquettish look, long legs posed, back arched, while somehow still managing to look innocent, intrigues me. I love the iconic style of early pin-ups – the pointy bra cups, the full bikini pants, the glossy-waved hair, the pointy-toed shoes.  My favorite pin-ups are the classic shots from the 1950s – the kind of shots that come to mind when you hear the name Bettie Page.  

Sadly, Bettie Page, the woman most readily associated with pin-up art, has suffered a heart attack at 85. Her agent, Mark Roesler of CMG Worldwide told The Associated Press…

He said the 85-year-old had been hospitalized for the last three weeks with pneumonia and was about to be released when she had the heart attack Tuesday. Page was transferred to another hospital in Los Angeles and remained in intensive care Friday.

Page’s raven hair, make-up, and pin-up style are copied even today. I see girls with a Bettie-look every time I go downtown - that sort of stylized beauty will always have a fan base. It exudes a sexy confidence, a certain bold esthetic. 

Bettie posed for Playboy Magazine in 1955, it’s second year in publication. She became the top pin-up model in New York City, in the ’50s, working with the camera clubs of the time….

In the late 1940s, what were known as camera clubs were formed as a means of circumventing legal restrictions on the production of nude photos. These clubs existed ostensibly to promote artistic photography, but many were merely fronts for the making of erotica. Page entered the field of glamour photography as a popular camera club model, working initially with photographer Cass Carr. Her lack of inhibition in posing made her a hit. Her name and image became quickly known in the erotic photography industry, and in 1951, her image appeared in men’s magazines with names like Wink, Titter, Eyefull and Beauty Parade.

Bettie did all of her own hair and make-up for her shoots, as well as designing and constructing her costumes – including the animal print bathing suits used for her infamous jungle pin-up photos. Although her work was sometimes controversial, in particular the bondage shots, Page never appeared in sexually explicit photos or films.

Bettie became a born-again Christian in the late 1950s and shortly thereafter left the world of modeling. The 1980s brought a renewed interest in Bettie Page’s classic pin-up shots, with her image once again gracing calendars, prints, and even the occasional comic book.

Hang in there, Bettie, and thanks for the lovely art.

Image credit: Allposters.com