A Little Bit About Bettie Page: Much has been written & said about The Queen Of Pin-ups elsewhere, and better than we could, so we'll stick to the basic facts.
Born in 1923 in Nashville, voted “Most Likely To Succeed” in high school and then graduated salutatorian of her class, Bettie then bounced around from California to Miami to Haiti before arriving in New York City. After a stint with secretarial work, she broke into the modeling scene especially the so-called nude “camera clubs” - before long her distinctive black bangs, luscious body, and singular charm was being featured in various girlie mags of the era.
Bettie's most fruitful partnership came with bondage photographer Irving Klaw, who created custom photosets and film reels for clients based around the (now well-established) BDSM tropes: spanking, catfights, leather boots & fishnets, riding crops, etc. Interestingly though she was in-demand for that sort of material, Bettie never had any interest in bondage in her personal life – she considered it harmless, if a bit silly. I think that's part of her stuff's allure, aside from being ravishingly beautiful there was always an aura of carefree & fun coming through in her photos.
Truly a legend, and one with influence far outside the world of pin-ups - there'll never be another one quite like Bettie.
Another set of Bettie images, again dating from the early & mid 1950s. Some of the photographers featured here are longtime collaborators Irving & Paula Klaw, Art Amsie (he shot the famous checkered shirt images and is an interesting fellow in his own right), Allen Cobert, and more.
The first in a series of dedicated Bettie Page galleries, with photos dated from about 1953 through 1957. The pin-up world (and the world of fashion, really) wouldn't be quite the same without her. Enjoy!
