Bettie Page (1923-2008)
I got the very sad news Friday that Bettie Page had passed away. Certainly no model has graced the pages of this blog more times than Bettie and no other person has more defined my personal pinup ideal.
She was, of course, the Queen of the 1950s bondage models, becoming hugely well-known even outside the fetish community, but she could turn on a dime with her modeling, going from riding crop-wielding dominatrix to leopardskin-clad jungle girl to wholesome girl next door with ease. There are so many elements that make up her classic look: those iconic raven bangs, the luscious curves, the fishnets and crazy high-heels, the saucy poses, awkward winks, and that impish smile that she sometimes had trouble concealing even when portraying serious bondage scenes.
Her modeling career sadly didn't leave her with any fortune. She became a born again Christian but was turned down for missionary work because of her past, eventually finding work with evangelist Billy Graham. She had some struggles with mental illness. In her later years, she avoided cameras, preferring that her fans remember her as she looked in her youth.
Bettie Page embodied beauty, opened up a lot of people to a greater acceptance of nudity, paved some of the way to the sexual revolution, and even became a cult figure in the goth scene.
In honor of her, this shall be an entire week of Wayback Wednesdays, all dedicated to the awesomeness that is Bettie Page.
She was, of course, the Queen of the 1950s bondage models, becoming hugely well-known even outside the fetish community, but she could turn on a dime with her modeling, going from riding crop-wielding dominatrix to leopardskin-clad jungle girl to wholesome girl next door with ease. There are so many elements that make up her classic look: those iconic raven bangs, the luscious curves, the fishnets and crazy high-heels, the saucy poses, awkward winks, and that impish smile that she sometimes had trouble concealing even when portraying serious bondage scenes.
Her modeling career sadly didn't leave her with any fortune. She became a born again Christian but was turned down for missionary work because of her past, eventually finding work with evangelist Billy Graham. She had some struggles with mental illness. In her later years, she avoided cameras, preferring that her fans remember her as she looked in her youth.
Bettie Page embodied beauty, opened up a lot of people to a greater acceptance of nudity, paved some of the way to the sexual revolution, and even became a cult figure in the goth scene.
In honor of her, this shall be an entire week of Wayback Wednesdays, all dedicated to the awesomeness that is Bettie Page.