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BETTIE PAGE

PAGES OF HISTORIC PROPORTIONS: Scarce vintage images of the Pinup Queen

"It makes me feel wonderful that people still care for me… that I have so many fans among young people, who write to me and tell me I have been an inspiration."
- Bettie Page

Bettie Mae Page's life was filled with myth, mystery, superstar success and sadness. With her free spirit and unabashed sensuality, her image captured the imagination of a generation, both male and female, during an era of strong sexual repression. Page was the quintessential pinup, tacked to walls in military barracks, garages and dorm rooms, and added to scrapbooks; five decades later, some feminists still hail her as a pioneer of women's liberation and sexual awakening. 

After a childhood marked by poverty, abuse, and abandonment, the headstrong 'girl next door' was unintentionally 'discovered' in Coney Island by an amateur photographer. In a matter of months her coveted curves became her career and by January, 1955, she was the centerfold in Playboy’s January issue. She was named the "Girl with the Perfect Figure," with her photographs appearing on everything from magazine covers to record albums to playing cards. She was most notably shot by Jan Caldwell, H.W. Hannau and Bunny Yeager, and studied acting under Herbert Berghoff, eventually landing various off-Broadway productions and television appearances. 

It was during the height of her popularity in the late 1950s that Bettie would disappear from the public eye.  After three divorces, documented bouts with schizophrenia and mental illness, stabbings, wild rumors of her demise, and a stint in Billy Graham's ministry, the buxom brunette would resurface "penniless and infamous" in the 90s. Although she would occasionally grant an interview or sign an autograph, she refused to have her picture taken stating, "I want people to remember me the way I was." She spent her final years living in Los Angeles with her brother. After a three-week battle with pneumonia, Bettie Page suffered a fatal heart attack at age 85 on December 11, 2008.

Despite having worked with only a few competent photographers, despite having thousands of her 'indecent' photographs destroyed on purpose following congressional hearings, and despite so many extant photos surviving only as inferior copies of the originals, the transcendent beauty and playful yet dangerous personality of Bettie Page trumps all else and continues to inspire documentary films, designers' fashions, artists' fetishes, and fans' fantasies. The dark-haired girl from Nashville has become a living legend, a symbol of beauty and femininity that transcends ordinary standards. In the heart of her adoring fans, Bettie will forever remain the queen of pinups.

About Our Collection:

JG Autographs, Inc. is excited and proud to offer a select number of original Bettie Page photographs in an array of  shots and sizes. These original vintage silver gelatin satin finish photographs are circa the 1950s and credited to Charles M. Basson. Our collection also boasts an assortment of vintage full color Easymount Craftsman's Guild stereo slides as well as signed 8 x 10 inch promo prints (signed by both Page and photographer Bunny Yeager). Research reveals many of these images to be previously unpublished and an incredible addition to any Page collection.

Explore Our Collection:
Bettie Page & Bunny Yeager
Bettie Page & Bunny Yeager
$395.00
Bettie Page & Bunny Yeager
JG Autographs