RIP, Bettie Page

Bettie Page died on December 11, at the age of 85. From the BBC news obit:

“Bettie Page, one of the most famous US pin-up models of the 1950s, has died in Los Angeles, aged 85.

Her provocative poses – often in bikinis – made her a cult figure and she was one of the first models to appear in Playboy magazine.

Bettie Page was credited with helping to pave the way for the sexual revolution of the 1960s.

Some pictures of her showing bondage and spanking generated controversy and attracted a congressional subpoena. ”

I hit puberty in the 70s, so Bettie was an icon of a previous generation. I remember first seeing her photos in books, the pin-up collections that would show up fleetingly in Berkeley’s used bookstores. In residency, I used to go to Amok, a way cool LA bookstore that catered to everything and anyone at the fringe. There I found whole books of Bettie.

The woman was amazing — to be doing the things she did, at the time she did them? BBC News’ “helping to pave the way for the sexual revolution of the 1960s” is no overstatement. I suspect it was rare in the 50s for a brunette to be considered pin-up material, though I could be wrong. But for a brunette with strong fetishist leanings to hit the mainstream? Truly remarkable.

Here’s her Wiki. There’s an interesting story of her fall from the limelight and her subsequent resurgence. Also, here’s a rare interview with the older Bettie (from the 1990s).