Bettie Page

Model / Pinup

Bettie Page (sometimes spelled Betty Page) was a pin-up model of the 1950s who became an iconic favorite of retro-loving pop culture fans during the 1980s and '90s. Page was a struggling actress when she began posing for photos in the late 1940s. Her shapely figure, easy smile and trademark hairstyle -- long black hair with bangs -- made her a favorite. Photos done by Irving Klaw featured Page nude and semi-nude in fetishistic poses and exotic settings, including "jungle photos" of Page posing with a pair of cheetahs and other animals. Until 1957 she was a popular model in the mail-order trade and men's magazines such as Wink, Eyeful and Hugh Hefner's Playboy (she was Miss January of 1955). After retiring from modeling, Page faded from the public eye, only to be rediscovered in the 1980s; viewed through the lens of post-modern irony, Bettie Page became a subversive symbol of 1950s kitsch. By the 2000s her '50s image could be found in graphic design, the comics and a variety of merchandise, placing her in the role of a Marilyn Monroe for the alternative set.