Bettie Page … Rest in Peace
I’m not exactly alone alone among my fanboys in my longtime fascination with legendary pinup queen Bettie Page. I probably first became aware of her in my teens attending Dragon*Con in Atlanta, where for many years they held a Bettie Page look-alike contest. (The contest was won more than once by a drag queen named Phil.) The dark hair, trademark bangs, and the inexplicable mix of innocence and naughtiness were always intriguing.
Art by Larry Elmore
Bettie Page was such a big part of Dragon*Con tradition that legendary artist Larry Elmore created a painting for the show of her as a fantasy warrior-woman. My sister Stacy was one of the models that Larry photographed for this picture. (Obviously she was used for the body, not the face!)
My wife and I rented the biopic The Notorious Bettie Page a couple of years ago. The more I learned about the famous model, the more of a study in contradictions she became. She was, simultaneously, old-fashioned and progressive. Innocent in that she didn’t understand the kinky world she was photographed in—things like fetish outfits or bondage pictures and films—but certainly not ashamed at the same time.
It’s hard to put my mental finger on just why Bettie Page intrigued me (and so many others) … but part of it had to be the sense of mystery. She disappeared from the scene. When I first became interested in her in the 1990s no one had any clue where she had gone, what had happened to her, or even if she were alive or dead. She resurfaced several years ago and was finally able to benefit from her renewed popularity, though she was extremely reluctant to let anyone photograph her face. She said, “I want to be remembered as I was when I was young.”
Though the model Bettie Page gained immortality in her famous photographs and endless artist interpretations, the woman Bettie Page passed away on Thursday, December 11, 2008 at the age of 85. I believe her legacy and her popularity will endure. After all, she was completely unaware in her rising fame in the 80s and 90s. Her photographs speak for themselves, and her personality and energy are well preserved in the best of them.
Sabrina
on December 12th, 2008
I too was fascinated with this legend. Your mention of the mesmerizing combination of sex and innocence is what made Bettie and Marilyn the icons that they became.
Sean Everette
on December 13th, 2008
I too was first introduced to Betty at Dragon*Con as a kid. It was a few years after that I really became fascinated by her. Her photos are amazing. The blend of the innocence and the erotic is just something never seen before or since. I’m sure her memory will live on for a long time.
James E. Connor
on July 15th, 2010
I grew up with Bettie Page. She was on every pin-up post card and calendar in the ’50′s and ’60′s. I fell in (childhood) love over a hundred times and never knew till recently it was always with the same woman. Rest in Light Perpetual Bettie, you brought a 1,000 smiles to my lips….