Thursday
11Dec2008
Bettie Page Passes Away at 85
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 10:19PM
Bettie Page, the pin-up queen whose racy fetish
photos and trademark raven hair helped usher in the sexual revolution of the
1960s, has passed away at the age of 85.
Page modeled professionally in various states of undress from 1949-1957, after which time she struggled with mental health and depression, and became a born again Christian before re-emerging in the late 1980s. In her later life, Page refused to be photographed for interviews, telling The Times, "I want to be remembered as I was when I was young and in my golden times. I want to be remembered as the woman who changed people's perspectives concerning nudity in its natural form."
She is the subject of the 2005 bio-pic, The Notorious Bettie Page, but admitted she was baffled by her continued popularity. "I have no idea why I'm the only model who has had so much fame so long after quitting work," she remarked.
"When I turned my life over to the lord Jesus I was ashamed of having posed in the nude," she admitted. "But now, most of the money I've got is because I posed in the nude. So I'm not ashamed of it now. But I still don't understand it."
Reader Comments (2)
This is sad. Bettie was one of the most beautiful and natural models who ever stood in front of a camera.
It was quite amazing that she was still around until now.
Bon voyage.
Page made it into a couple of mainstream movies too, right?