Bettie Page
| Bettie Page | |
|---|---|
Bettie Page
|
|
| Born |
Bettie Mae Page April 22, 1923 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | December 11, 2008 (aged 85) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Heart attack |
| Resting place |
Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery 34°03′30″N 118°26′27″W / 34.0583333°N 118.4408333°W |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater |
Peabody College (part of Vanderbilt University) Multnomah University |
| Occupation | Model |
| Playboy centerfold appearance | |
| January 1955 | |
| Preceded by | Terry Ryan |
| Succeeded by | Jayne Mansfield |
| Personal details | |
| Measurements | Bust: 36 in (91 cm) Waist: 23 in (58 cm) Hips: 35 in (89 cm) |
| Height | 5 ft 5.5 in (1.664 m) |
Bettie Mae Page (April 22, 1923 – December 11, 2008) was an American model who gained a significant profile in the 1950s for her pin-up photos. Often referred to as the "Queen of Pinups", her jet black hair, blue eyes, and trademark bangs have influenced artists for generations.
A native of Nashville, Tennessee, Page lived in California in her early adult years before moving to New York City to pursue work as an actress. There, she began to find work as a pin-up model, and posed for dozens of photographers throughout the 1950s. Page was "Miss January 1955", one of the earliest Playmates of the Month for Playboy magazine. "I think that she was a remarkable lady, an iconic figure in pop culture who influenced sexuality, taste in fashion, someone who had a tremendous impact on our society," said Playboy founder Hugh Hefner to the Associated Press in 2008.
In 1959, Page converted to evangelical Christianity and worked for Billy Graham, studying at Bible colleges in Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, with the intent of becoming a missionary. The latter part of Page's life was marked by depression, violent mood swings, and several years in a state psychiatric hospital suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. After years of obscurity, she experienced a resurgence of popularity in the 1980s.
Page was born in Nashville, Tennessee, the second of six children to Walter Roy Page (1896–1964) and Edna Mae Pirtle (1901–1986). At a young age, Page had to face the responsibilities of caring for her younger siblings. Her parents divorced when she was 10 years old. In the 1930 Census, a few weeks before Bettie's 7th birthday, her mother Edna Pirtle Page was already listed as being divorced. After her father, whom Page would accuse of molesting her starting at age 13, was imprisoned, Page and her two sisters lived in a Protestant orphanage for a year. During this time, Page's mother worked two jobs, one as a hairdresser during the day and washing laundry at night.
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