birmingham bombshells blog

Miss Page will always be a legend here at the studio. She was a forerunner of the pin-up era and a pioneer of women’s liberation. A remarkable lady to say the least, an iconic figure in pop culture who who had a tremendous impact on our society. Many women ask me, “Can you make me look like Bettie Page?” I always reply, “well…we can make you want to look like you when you see yourself in pictures but, nevertheless you will feel like Bettie Page when you walk out of the studio.”

Miss Page will always remain in our hearts,

Angela

Bettie Page (circa 1950)

LOS ANGELES – Bettie Page, the 1950s secretary-turned-model whose controversial photographs in skimpy attire or none at all helped set the stage for the 1960s sexual revolution, died Thursday. She was 85.
Page was placed on life support last week after suffering a heart attack in Los Angeles and never regained consciousness, said her agent, Mark Roesler. He said he and Page’s family agreed to remove life support. Before the heart attack, Page had been hospitalized for three weeks with pneumonia.
“She captured the imagination of a generation of men and women with her free spirit and unabashed sensuality,” Roesler said. “She is the embodiment of beauty.”
Page, who was also known as Betty, attracted national attention with magazine photographs of her sensuous figure in bikinis and see-through lingerie that were quickly tacked up on walls in military barracks, garages and elsewhere, where they remained for years.

After resurfacing in the 1990s, she occasionally granted interviews but refused to allow her picture to be taken.
“I don’t want to be photographed in my old age,” she told an interviewer in 1998. “I feel the same way with old movie stars. … It makes me sad. We want to remember them when they were young.”
The 21st century indeed had people remembering her just as she was. She became the subject of songs, biographies, Web sites, comic books, movies and documentaries. A new generation of fans bought thousands of copies of her photos.
Gretchen Mol portrayed her in 2005′s “The Notorious Bettie Page” and Paige Richards had the role in 2004′s “Bettie Page: Dark Angel.” Page herself took part in the 1998 documentary “Betty Page: Pinup Queen.”
Hefner said he last saw Page when he held a screening of “The Notorious Bettie Page” at the Playboy Mansion. He said she objected to the fact that the film referred to her as “notorious,” but “we explained to her that it referred to the troubled times she had and was a good way to sell a movie.”
Page’s career began one day in October 1950 when she took a respite from her job as a secretary in a New York office for a walk along the beach at Coney Island. An amateur photographer named Jerry Tibbs admired the 27-year-old’s firm, curvy body and asked her to pose.
Looking back on the career that followed, she told Playboy in 1998: “I never thought it was shameful. I felt normal. It’s just that it was much better than pounding a typewriter eight hours a day, which gets monotonous.”

Year in Review: In Memoriam — remembering those we lost in 2008

Associated Press writers Denise Petski and Raquel Maria Dillon contributed to this report.

Angela,

Birmingham Bombshells was ingenious! I came across your ad
in the Black and White and was intrigued so I visited your
website. The photos on the Birmingham Bombshells website
were just fantastic. I tried to picture myself in some of
those shots and just couldn’t imagine I could look as
photogenic and relaxed as the women in your gallery. I was
drawn to visit the photos again and again. My 10th wedding
anniversary was approaching and I knew my husband would LOVE
some photos of me as a “bombshell” so I decided to
inquire.

The whole bombshell experience is something I think every
woman should do for herself for so many reasons. What a
treat it is to spend a couple of hours at the spa having
your hair and make-up done by professionals, just like a
movie star. For those few hours, I was taken away from the
cares of my everyday life. When the time came to take the
photos, I felt a bit silly all dressed up but you and Ashleigh
immediately made me feel at ease. During the shoot, I kept
fearing my face would show some sort of horrible grimace as
I held what I felt were “yoga like” poses with touche
out, leg up, shoulder raised, etc. But when I left the shoot
that day, I felt special. I felt like you and Ashleigh were my
new best friends. The experience was a real self esteem
boost and I certainly needed that boost since it was also my
40th birthday that day. We women all need to feel beautiful,
special, and the center of attention every once in a while.

When I got to see the photos for the first time, I was
amazed. All the photos turned out so well, I couldn’t
imagine how I would choose! The photos speak volumes for
your talent and more importantly in my case, your direction.
As for my husband, you rendered him speechless! When he was
finally able to speak, all he could say was, “Wow!” over
and over again. The photos and the book, he says, are the
greatest gift he has ever received.

I am so glad I decided to do the photos. In fact, I’d
like to do it at least once a year!!

Sincerely,
DeAnna Hadnot
‘Smokin’ Hot Mama

I do seriously think it is something that EVERY woman should do for herself. I’m still trying to convince all my friends to do it but they have excuses about losing weight. They don’t seem to understand that Marilyn Monroe, Bettie Page, Jean Harlow and the rest were not a size 4!!!

Thanks again for a fabulous time. I do love you both!

DeAnna

DeAnna’s Debut