By April MacIntyre Dec 7, 2008, 0:22 GMT
1950's poster girl and avatar for modern Goth beauty, Bettie Page, the alt pinup who was famous for her pale complexion, curvaceous and leggy frame and unique raven hairstyle is reportedly ailing after a heart attack, her agent to the AP on Friday.
Bettie Page
"She's critically ill," Mark Roesler of CMG Worldwide told The Associated Press.
Ms. Page, 85, was admitted to hospital and there for the last three weeks with pneumonia and was about to be released when she had the heart attack Tuesday.
The AP reports Ms. Page was transferred to another hospital's ICU in Los Angeles, where she remains.
Reportedly a "family friend," Todd Mueller, told the AP that Page was in a coma. Her manager confirmed this and said nothing further.
Bettie Page was born April 22, 1923 in Nashville, Tennessee. She appeared taller in photos than her actual 5' 51/2" height, and has naturally black hair. During her modeling heyday, the non-smoking photogenic muse possessed measurements: 36 - 24 - 35, and during her life was a teacher and secretary.
In October of 1950, Bettie met Jerry Tibbs, a policeman and photography hobbyist, on a beach at Coney Island according to the memoir, Bettie Page: Queen of Hearts by Jim Silke. Tibbs offered to take pictures for her portfolio at his studio, and Bettie's career blossomed from the exposure.
Page then appeared in magazines such as Eyeful and Titter for publisher Robert Harrison. She also modeled in New York for Irving Klaw's Movie Star News outfit where she also did bondage/fetish photos, becoming his most popular model and also would go to Florida to pose for Bunny Yeager, a famous pin-up photographer, leading to many of her iconic surf and beach shots.
Ms. Page spent decades away from the public eye, and during that time battled with mental illness and became a born-again Christian.
Your Talkback on this Story