Bettie Page , the raven-haired pin-up whose naughty-but-nice romps with whips , garters and high heels titillated a generation of young men in the post-war years , has died at the age of 85 after suffering a heart attack earlier this month and slipping into a coma .
Bettie Page
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<m> Bettie Page </m> , the raven-haired pin-up whose naughty-but-nice romps with whips , garters and high heels titillated a generation of young men in the post-war years , has died at the age of 85 after suffering a heart attack earlier this month and slipping into a coma .
<m> Bettie Page </m> , the raven-haired pin-up whose naughty-but-nice romps with whips , garters and high heels titillated a generation of young men in the post-war years , has died at the age of 85 after suffering a heart attack earlier this month and slipping into a coma .
Her career , which some claim laid the foundations for the sexual revolution that swept America in the 1960s , started almost by accident after she discovered that posing for amateur photographers in provocative poses and risque attire made her more money than secretarial work .
Ms Page 's fame was set after she was adopted by Irving Klaw and his sister , Paula , in 1951 .
The couple ran a Manhattan mail order business offering dirty pictures .
Later , she was featured by Playboy as a centrefold , including a 1955 image of her winking under a Santa hat .
`` Bettie was one of the magazine 's early Playmates , and became an iconic figure , influencing notions of beauty and fashion , '' Hugh Hefner , the magazine 's founder , said on hearing of her death .
`` Her passing is very sad . ''
Ms Page disappeared for decades at the end of the Fifties , suffering serial broken marriages and devoting herself to Christianity .
Even in her twilight years she suffered bouts of depression and ill health but was rediscovered in the late nineteen eighties .
She would occasionally make public appearances to sign photographs of herself as popular interest in her suddenly took off again .
To her astonishment , Ms Page has recently attained cult status .
Madonna , Uma Thurman and Demi Moore are among contemporary stars who have at some time adopted Bettie Page poses , while in 2006 a movie , The Notorious Bettie Page , featured Gretchen Mol in the title role .
Ms Page had been admitted to hospital originally for treatment for pneumonia and was set to be released and sent home on 2 December when she suffered her heart attack .
A representative said she never recovered consciousness and died late on Thursday .
`` She captured the imagination of a generation of men and women with her free spirit and unabashed sensuality , '' her agent , Mark Roesler , said yesterday .
`` She is the embodiment of beauty . ''
Even though she conceded to the occasional public event , she never agreed to having her photograph taken again .
`` I do n't want to be photographed in my old age , '' she said in 1998 .
`` I feel the same way with old movie stars .
It makes me sad .
We want to remember them when they were young . ''
After her early career peaked , Ms Page became exhibit number one in a congressional hearing into so-called immoral activities in Washington .
The controversy prompted her disappearance from public view .
It was while living in Florida that she had her born-again experience and committed herself to the church and to the ministry of the Rev Billy Graham .
In her later years , she defended the trade she pioneered .
`` I never thought it was shameful .
I felt normal .
It was better than pounding a typewriter eight hours a day , which gets monotonous , '' she told Playboy in 1998 .
As for being featured undressed , that seemed fine too .
`` God approves of nudity , '' she said .
`` Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden , they were naked as jaybirds . ''