The Last Days of American Tease
Bettie Page and the moral panic that ended the golden age of the American pinup
Quietly and without fanfare, Bettie Page blew into New York City in the fall of 1950. Seven years later, at the height of her fame, the Queen of Curves abdicated her throne and left the same way.
Her timing was perfect. A decade earlier, her images would have been hidden under cigar shop counters while the wartime wholesomeness of Betty Grable dominated the display stands. A decade later, Page’s provocative poses seemed almost prudish. By vanishing at her beauty’s peak in 1957, Page achieved immortality. Like James Dean, her image remains frozen in time. Forever beautiful, forever young.
During her brief time in the spotlight, Page found fame twice over. She was the most sought-after model for the girlie magazines that served as the prototype for the slicker, more overtly sexual publications like Playboy that followed. She was also the poster child for a government-led backlash against the titillation of the young American male.
Coney Island still attracted a crowd in October. As the memory of summer faded, New Yorkers continued to flock to the famous landmark to ride the Ferris wheel and gorge on candy floss.
