Decades after being hidden away after Washington politicians blamed them for corrupting a nation's youth - rare photographs of 50s pinup queen Bettie Page are finally released for auction.
Page, who maintains a cult following decades after she stopped posing, is still considered a powerful influence on pop icons from Madonna to Katy Perry with her iconic bangs and images that celebrated bondage.
Relatively tame by today's standards, McCarthy-era politicians deemed the images to be contributing to juvenile delinquency and a senate subcommittee investigation into the subject summoned her but never asked her to testify.
Photographer Irving Klaw, credited with creating fetish pinups, was so afraid of repercussions after being called to testify at the hearing that he destroyed roughly 80 per cent of the prints and negatives featuring Page and closed his business.
Klaw's sister, Paula, hid some away, which are now offered at auction by Guernsey along with the couple's massive Movie Star News Collection of images of screen icons like Marlon Brando and Marilyn Monroe, the Daily News reports.
Page retired from modeling, and in later life became a born-again Christian even working for the Rev. Billy Graham at one point. Retreating from the spotlight, in a rare interview in 1993 she was shocked to discover the images were still popular and described herself as 'penniless.'
A collection of Bettie Page memorabilia will be auctioned off as part of a Movie Star News Collection sale
Though tame by today's standards, shots of Page from the 50s were thought to cause juvenile delinquency
Though long retreated from the public eye, Page gets new fans every year and has even had a film made about her life
Many of the prints for sale have been hidden away for decades
Fearing legal action, photographer Irving Klaw destroyed most of his prints and negatives of Bettie Page decades ago
Photographer Klaw and sister Paula were even summoned to Congressional hearings over Page's racy pics
The Klaws had one of the world¿s largest collections of Hollywood photography in their Movie Star News shop
In later life, Page became a born-again Christian and even worked for the Rev. Billy Graham
In a rare interview, the reclusive Page said in 1993 that she had no idea her pictures were still popular and that she was 'penniless and infamous'
Page later reflected on her career saying she never thought the images were shameful and she felt very natural posing
Media critics note that many of today's pop culture stars are still influenced by Page's famous look and attitude
Page's headstone remembers her as 'Queen of Pin-Ups'
An icon, some consider Page the first pin-up model in history
Page wasn't just a pioneer as a pin-up, but for being one of the first models associated with kinkier fare
In 2005 a film was made about Page's life
Page saw her bondage work as innocent fun
Even today comic books and fan art about Betty Page are circulated among pin-up enthusiasts
Page's famous bangs have been impersonated by women for years
Videos of Page's burlesque dancing still sell
Page even appeared in iconic Playboy pictorials
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