Famous All Over Again

Famous All Over Again
Written by Gaspar González
January 2011
Sitting in Jimmy’s East Side Diner, contemplating a plate of eggs over medium, sliced tomato,
and dry wheat toast, Ed Christin plots Bunny Yeager’s future. “The goal is to give Bunny her
due among serious art collectors, serious collectors of photography,” he explains. “I want to get
her into well-known galleries in Miami, New York, Los Angeles.”
Christin, slightly built with closely cropped salt-and-pepper hair, is a natural salesman. In fact,
selling is his day job. As an independent agent, he represents vitamin and health-food
companies, helping them get their products onto the shelves at Whole Foods. “It’s the future of
healthcare,” he offers. “Personalized vitamin regimens to offset your genetic deficiencies.”
So how exactly did a vitamin rep get involved with one of Miami’s greatest living icons, the
woman who helped popularize the bikini, made Bettie Page famous, inspired generations of
photographers, and virtually invented the concept of Miami as the sun-and-fun capital, long
before that became a catchphrase?
“I’m a serious amateur photographer,” says Christin. “One day my photo-lab guy calls me and
says, ‘Bunny Yeager was just here dropping off some contact sheets. You’ve got to meet her!’”
A lifelong fan of Yeager’s work, Christin took up the offer of an introduction from his friend,
Randy Mitchel of Darkroom & Digital in Little Haiti. He learned that Yeager’s current business
1/8
Famous All Over Again
Written by Gaspar González
January 2011
model consisted of selling prints of her work from the 1950s and 1960s on eBay for as little as
ten dollars apiece. Christin was floored, and immediately hatched a plan to help the fiercely
independent -- and often irascible -- 80-year-old Yeager make the kind of money he thought she
should be making. “I figured the best way to get on Bunny’s good side was to buy a couple of
her photos,” he says. “Over the course of a few meetings, I said, ‘Bunny, I’d like to sell your
photos [for you].’”
Yeager, long wary of ceding control of her archive -- hence her do-it-yourself eBay strategy -reluctantly agreed. After a couple of private sales, including one to the artist Carlos Betancourt,
Christin realized that, “to do it right, I needed to get her into [the galleries].” The project now
consumes a good deal of his time. “I paid for these scans,” he says, holding up a contact sheet
of never-before-seen pictures of Bettie Page while Jimmy’s waitresses, armed with coffee pots,
hustle past, oblivious to the historical unveiling. “If I hadn’t paid for them, they wouldn’t have
gotten made. Bunny doesn’t understand the importance of these images.” The thought makes
Christin crazy.
2/8
Famous All Over Again
Written by Gaspar González
January 2011
The
rediscovering
entire
book.
timing
exhibition
of
Christin’s
Yeager
to
Yeager’s
as
involvement
well.
work,
and
May
with
this
the
Yeager
year
Andy
her
is
Warhol
fortuitous.
photos
Museum
will
Others
be
the
inremembers
Pittsburgh
are
subject
in
the
of
process
devoted
a
lush
new
of
an
More
2011
planned
may
than
on
be
five
being
the
decades
anything
Bunny
after
else.
she
Yeager
first
becomes
made
a
splash
famous
as
all
aheard
fashion-model-turned-photographer,
over
again.
But
then,
she
never
worked
Yeager
with
they
surroundings.
was
them.
like
wouldn’t
for
grew
and
a
movie
“I
Westinghouse.
had
up
let
“I
wife
hadn’t
in
me
set.”
ayear
Wilkinsburg,
boyfriend;
moved
stay
been
up
When
the
there.”
anywhere
itLast
was
family
a
his
small
When
my
doctor
to
except
community
senior
Miami,
she
told
got
Pittsburgh,”
year
bringing
him
here,
outside
of
he
high
needed
she
their
she
of
was
Pittsburgh,
reluctant
says.
aQueen’
instantly
warmer
“Miami
17-year-old
where
climate,
smitten
was
Yeager.
her
so
with
the
daughter
father
beautiful.
elder
the
“But
It
That’s
decided
movie
she’d
when
she
seen
the
needed
striking
a
few
a
more
years
five-foot,
glamorous
earlier,
ten-inch
name
brunette,
to
go
with
who
the
was
new
born
locale.
Linnea
She
Eleanor
remembered
Yeager,
agirls
Week-End
at
the
Waldorf.
It
was
a
remake
of
the
classic
Hotel
,Grand
bigger
and
in
things.
it,
Lana
The
Turner,
character
then
was
in
her
called
sweater-girl
Bunny
ascent,
played
a
stenographer
who
of
something
“When
when
Iquick,
Icame
heard
else.’
down
that
Ithe
just
name…,”
to
Miami,
remodeled
Isighs
said,
myself
Yeager.
‘That’s
into
going
“I
what
had
to
never
Ithe
wanted
be
my
name.
to
be.”
anything
I’m
going
like
to
that
become
before.
So
What
High
From
kind
of
School,
the
she
small-town
very
wanted
she
beginning,
enrolled
to
innocence
be
was
there
at
just
the
to
was
go
that
Coronet
with
something
-a
the
model.
Modeling
curvy,
about
After
voluptuous
School
Yeager
graduating
and
that
figure.
Agency
from
captivated
Miami
in
downtown
Edison
camera
Miami.
-asays
admirer.
remembers.
pre-Marilyn
she
unduly
drew
“It
attention.
influenced
Monroe.
“Joe
some
DiMaggio
In
“I
charitable
the
1949
went
judges,
crowned
out
she
with
entered
thing
she
him
me.”
and
adds:
a
one
This
they
local
“After
time,”
was
had
beauty
says
during
this
pageant
‘Sports
Yeager.
the
Yankee
and
Then,
attracted
Clipper’s
contest
so
that
a[than
nobody
and
very
bachelor
ISenior
famous
won,”
thinks
days,
she
contest!”
She
says
were
did
of
dressed
the
two-piece
one
more
unfair
suit
advantage:
just
then
coming
but
aherself
homemade
Imagazine,
felt
into
right
vogue.
at
bikini.
home
“So
in
Ischool,”
made
my
couldn’t
homemade
own.
buy
one
All
bikini.”
of
in
the
the
other
store,”
she
Bikinis
hundreds
her
creations.
work
models.
to
became
men’s
of
“I
Some
never
them
magazines.”
a
signature
by
wore
had
hand
flowers
the
-of
same
first
sorts
sewn
for
suit
for
on;
twice,”
Yeager.
others
and
she
Over
later,
boasts.
animal
when
next
“It
prints
she
few
became
painted
years,
it‘The
easier
she’d
a
on.
photographer,
for
All
me
fashion
were
to
sell
literally
my
for
She’s
a
It’s
Beach
high-fashion
just
or
that
the
Ihis
though,
happened
City
model
of
Miami.
to
with
point
to
a
do
Iwhere
legitimate
think
out
bathing-suit
that
Iyou
was
she
agency.
in
was
modeling.
more
far
ISmith.
was
newspapers
from
Coronet’s
was
your
always
average
than
most
posing
any
slice
popular
other
for
of
cheesecake:
girl.”
the
model
City
for
of
years.
Miami
was
All
was
says,
these
one
pointing
of
years
those
to
later,
‘famous
spread.
Yeager
faces’
“Most
still
quizzes,
keeps
of
them
astick,
clipping
where
were
you
politicians
of
aIhow
had
feature
to
or
identify
that
people
ran
the
like
in
people
a
that,
local
except
pictured,”
newspaper.
for
she
me.”
“It
The
photographer]
photography
want
and
put
journey
be
ithave
on
awas
from
photographer.
the
class.
Roy
cover
model
Pinney
Iconservatively,
just
of
to
wanted
used
photographer
But
Roy
to
to
come
be
said,
able
began
down
‘No,
to
make
no,
here.
almost
that’s
copies
Ithe
mentioned
by
a“You
good
accident
of
my
story,’
to
modeling
for
him
so
Yeager:
that
he
photos;
took
Ithe
was
“[Famed
my
taking
Idreams
didn’t
picture
a“I
really
U.S.
Camera
Photographer.’”
with
the
caption
World’s
Prettiest
It
A
that
was
female
few
yet
magazines
photographer
another
nickname
could
in
the
pass
that
early
up.
would
1950s
was,
and
like
one
Yeager’s
that
would
one-of-a-kind
prove
to
be
swimsuits,
good
for
aoriginal
business.
novelty
“Bunny
friend
Usually
and
wanted
people
former
don’t
to
look
photograph
nice
Mary
in
her
Robbins.
themselves.
photos,
“She
and
felt
But
that’s
like
she
she
did.”
could
she
came
do
amy
to
better
photograph
job
herself,”
any
man].
Yeager
liked
ever
magazines.”
pornographic
taking
quickly
action
trained
pictures,
or
suggestive.
her
camera
She
on
others.
always
were
moving
managed
“She
was
around,”
very
to
place
professional,
recalls
her
photos
Robbins.
she
in
“Nothing
very
was
artful
fast,
was
and
she
3/8
Famous All Over Again
Written by Gaspar González
January 2011
Yeager’s
first
sale
came
in
1954.
It
was
a
cover
shot
of
agirl,”
Miami
model
named
Maria
Stinger
for
Eye
magazine.
become
drug
and
friend.
overdose
afirefighter
men’s
“Beautiful
in
magazine
the
“Miami’s
1960s.
on
the
sensation
inside,
Marilyn
“She
was
too.
Monroe”
ina
She
the
really
mid-1950s
wouldn’t
after
beautiful
winning
model
before
abuilding
for
Yeager
local
fading
anybody
beauty
says
from
else.”
contest,
of
view.
her
She
one-time
Stinger
died
from
model
would
Not
situations.
says.
“So
Isays
“IDubbed
would
to
learned
just
constantly
shoot
by
being
away,
look
athe
Yeager
model
for
ideas.”
that
would
people
place
always
her
subjects
wanted
inpretty
something
interesting
different,”
settings
or
she
shot,”
One
the
class,
1950s,
local
of
she
sliding
these
and
Yeager
down
involved
with
school.
the
knew
obvious
taking
pole
it.
“We
“You
at
satisfaction.
ten
had
models,
station,”
the
to
girls
have
dressing
laughs
jumping
a
little
Yeager.
them
more
off
the
in
talent
sweaters
It
was
to
do
and
into
that
inventive
a
shorts,
than
safety
the
and
net,
stuff
[typical]
invading
sitting
for
the
leg
in
If Yeager
but
everybody
Yeager.
didn’t
acontent
fateful
know
“I
had
took
had
she
phone
spent
my
her
was
number
sight
call
the
doing
all
rest
unseen.
but
bondage
back
of
guaranteed
the
then
Ihad
figured
decade
[photos].”
-and
her
any
doing
told
New
me
similar
York
in
she
pop
work,
was
model
history.
awe
New
had
still
“Bettie
to
York
might
be
model,”
something
called
know
me
of
recalls
her
-special.
today,
I a
4/8
Famous All Over Again
Written by Gaspar González
January 2011
Bettie,
and
Twentieth
nude.”
The
ofwould
course,
Century.
fledgling
was
To
photographer
sexual
Bettie
Yeager,
posturing
Page,
only
had
the
one
would
model
never
eventually
had
whose
mattered:
acollaborator.
model
black
make
“I
found
willing
bangs,
her
out
to
the
wayward
pose
she
most
didn’t
in
famous
the
schoolgirl
buff.
pinup
posing
of
the
provocative.
It
hat
camera
--come-what-may
and
late
while
nothing
1954,
she
hangs
else.
Yeager
The
ornaments
decided
resulting
to
on
photos,
spice
a
Christmas
up
including
the
holiday
tree,
one
were
season
of
Page
just
by
the
winking
putting
right
mix
knowingly
Page
of
in
a
at
Santa
the
and
ofbeing
didn’t
the
have
year
had
and
the
some
mailing
so
great
Iactors
thought
address
shots;
maybe
the
of
any
only
Itwo,
could
calendar
question
sell
aalready
company.
was
calendar
what
for
Instead
to
the
with
new
IPlayboy
sent
them.
year,”
[the
“It
she
photos]
was
says.
near
tolooks,
“But
the
Playboy
.”
Hugh
naughty
Hefner’s
and
Santa
told
magazine
was
her
an
he’d
early
buy
was
Christmas
the
in
its
photos
infancy,
wish
for
but
$100.
come
Page
true
for
shaking
made
the
young
her
up
American
publisher.
mores.
Hefner
A
called
naked,
1955
issue
and
a
legend
was
born;
ifthing
you
count
her
photographer.
debut
inplayful
the
January
Yeager
years.
Africa
(and
Moja
1951
closed
and
Hollywood
U.S.A.,
Page
Mbili
in
atree,
become
1961),
(“One”
wildlife
spectacular
become
the
and
one
theme
300-acre
“Two”
of
Bunny’s
Hefner’s
park
in
park’s
in
Swahili).
most
Boca
regular
star
famous
Raton
It
attraction
was
shooters,
where
rumored
was
piling
animals
the
ado
up
pair
Together
cats
roamed
eight
of
had
trained
centerfolds
the
been
free.
two
cheetahs
featured
Opened
trekked
over
named
in
in
the
up
1953
the
to
Quo
Vadis,
as
the
personal
pets
of
Emperor
Nero’s
wife.
Why
leopard-patterned
animals,
often
most
not
iconic
tied
make
and
to
images
awould
even
them
jungle
are
of
Bettie
Page.
a
suit
sly
portraying
Page’s
nod
and
to
posed
pets
Page’s
African
inher
a
bondage
pictorial?
cannibals.
with
the
roots.)
two
Yeager
(The
cheetahs,
The
cannibal
outfitted
resulting
as
shots,
Page
well
photos
as
in
monkeys,
which
amind
custom-made,
are
among
Page
other
isIend
the
5/8
Famous All Over Again
Written by Gaspar González
January 2011
(Yeager
now
Page
known,
allure
defunct
takes
that
are
and
made
perhaps
inkiddie
Page
thePage
park’s
tried
park
ansuch
even
to
located
various
replicate
amore
hotat
rides
commodity.)
NW
powerful
theand
79th
magic
attractions
distillation
Street
of theand
Africa
inof
27th
athe
skimpy
U.S.A.
Avenue.
combination
two-piece,
shoot
Those
atofMiami’s
photos,
innocence
while not
Funland,
in as
which
and
wella
While
all
places,
Page
would
West
soon
-Yeager’s
gravitate
away
continued
from
pinups
to
rise.
and
She
toward
appeared
religion
on
--bank-robbing
the
she
television
found
God
shows
in,
of
hat’s
Line?
and
To
Tell
the
Truth
Yeager
everyone
where,
was
in
was
both
also
talking
cases,
an
accomplished
about.
the
source
Then
there
of
photographer,
the
was
fun
was
her
guest
the
and
same:
the
spot
creator
reconciling
on
the
of
all
those
the
fact
racy
that
pictures
the
beautiful
Show
Starring
Johnny
Carson
.Tonight
There
to
plug
her
book,
IMy
Photograph
Myself
,How
minutes
Yeager
-ended
ifKey
they’ll
up
even
stealing
let
you
the
show.
on
to
talk
was
about
on
a
for
book.”
23
minutes,”
she
says.
“Today
you
get
five
early
She
Typically
female
grindhouses
also,
practitioner.
flesh
marked
quite
to
nationwide.
keep
naturally,
by
On
cheap
male
two
Doris
became
of
audiences
sets,
her
Wishman,
earliest
shaky
involved
in“I
cameras,
their
films,
the
with
seats,
soon-to-be-legendary
the
and
nudie
“nudie-cutie”
even
cuties
shakier
were
film
acting,
B-movie
industry
staples
with
queen,
in
of
enough
South
drive-ins
was
Florida.
exposed
an
and
Hideout
in
the
Sun,
who
seek
refuge
in
a1962
South
Florida
nudist
colony,
and
brothers
Nude
on
the
Moon
the
unofficial
town.
which
inDr.
which
place
My
worked
casting
girls
is
astronauts
populated
well
weren’t
agent.
in
the
land
modeling
by
“I
movies.
topless
on
helped
the
agency
lunar
natives,
[Wishman]
surface
girls.
Yeager
find
They
(Homestead’s
girls,”
worked
were
she
beautiful,
as
says.
the
Coral
set
“Iabout
but
Castle)
knew
photographer
they
every
only
were
pretty
to
naïve-looking,”
as
discover
well
girl
in
as
that
Sometimes
first
of
inspired
Yeager’s
her.
In
work
she
brought
her
to
in
Jamaica
close
proximity
to
shoot
to
behind-the-scenes
the
Hollywood
dream
photos
factory
on
the
that
set
No,
bikini
star.
were
the
probably
first
James
as
instrumental
Bond
film.
Her
as
the
beach
film
in
shots
making
of
original
the
Swiss
Bond
bombshell
girl
Ursula
an
Andress
international
Yeager
film
his
tough-guy
even
managed
detective
to
make
flicks
itstar
into
the
movies
herself.
When
Frank
Sinatra
came
to
town
toW
Tony
Rome
and
Lady
in
Cement
by
this
time
a
blonde,
scored
atraveled
couple
of
bit
parts.
in
the
late
1960s,
Yeager,
6/8
Famous All Over Again
Written by Gaspar González
January 2011
The
her
image
fun,
imprint
and
1950s
most
implied
and
people
1960s
everywhere
sin
--by
came
went
ofall
Miami
by
in
straight
Miami.
in
-ahardcore.
whirl
beautiful
from
In
fact
for
Yeager’s
Yeager.
girls
itAnd
would
and
camera.
“She
be
palm
no
was
stretch
trees,
Itthe
was
a culture
celebrity,”
aa
tobeguiling
grand
suggest
moment
mixture
that
Robbins,
the
inof
time.
dominant
sun,
and
But
relatively
unlike
tame
inwas
aHollywood,
photo,
girl-next-door
time
doesn’t
quality
stand
of
still,
and
the
world
kept
turning.
In says
the
1970s,
the
Playboy’s
all-you-can-see-and-then-some
spreads
in
early
centerfolds
gave
way
to
the
er
Hustl
Penthouse
.Yeager
and
Nudie
Classical
cuties
was
done
were
inhad
supplanted
what
of
she
aby
sudden
calls
her
seemed
“tasteful”
Yeager’s
passé.
approach.
As
style,
so
indebted
became
to
postwar
more
crass,
pinups
7/8
Famous All Over Again
Written by Gaspar González
January 2011
Maybe
Miami
visitors
trip
Yeager
-Bettie
Shores,
that’s
can
was
hardly
Page
at
the
feels
the
reason
and
move
center
like
2her.
a
models.”
her
about,
of
paean
the
office,
notebooks
action.
All
located
the
are,
past.
in
labeled
in
afrom
a
way,
one-story
“Bikini
reminders
of
black-and-white
Girls
building
of
1960s,”
a
next
simpler,
to
aincredulous
photos
the
better
tagged
railroad
piled
time,
so
“Camping
tracks
when
high
in
Not
career,
Hugh
share
that
Hefner,
of
was
cultural
rides.
the
itAssouline
wasn’t
working
relevance
mother
translated
And
although
of
two
into
girls).
she
a
lot
IfStacks
won’t
of
anybody
money
talk
much
ever
for
Yeager
got
about
rich
(who,
it,
shooting
she’s
for
been
most
centerfolds
taken
of
her
for
forher
There
The
acknowledgment
have
fashion
been
was
the
copied
spreads,
bathing-suit
or
and
payment
clearly
sold
line
by
mimicking
forthcoming.
others.
with
her
The
her
name
The
2005
work,
on
photos
film
itwhich
that
she
was
showed
took
supposed
of
up
(and
in
magazines
to
with)
take
Bettie
off
and
with
Page
never
that
did.
The
Notorious
Bettie
Page
resurrect
interest
in
the
pinup
idol,
but
almost
nothing
for
Yeager.
did
much
to
exhibit.
But
Queen
that’s
of
“Her
the
starting
Pin-Up,”
to
change.
a
collection
Last
year’s
of
28
Yeager
show
at
self-portraits,
the
Warhol,
“Bunny
was
her
Yeager:
inaugural
The
museum
Legendary
first
“That
was
athe
big
museum
for
Bunny.”
show
--to
can
you
even
believe
that?”
asks
an
Christin.
It
Cindy
beyond
certainly
Sherman
the
was.
realm
Citing
and
of
Yasumasa
pop
Yeager
culture.
as
Morimura,
an
influence
the
show
such
was
renowned
a
key
first
self-portrait
step
inbox
elevating
photographers
her
oeuvre
as
Christin
“Being
Kaplan,
saw
every
the
hopes
I’d
photo
relentless
say,
to
‘Ideal
until
keep
just
promoter
he
got
that
approached
some
conversation
that
new
Iand
am,
photos
me
every
going,
one
day
time
and
Bunny,’”
and
Ihas
saw
said,
some
[Books
relates
‘Let’s
prominent
&
Christin.
do
Books
something.’”
friends
“I
owner]
made
pitching
Mitchell
sure
Mitch
in.
That
‘something’
has
turned
out
to
be
the
tentatively
titled
Bunny
Yeager’s
Darkroom,
of
with
we
Kaplan.
rare
hope
high-end
and
“Not
to
never-before-seen
do
just
is
celebrate
Bettie
Page,
Publishing
Bunny’s
but
photos
all
creativity,
of
being
her
scheduled
work.”
put
her
together
artistry,
for
release
by
and
publishing
the
in
December
diversity
pros
ofof
formerly
her
this
work,”
year.
affiliated
ano
volume
“What
says
And
believes
of
course
her
large-scale,
there’s
Christin’s
limited-edition
plan
to
get
prints
Yeager’s
could
fetch
photos
between
into
top-tier
$1500
galleries,
and
$2000
where
each.
he
Looks
like
World’s
Prettiest
Photographer
is
ready
for
her
close-up.
Again.
Feedback:
[email protected]
8/8