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The Art Amsie images have recently been completed after about eight
years worth of Photoshop correction. The scans are quite a bit larger
than the previous set. For the first time ever, the complete Art Amsie
collection of 84 images is available for viewing.
Only four of the scans have not had anything done to them so you can get
an idea of the work involved. The complete collection is spectacular!
Most of the original 3D slides are available for purchase and I have one set
of the original 15 photos that Art Amsie used to sell signed on the reverse.
Many include comments by him concerning photographing Bettie Page. Private
Peeks owns an 11x14" photograph of Art Amsie's most beloved photograph (082)
signed in gold by both Bettie Page and Art Amsie.
Sometime during the early to mid 1950s, Art Amsie (born Jun. 11 1927) and a
group of other avid pin-up photographers got together and pooled their money
to hire THE BEST New York model at the time; Bettie Page who was often very
late for photographic shoots. Art then snapped away without any thought of
what Bettie Page was to become, a pinup and fetish icon of the modern
world. Art Amsie tried taking shots of the other girls but found himself
always returning back to Bettie Page. He loved her. All of Art Amsie's work
was in 3D as was
Paul Knaut's.
Art Amsie's first Bettie Page camera club session probably occurred on
Aug. 7 1955 which was also attended by
Franklin Acker.
Art Amsie photographed Bettie Page multiple times. After Bettie Page left
the modeling scene, he stashed his photographic material away in a little
box and forgot about her for awhile (or tried forcing the memory of Bettie
Page from his mind). Years later he heard about Bettie Page again when
everyone started to wonder whatever happened to her and began looking for
her. One place Art stated that he shot Bettie Page was at B.C. Bay. Research
has not shown the existence of B.C. Bay. Many of Art's images were taken at
the Headly Farm, a popular camera club haunt. One particular Headly Farm
extravaganza was attended by Art Amsie,
Don Baida,
Arnold Kovacs
and Weegee amongst others on Sept. 09 1956.
Art Amsie had a true love of pin-up photography and Bettie Page. He had the
foresight to photograph Bettie Page in 3D so he could view her years later
as she was. Bettie Page and Art Amsie kept in contact after she was
"rediscovered" in the 1990s. They exchanged Christmas Cards and enjoyed many
long telephone conversations together. Art still wanted to marry her years
later after she had quit modeling but Bettie Page was happy with the way
things were. As with many others, Art Amsie never forgot Bettie Page and
carried a torch for her for years even though he tried to forget her. One
common theme in conversations I had with Bettie Page photographers was that
they still loved her years later as they did during the time they photographed
her.
I received the official sad news of Art Amsie's passing in December of 2006.
He died on Feb. 24 2006 of heart failure.
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