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Bettie Page photographer Joseph Hanson was born sometime during Jan. of
1908. During the 1930s through the early 1940s, Joseph was a bodybuilder who
worked as an artist's model. He worked mainly for sculptors who were
employed at The Art Students League located at West 57th Street in New York
City. Joseph posed for some of the sculptures that were used at the 1939
World's Fair. He also claimed to have been one of the models used for some
of the friezes at the Rockefeller Center. True to form, Joseph remained
involved in art by selling cheap prints and second hand art books in the
lobby of The Art Students League for approximately 50 years. One of his
clients was
Marguerite Guggenheim
(better known as Peggy Guggenheim), daughter of Benjamin Guggenheim who
perished in the sinking of the Titanic of 1912. Marguerite was fascinated
with bohemian artistic culture and eventually became a well known art
collector.
Using his knowledge of the body, Joseph Hanson was able to capture a very
stunning nude series of Bettie Page. He photographed Bettie Page in 1953 at
a friend's apartment using 2.5 x 2.5" film. Joseph's photographs of Bettie
Page are amongst the most beautiful and striking ever taken. They had an
almost painterly quality. Joseph's photographs feature a young and vibrant
Bettie Page in a very relaxed mood in an intimate setting away from the
usual camera club fare. Joseph's photographs are indicative of what was
called "Artists Photography" which was the rage during the early 1950s so as
not to be grouped together with what was considered smut. His work eventually
showed up scattered throughout "Private Peeks Vol. 1-4". Image 007 was
featured in a photographic trade publication because of its dramatic
quality of light and is also touring around the world in a traveling Bettie
Page exhibition. His work has also been shown at photographic shows on the
East and West coast. Signed Joseph Hanson photographs of Bettie Page are
available for purchase at
papericons.com.
Joseph died on Jul. 26 2006.
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