Bunny Yeager, despite the somewhat passive name, was a formidable force of the 20th Century, redefining the relationships between art and pornography, photographer and model, and women and pin-ups.
Starting her love affair with the camera as a model in 1950s Miami, her career began in earnest when she moved behind the lens. Her nude images of Bettie Page are among the most famous pin-up pictures ever, while her stills of Ursula Andress on the beach during the filming of Dr No are genuine classics.
In Bunny Yeager’s Darkroom – published by Rizzoli – the pioneer tells her own story using her own words and more than 250 images, including self-portraits, studio and location shots. Her photography goes deeper than the superficial beauty associated with pin-up shots, and indeed some of her most arresting images can be found among the more coffee-table-friendly fully-clothed shots. No cheese to be seen.
© Bunny Yeager’s Darkroom by Petra Mason, Rizzoli New York, 2012
