NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — You probably know her name. You definitely know her famous look.
A Metro board voted Monday to give a special honor to Nashville native Bettie Page, the 1950s pop culture icon model who's known as the queen of the pin-ups. The Metro Historical Commission voted unanimously to create a historic marker for Page. The marker is expected to be placed near Hume-Fogg Academic High School sometime late this year.
It was 1940 at Hume-Fogg when Page, a member of the debate team and second in her class, was voted Most Likely To Succeed.
"Her attitude in many, many ways was ahead of its time," said muralist Bryan Deese, referring to the years that would follow.
Deese has unveiled a new mural of Page on Gallatin Avenue.
"I like to celebrate a city's unsung heroes, and she's definitely one of those," he said.
"She was so revered for her beauty, but she was also a super intelligent lady," added creator of Nashville Burlesque Shannon Million. "There's definitely a certain look in terms of fashion and styling that she is famous for. I think she had a very charismatic and confident personality that just kinda resonated on film and made people fall in love with her."
"When you think of how she created the outfits she wore, she controlled and dictated her whole look," Deese continued.
"In the 1950s, Bettie Page was breaking some boundaries," said Million.
"Sexual attitudes were way more repressed in the 1950s, post-World War II," said Deese. "Times were different. She created a pop icon of herself that lasted."
"I think it's good for Nashville to recognize all the types of people to come from this city," Deese continued, referring to the historical marker. "I think Nashville's lucky to claim her as a pop icon in what she's accomplished."
