Bettie Page stars in Guernsey’s auction April 6-7

Bettie Page negatives (19). Guernsey’s image.

NEW YORK – Guernsey’s has announced that an incredible collection of Bettie Page memorabilia will be sold at auction as part of the Movie Star News Collection sale. Bettie Page is considered by many to be the first pin-up model. The Movie Star News collection, which is believed to be the largest and most comprehensive collection of Hollywood photography, will be sold in a series of auctions on April 6 and 7 at the Arader Galleries. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.

The Movie Star News collection began in 1939 when photographer Irving Klaw struck a deal with the movie studios, then operating in New York City, to collect movie photography that was in great demand by Hollywood fans. Klaw eventually began to represent the Hollywood studios and received the original negatives from which prints were made for the media and adoring fans. This is the first time in 75 years that this archive has been open to the public. Since 1980, and until recently, the collection was housed at West 18th Street and had become a treasured New York City site.

Irving Klaw is credited for creating the world of pin-up photography. He discovered and extensively photographed Bettie Page, who came to be known as the “Queen of Pinups.” The Bettie Page Collection includes over 5,000 negatives, photographs, articles of clothing and other props, that will complement the Movie Star News collection of approximately 3 million photographs, in addition to hundreds of thousands of negatives, chronicling the history of Hollywood through its most famous stars and films.

In addition to the Bettie Page material, the collection has been divided into different categories, such as by film genre and actor, for the purposes of the auctions. Fans from around the world will have the chance to own photography of legends including Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Judy Garland, Audrey Hepburn and Charlie Chaplin, as well as from classic films such as King Kong, Citizen Kane, Gone With the Wind, Frankenstein and The Wizard of Oz.

The Marilyn Monroe file alone contains over 600 photographs, many of which are one-of-a-kind images.

Additional highlights from the auction include:

– Hundreds of thousands of photography negatives;

– Original Movie Star News sign;

– Irving Klaw’s Speed Graphic camera;

– Props and clothing including original Bettie Page high heels and vintage tambourine.

For additional information, interested collectors and fans should contact Guernsey’s in New York City 914-882-7356.

View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.