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Arnold Kovacs (born Apr. 01 1912) photographed Bettie Page at some very
famous camera club outings. He was armed with something more than most
of the other camera club photographers; he had skill. Arnold was a
professional photographer by trade. He worked as a photojournalist for
the US Army inside the European Theater during WWII. Pin-ups and WWII go
hand-in-hand. The term "pin-up" was said to have been coined in 1941. It
refers to the practice of G.I.s placing or pinning a photograph,
calendar or magazine cut-out on the inside of their locker to remember
the girls back home. Arnold took his love of photography and the pin-up,
and used it for employment when he got back to the States.
Sam Menning
did the same thing when he returned home from the war only he took a
slightly different path... a path that lead to the wild side. While
Arnold focused more on the girl-next-door type, Sam put his efforts
mostly into gloves, shoes and leather.
Much of Arnold Kovacs' work featuring Bettie Page can be found in
Harrison publications such as Gee Whiz, Rogue, Wink and Titter. A rash
of Arnold Kovacs worked cropped up on eBay in 2012. A few were of Bettie
but most were of other models. Some were submissions for photo contests.
The Bettie Page negatives numbered about 250 units. There is a
corresponding set of photographs not all of which match up. Arnold
Kovacs lived in Rahway New Jersey at least from the mid 1950s until his
death on Dec. 04 1993.
The scans have been roughly ordered by scene.
Anyone interested in a vintage 4x5" negative or vinatge photograph of Bettie Page by Arnold Kovacs can contact me for details.
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