Previously we featured this photograph of Bettie Page a number of years ago. But we never gave the backstory, so here it is.
The photograph was taken in Africa, USA by future Playboy magazine photographer (and later a pin-up girl herself) Linnea “Bunny” Yeager.
Bunny Yeager self-portrait 1960 photo: Bunny Yeager
Bettie Page and Bunny Yeager 1954 at Africa, USA photo via Gnarlymag.com
Bettie Page with chimp. photo Bunny Yeager
Previously we showed some news photographs of chimpanzees. Because there were so many to choose from, we put these aside until now – publicity photographs of famous personalities with chimps.
Some of these posed photographs may have been related to whatever production the star was doing at the time. Others were just good photo opportunities.
The original news caption or a brief explanation for the photo is provided if we have one. Either way, here they are. Click on any photo to enlarge.
Herb Alpert April 16, 1968
“Herb Alpert teaches a friendly chimp at the Los Angeles zoo how to play a few notes at a stopover on a musical tour of America featuring the Tijuana Brass to be televised on Channel 7 at 7 p.m. on Monday. The program is called ‘The Beat of the Brass'”
Jayne Mansfield 1965
Jayne Mansfield holding Laconia 1965
Dom DeLuise 1966
Dom DeLuise appears with one of The Marquis Chimps (probably Candy) on the Dean Martin Show 1966.
Stymie (Matthew Beard) of the Little Rascals (Our Gang)
The Little Rascals Stymie (Matthew Beard) thinks Spanky has turned his brother Cotton into a chimpanzee through the power of a magic lamp in the 1932 Our Gang short ‘A Lad An’ A Lamp.‘
Gary Cooper 1932. photo: Acme
“Gary Cooper and baby chimpanzee as they arrived in Hollywood after an absence of more than a year.” Acme News Photo 4-27-1932 Continue reading