Irving Klaw, a true pioneer in the world of bondage fetish photography, played a pivotal role in establishing legendary pin-up icon Bettie Page as a major star. Born on November 9, 1910, in Brooklyn, New York City, Klaw worked as a furrier for four unsuccessful years before opening a second-hand bookstore in Manhattan with his sister Paula in the late 1930s.
The store, initially located in the basement, eventually moved to a street-level storefront, where Klaw began selling movie-star stills and lobby photo cards. He renamed the store Movie Star News and dubbed himself the Pin-Up King, eventually stopping the sale of books altogether. Klaw's international mail order business, specializing in cheesecake photos of movie stars, became highly lucrative.
In the late 1940s, Klaw started taking bondage fetish pictures of beautiful women, with Lili Dawn being his first model. He also photographed famous burlesque dancers such as Lili St. Cyr, Tempest Storm, Baby Lake, and Blaze Starr. Klaw rented the third floor above Movie Star News and converted it into a shooting studio.
His photos of Bettie Page proved especially popular and successful, leading to his direction of burlesque features like Varietease (1954),Teaserama (1955),and Buxom Beautease (1956). Klaw also produced many 8mm and 16 mm black-and-white adult film loops, with a significant number featuring Bettie Page.
In 1955, Klaw was brought before the Senate Subcommittee on Obscene and Pornographic Materials and faced intense scrutiny from the government. His phones were bugged, and his mail was often intercepted by the FBI. Despite his success, Klaw eventually quit the business, burning up to 80% of his negatives due to social pressure and constant persecution.
Irving Klaw died at the age of 55 due to complications from untreated appendicitis on September 3, 1966. He was survived by his sons Arthur and Jeffrey, and his nephew Ira Kramer now runs Movie Star News in New York City.
