Keith Bernard Photographer Master of the Pin Up

 
"Unsung Hero of Photography" number eight hid his name, but he worked under one.  Keith Bernard was what he sold his glamor under, but his real name may have been Keith Davis.  The Glamor Photographers site says his full name was Marion Keith Davis, he was born in 1911 and passed away in 1981 still a slight mystery...but he left behind Betty Brosmer, praise the slick pin up lord.

Keith Bernard adopted the Bernard moniker from Bruno Bernard.  It worked for Bruno, after all.  Among his most notable subjects were Jayne Mansfield, and also the famous cover of Modern Man Magazine showing muscleman Joe Weider's wife Betty Brosmer.  Betty's chest to waist ratio was so magnificent, I'm not going to depress you by reporting it. 
Joe is one of my personal hero figures, and not just because of Betty's figure.

Okay, I will. Betty Brosmer had an 18 inch waist.  She may still!  Take your two hands, put them together in a circle and you just about approximate Betty Brosmer's waist.  No photoshop.  The Gym.

Keith Bernard sold TWO HUNDRED MAGAZINE COVERS of Betty Brosmer.  For that alone, he is awarded the Vintage Sleaze Unsung Hero award!  His photos of Ms. Brosmer are some of the most incredible glamor photographs ever created, and if there is a library of men's magazines in a box when you get to heaven, head right to the one with Betty Brosmer done by Bernard.  Bernard has the brains to sign her to an exclusive, and he did her well.





The three (magnificent, IMHO) photographs on top, each 8 x 10, show the master at work with Patti Conley, who is ALSO quite a story.  Apparently, Ms. Conley earlier posed in bondage photographs (under far less glamorous circumstances) for somewhat demented fetish kinkster John Willie.  Don't look them up.  They look like true crime photographs and will creep you out.
 

However, if you want spend a pleasant few minutes typing Betty Brosmer into your friendly search engine, it might motivate you to get to the gym.  And yes, as far as I know, Keith whatever his name is took these all.



Three original photographs top, Keith Bernard and Pat Conley each circa 1955 Collection Jim Linderman

JIM LINDERMAN BOOKS AND AFFORDABLE EBOOKS ARE AVAILABLE HERE ON BLURB

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