Linnea Eleanor “Bunny” Yeager (March 13, 1929 – May 25, 2014) Bunny Yeager started her career as a regionally famous model in Miami in the early 50’s appearing in over 300 magazines and publications (she won numerous local beauty pageants including Queen of Miami, Florida Orchid Queen, Miss Trailercoach of Dade County (!!!!), Miss Army & Air Force, Miss Personality of Miami Beach, Queen of the Sports Carnival and Cheesecake Queen of 1951.) Bunny augmented her modeling career with photography and meeting Bettie Page in 1954 she would find her muse. She would shoot over 1000 photos of Bettie creating her ‘girl next door image’ making Bettie the hottest pinup ever. Her shots are classics including the famous 1955 Playboy Christmas centerfold of Bettie kneeling at a small Christmas tree, naked except for a Santa hat. Bunny would also appear 5 times in Playboy as a model herself – one occasion actually shot by Hugh Hefner. Bunny would go on to shoot for mainstream magazines like Cosmopolitan, Esquire and Womens Wear Dailey in the 60’s. She is credited w/ popularizing the Bikini all over the world, primarily w/ her shots of Ursula Andress coming out of the waves in a small 2-piece from the James Bond movie Dr. No. She’s even credited with coining the phrase cheesecake (for photos of pinups and other scantily clad women). Nice work, if you can get it.
Bunny’s most famous model – Bettie Page
Bunny and Betty
Bunny
Bunny – Self Portrait
With Bettie 1954
Bunny with Chimp
With 1952 self portrait. Bunny at 84
