Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Model and photographer Barbara Minty

Barbara Minty is another model who, like Louise Vyent, went from being in front of the camera to being behind it, becoming a photographer after her modeling career ended. She's best known, however, as Steve McQueen's widow.


Steve McQueen met her thanks to the perks of being a famous actor; after seeing her photo in an ad  in the late 1970s, he arranged to meet her through his agent, and they married soon after.  The marriage was sadly short-lived, as McQueen died in 1980 of complications from mesothelioma. 

Since then, Barbara Minty - also known by her married name, Barbara McQueen - has been an advocate for banning asbestos, which caused her husband's mesothelioma.  Steve McQueen was convinced  that his work removing asbestos-laden insulation from pipe in a ship's hold while he was in the Marines led to his condition, although he may have also been exposed to asbestos on movie soundstages and the protective suits he wore while racing cars.   



Barbara's collection of photos with her husband, "Steve McQueen: The Last Mile, Revisited," was published in 2012.   Her Web site is here

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