Farrah Fawcett's red swimsuit goes to Smithsonian

The redswimsuit that helped make "Charlie's Angels" actress Farrah Fawcett a1970s icon became part of the Smithsonian's collection just recently on whatwould have been her 64th birthday. Fawcett's longtime companion Ryan O'Nealpresented the swimsuit and other items to the Smithsonian's National Museum ofAmerican History in Washington. O'Neal said Fawcett, who died in 2009 afterbattling anal cancer for several years, always intended to give the suit to themuseum.

"Theyasked her years ago for the bathing suit," he said. "So it was alwaysin her plan." Fawcett wore the bathing suit for a photo shoot shortly beforeher debut on Charlie's Angels in 1976. The resulting poster sold millions ofcopies and became the best-selling poster of all time, according to Smithsoniancurator Dwight Bowers. Bowers compared the poster to World War II pinups ofBetty Grable and Rita Hayworth, saying it became a symbol of the 1970s era.

Thoughfans know the bathing suit as red, it is actually a burnt orange colour,possibly due to fading. Before it was donated to the museum, Fawcett framed itherself, and it was stored at a Los Angeles warehouse, O'Neal said. Nels VanPatten, Fawcett's friend and tennis coach who was with her during the bathingsuit shoot, said Wednesday she did her own hair and makeup for the pictures anddidn't have a mirror. She also squeezed a lemon in her hair to get naturalhighlights, he said.

Alsodonated to the Smithsonian were Fawcett's book of scripts for the first seasonof "Charlie's Angels," a 1977 Farrah Fawcett doll and a"Farrah's Glamour Center" styling kit for creating her signaturehairdo. The items will be part of the museum's popular culture historycollection and will go on display this summer. Fawcett's friends and family atthe museum Wednesday for the donation included Fawcett's son with O'Neal,Redmond O'Neal, and O'Neal's daughter, Tatum O'Neal. O'Neal,who became choked up during the ceremony, said later he feels Fawcett'spresence every day. "I'm still having trouble with losing her," hesaid. She was born Feb. 2, 1947, in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Via Huffington Post.