Nobody around today has done more to keep the memory of burlesque alive than Dixie Evans. As the current conservator of Exotic World (a position she's held since 1989), Evans watches over a remarkable collection of g-strings, pasties, fans, and photographs from the golden age of the bump-and-grind. What makes her involvement more incredible is that Evans has a personal connection to 1950's strippers--she was one herself. Back in the era where most strippers had a gimmick, Evans was handed hers on a silver screen platter. Marilyn Monroe fever was running rampant due in no small part to the star's admission that she was indeed the nude model featured in the first issue of Playboy. Evans had been dancing on the circuit since the early 50's, but it wasn't until she decided to become burlesque's answer to Monroe that her career really took off. Comparatively, Evans and Monroe had the same general body type: 40-26-34 for Evans and 37-24-35 for Monroe. And in some publicity photos the resemblance is uncanny. With her transformation, Evans had hit blonde bombshell gold. The real Marilyn Monroe was too inaccessible to your average joe, but Evans (in her Monroe guise) could let these men's imagination run wild. If you couldn't have Monroe, you could have the next best thing. With Monroe's death in the early 60's, Evans gimmick was pulled out from under her. It wasn't until Evans decided to renew the act as a tribute that she got her career rolling again. As burlesque died away, Evans went into retirement. It was only after the death of fellow stripper (and founder of Exotic World) Jennie Lee, that Evans took up the mantel as keeper of the burlesque flame.
Even though she is now in her late 60's, Evans can still be seen giving tours with a feature boa around her neck, a sway in her hips, and a glamorous gleam in her eye.