Lot 84: Marilyn Monroe Nude First Issue Playboy Magazine 1953
Reserve:
$1,750.00
Winning Bid:
Auction Date:5/5/2006 9:00 PM EST
Monroe's first big "dare" was her appearance in the debut issue of Playboy, this copy of which is complete and nearly unaffected by age, much like Hugh Hefner when he pops Viagra pill. No help needed here. The nude shot of Monroe lounging on a bright red sofa and coyly caressing a red wall covering had originally been taken for a calendar, not Playboy. Hefner purchased the rights to the photo and ran it, as the line on the cover states, for the "first time in any magazine, full color, Marilyn Monroe Nude". Another piece of trivia: the "rabbit-head" logo was designed by art designer Art Paul, and has appeared on every issue since. Hefner said that he chose the rabbit as a mascot for its "humorous sexual connotation", and because the image was "frisky and playful". The offered example has a light crease running down the middle and some toning to the paper due to its age and the method it was stored. However, once framed this classic piece of Americana will look great on an office or den wall.
Bidding
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