Special Annual Exhibit
For this year’s annual exhibit, we will be exploring the major cultural force that was, and still currently is, Playboy Magazine. Founded by Hugh Hefner, the Playboy Magazine and brand became synonymous with sexual expression in the United States of America. Nearly 70 years on, however, a more critical look at the brand becomes necessary as we experience American culture today.
A spread from the first issue of Playboy Magazine featuring Marilyn Monroe posing nude.
US President Donald Trump proudly posing with his Playboy Magazine cover.
One of the keys to Playboy’s cultural impact was the large part of the brand that took place off the page and in the physical halls of a building known as the Playboy Mansion. Hefner purchased this mansion six years after founding the magazine. Located at 1340 N. State Parkway, two blocks from Lake Michigan on Chicago’s Gold Coast, the building once hosted notable figures like Theodore Roosevelt. The Playboy Mansion became known for parties that Hefner would host with his many live-in “Bunnies”, women who lived in the mansion paying only $50 in monthly rent.
A Playboy “Bunny” costume located in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
While the magazine headquarters remained in Chicago, Hugh Hefner and the Playboy Mansion moved to the West Coast, establishing the Playboy Mansion West.
Hugh Hefner pictured with Los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley at an event hosted at the Playboy Mansion West to raise money to repair the iconic Hollywood Sign.
The Playboy Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City
The company extended the lifestyle offered at the Playboy Mansion to numerous Playboy Clubs around the country and globe. At its peak Playboy had 30 nightclubs operating simultaneously, and the Playboy Club in Chicago was the most visited nightclub in the world. The Playboy brand grew to include the magazine, nightclubs, casinos, hotels, television shows, and more.
A young Hugh Hefner pictured next to his mother, who would layer give him $1,000 to help launch Playboy. His parents were Methodist Christians who’s strict parenting he credited with helping to motivate him to start the magazine.
Hugh Hefner started Playboy after working for Esquire (left). The success of Playboy opened the door for a new type of men’s magazine, one of those being Hustler (right). Both Esquire and Hustler are still in physical print. Playboy transitioned to online-only, however, recently experimented with print again, with an “annual” print issue, and re- releases of old material and photos from their vault.
Playboy’s new annual print issue after five years of online-only publication.
Playboy Magazine remained regularly in print for 66 years, most of those years releasing a new issue every month, later shifting to bimonthly and even less frequently until completely ceasing regular print. In total, around 800 issues have been released. The first issue featuring Marilyn Monroe sold around 50,000 copies. Sales peaked two decades later at around 5-7 million per issue.
The Playboy Bunny became a widely recognized symbol in pop culture. This version, done by artist Andy Warhol, is available for purchase through our Art and Artifact Sales Department. x-x-x-porn.com/artsales
20 Years after the founding of Playboy, a similar magazine emerged catering to women. Playgirl magazine sold nearly 1.5 million copies per issue at its peak and remained in print for 43 years before transitioning to online-only.
Impact
After nearly 70 years, there’s no denying Playboy has had an impact on the globe. But was that impact entirely positive? Playboy opened the door for sexual expression to be part of American and pop culture, and gave people everywhere more freedom to express themselves and their sexuality. Playboy empowered both performers and fans of adult entertainment. But all these years later, sex work still isn’t legal in most areas of the country. So what was accomplished?
Hugh Hefner’s contribution to the Hollywood sign was more than just iconic, it showed he had earned the money. The Playboy Bunny is now a well recognized symbol around the world, but why use an animal to represent sexuality? Another thing to debate is the use of the term “boy” which may contrast with the mission of adult entertainment. One of Playboy’s cover stars has been accused of sexual activity with underage victims, and that person is the 45th, 47th and current President of the United States, Donald Trump.
More will be coming fromage this exhibit all year long so stay tuned.