1953 PLAYBOY MAGAZINE VOL. 1 NO. 1 FIRST ISSUE WITH MARILYN MONROE ON COVER (RARE) [PDF]

1953 PLAYBOY MAGAZINE VOL. 1 NO. 1 FIRST ISSUE WITH MARILYN MONROE ON COVER (RARE)

The story behind the making of Playboy magazine is almost as enticing as the provocative magazines that have been produced since its inception in 1953. In 1951, a then 25-year-old Hugh Hefner was working as a copywriter for Esquire Magazine, a job he would soon quit after being denied a $5 raise. Shortly thereafter, Hefner went on to start the magazine that would later make him a very wealthy man. Hefner, however, now the embodiment of riches, luxury and decadence, was only able to start Playboy thanks to a $1,000 loan from his mother. It didn’t take long though for this small investment to pay dividends. The very first issue of Playboy was published in December of 1953 and featured a centerfold nude image of none other than aspiring screen star Marilyn Monroe. The magazine was an instant success, with the first edition selling all of its near 54,000 copies in just its first few weeks.

This lot features that very first issue of Playboy: Vol. 1, Issue 1. The inaugural issue ran 44 pages long (including its four covers: front, inside front, inside back and back) and featured a black-and-white cover photo of a smiling Monroe with spot color (red) used for the nameplate as well as the cover lines: “FIRST TIME in any magazine FULL COLOR the famous MARILYN MONROE NUDE.” The offered magazine is in near-mint condition; even its original spine staples remain intact. In actuality, the photo used for the inside color page (19) was originally taken for a calendar rather than for Playboy. Hefner chose what he deemed the "sexiest" image, a previously unused nude study of Monroe stretched with an upraised arm on a red velvet background with closed eyes and mouth open. The heavy promotion centered around Marilyn's nudity on the already-famous calendar, together with the teasers in marketing, which made the new Playboy magazine a success. Its print run was listed as 53,991; it sold out in weeks. The cover price was 50¢.

It started the trend of featuring high-profile names and personalities as an immediate draw to pick up the issue. Other women who would go on to pose for the magazine included celebrity actresses such as Farrah Fawcett, Margot Kidder, Kim Basinger, Drew Barrymore and Denise Richards, sports stars such as Amy Acuff, Amanda Beard, Katarina Witt and Gabrielle Reese, and musicians such as Samantha Fox, Debbie Gibson and LaToya Jackson, just to name a few. The magazine would also continue to publish high-profile interviews, short stories by notable novelists and original comics. Hefner, the consummate playboy, passed away last year on Sept. 27, 2017. He was 91 years young.

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