Raised a Methodist, Hugh Hefner’s mother wanted him to become a missionary. Hefner’s life would take a more risqué turn when he published the first issue of Playboy Magazine in 1953. The first issue featured Marilyn Monroe in a nude calendar shoot and sold 50,000 copies, launching a media empire that included magazines, books, and a television station. Hefner was a champion of the First Amendment and freedom of expression and the wild parties at this Playboy Mansion were the stuff of legend. Playboy Magazine would later include in-depth articles and interviews, giving the magazine and Hefner a more cosmopolitan flare.  

Offered here is The Playmate Book, published in 1996, to commemorate five decades of centerfolds. The hardcover book was written by longtime Playboy editor Gretchen Edgren and features the signatures of seven Playmates of the Year, including 1965 PMOY Jo Collins, 1995 PMOY Julie Cialini, and 1996 PMOY Stacy Sanches, and Playboy founder Hugh Hefner himself. Hefner signed the inside cover page of the book in black marker. The other signatures were signed in various colors of ink and the hardcover book comes with an LOA from Beckett Authentication.

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