London
(ANI):
Playboy
magazine
is
all
set
to
auction
off
some
of
its
most
well
known
images
featuring
some
of
its
big
icons.
An
auction
of
80
photographs
that
have
featured
in
the
world-famous
publication
over
its
57-year
history
will
take
place
at
Christie's
in
London
on
December
8.
Actually
dubbed,
'The
Year
of
the
Rabbit',
the
sale
includes
80
photographs,
more
than
a
dozen
contemporary
works,
including
an
oil-painting
expected
to
fetch
millions,
and
24
cartoons.
Among
the
photographs
is
shot
of
the
magazine's
1953
debut
cover
of
Marilyn
Monroe,
which
was
purchased
by
the
magazine
from
United
Press.
The
image
was
shot
during
a
parade
of
Monroe
riding
on
the
back
of
a
car
but
Playboy
swapped
out
the
background
of
a
crowd
for
its
own
logo.
Other
photos
include
one
of
Pamela
Anderson
in
1993,
cosying
up
to
Dan
Akroyd,
who
is
dressed
as
his
alien
character
in
the
film
Coneheads,
which
came
out
that
year.
There
is
a
gelatin
silver
print
of
a
24-year-old
Brigitte
Bardot
which
was
used
on
the
cover
of
the
March
1958
Playboy,
which
is
expected
to
fetch
4,000
dollars
to
6,000
dollars.
Two
Herb
Ritts
shots
are
also
in
the
sale,
including
a
naked
Elle
McPherson
and
one
of
his
of
Cindy
Crawford,
her
hands
covering
her
modesty.
Also
included
in
the
auction
is
a
scarlet-lipstick
mouth
by
pop
artist
Tom
Wesselmann
from
1966,
which
is
expected
to
sell
for
2-3million
dollars.
There
is
also
a
watercolour
by
Salvador
Dali
of
a
reclining
nude
that
hung
in
Playboy
founder
and
owner
Hugh
Hefner's
bedroom.
He
said
the
magazine
that
has
entertained,
titillated
and
informed
with
its
commissioned
art
has
blurred
the
lines
between
fine
and
popular
art.
The
auction
also
includes
a
1970
portrait
of
Hefner
in
his
signature
smoking
jacket
and
pipe.
It
was
commissioned
for
the
old
Playboy
mansion
in
Chicago
in
the
late
1960s,
and
Playboy
Enterprise
inherited
it
after
Hefner
moved
to
Los
Angeles
in
the
early
1970s.
Cathy
Elkies,
the
director
of
corporate
collections
at
Christie's,
predicted
that
viewers
would
be
surprised
by
the
sophistication
of
the
Playboy
collection.
“The
unexpected
thing
is
that
Playboy
really
did
marry
fine,
high-quality
art
with
the
traditional
photographs
of
women.
What
will
pique
people's
interest
is
that
when
you
open
the
catalogue,
you
realise
that
this
is
pretty
serious," the
Daily
Mail
quoted
Elkies
as
saying.