Chicago History Museum Exhibit Reveals Hugh Hefner's Little Black Book

  • May 7, 2012
Chicago History Museum Exhibit Reveals Hugh Hefner's Little Black Book
No man's world could be quite as adventurous as Hefner's, whose suave appreciation of the finer things made him millions and led the nation toward postwar sexual revolution. Hef flipped the pages of this book while his celebrity was on the rise, building a world empire of fantasy and desire where readers could escape their troubles by getting caught in the teasing gaze of the centerfold-of-the-month. Hefner's eye for women continues to shape the tastes of men across the globe, albeit now from Los Angeles rather than Chicago.

The lore of the little black book implies a secret world of go-to contacts–actual names or pseudonyms–its user has cultivated and maintained. Today, real address books, like this, are becoming a thing of the past as many people find it easier and faster to store information electronically or through social media. Whether in paper or digital form, however, the lesson remains the same: if you don't want anyone to discover your secret, don't save it! (Unless you are the king of the Playboy empire. Wink, wink.)

More information: https://blog.chicagohistory.org/index.php/2012/04/hugh-hefners-little-black-book/

PHOTO of Hef with 70's girlfriend Barbi Benton and Playboy Bunnies by GETTY IMAGES.