Video | The Making of Playboy | Chicago Stories

Playboy, a brand now synonymous with sex, was launched by Hugh Hefner in the 1950s in Chicago. Hefner bought the iconic Playboy mansion in Chicago’s Gold Coast where his raucous parties became the stuff of legend. He also opened the first of 30 Playboy clubs in Chicago, outfitting cocktail waitresses in heels and bunny tails. Audio-narrated descriptions of key visual elements are available.

Hugh Hefner, once a shy, awkward kid, began Playboy magazine from his apartment in Chicago.

As the sexual revolution reached new heights, Hugh Hefner opened his Playboy Club – followed by the Chicago Playboy Mansion – in 1960.

After legal troubles and other issues, Hugh Hefner eventually left Chicago for Los Angeles.

Christie Hefner, Hugh Hefner’s daughter and former Playboy CEO, shares her view of her father’s philosophy, examines their relationship, and addresses feminist critiques of the magazine.