Premier Playmates Revisited

a portfolio of playboy's past playmates of the year

Though we've been publishing pictures of Playmates in the center of each issue for all of our more than 17 years, it was not until 1960 that the editors began selecting their favorite from the previous annum for a special Playmate of the Year pictorial. This year's premier Playmate is, accordingly, our 12th in succession--a fact that prompts this fond look backward at the 11 lovelies who preceded her. These specially honored gatefold girls of the past are a nostalgic reflection of the 212 Playmates of the Month who have appeared in Playboy to date--from December 1953's memorable Marilyn Monroe to this month's selection, Lieko English--and a promise of further delights yet to come. In reviewing the post-centerfold progress of past Playmates of the Year, we find that several are happily married and raising families; nearly all have done considerable modeling (you may have spotted them in television commercials and magazine advertisements); some remain active on behalf of the magazine, making personal appearances on college campuses and at military installations; and not a few have gone on to screen success. A toast (Playmate Pink champagne, of course) to them all.