Historic Photographs: Discover Your Past To Conquer The Future

Several photographs from this remarkable session were selected for publication in the  February 1957 issue of Playboy —an issue widely regarded as one of the magazine's important early editions during its rapid rise in circulation and cultural influence. These images remain among the finest examples of mid-century glamour photography, perfectly balancing sophistication, beauty, and the confident optimism that defined postwar Hollywood.

Presented here are four original oversized Type I gelatin silver photographs from that celebrated 1956 photo session. Printed from the original negatives during the period of creation, these vintage exhibition-size photographs represent the highest level of photographic authenticity sought by collectors and museums. Their exceptional tonal richness, large format, and remarkable preservation allow viewers to appreciate Woodfield's mastery of composition, lighting, and expression in a way that later reproductions simply cannot match.

What elevates these photographs beyond their artistic importance is their exceptional provenance. These prints originated from the Hugh Hefner / Playboy Collection, directly linking them to one of the most influential publishing archives in twentieth-century entertainment history. Original photographer's prints and editorial working photographs from the Playboy archive seldom appear on the market, making surviving examples highly desirable to collectors of Hollywood photography, Playboy history, and vintage photographic art.

William Read Woodfield would later become internationally recognized for his celebrated photographs of Marilyn Monroe, yet many historians and collectors consider his Jayne Mansfield photographs among his most vibrant and visually compelling works. In these images, Woodfield captured a young star whose effortless glamour, playful confidence, and unmistakable screen presence helped define an entire generation's vision of Hollywood beauty.

Ranging in size from approximately 9 × 13 inches to 10½ × 13½ inches, these impressive oversized vintage prints are far larger than standard publicity photographs, enhancing both their visual impact and rarity. Together they form an extraordinary surviving group from one of the defining glamour photo sessions of the 1950s.

Complementing this exhibition are two additional original Type I gelatin silver publicity portraits of Jayne Mansfield from the Brown Brothers Archive. Created to promote her film career—including portraits associated with The Girl Can't Help It (1956) and Kiss Them for Me (1957)—these beautifully preserved studio photographs illustrate the polished public image that Hollywood presented to audiences worldwide. While intended as promotional material rather than editorial photography, they remain outstanding examples of classic studio portraiture and provide an elegant counterpart to Woodfield's more intimate and spontaneous photographs.

Together, these six original photographs celebrate not only the legendary beauty of Jayne Mansfield, but also the artistry of photographers whose images helped shape the visual language of Hollywood's Golden Age. More than vintage photographs, they are authentic historical artifacts from one of the most glamorous and influential periods in American entertainment history.