William Read Woodfield

From the Hugh Hefner / Playboy Collection

During Hollywood's Golden Age, Jayne Mansfield ranked among America's most admired glamour stars and sex symbols, often compared with Marilyn Monroe. Although Monroe's career became more legendary, Mansfield's beauty, screen presence, and cultural influence made her an icon in her own right.

This captivating original Type I gelatin silver photograph captures Jayne Mansfield (1933–1967) during William Read Woodfield's celebrated 1956 outdoor glamour photo session, one of the most important photographic collaborations of her career. Created at the height of Mansfield's meteoric rise to Hollywood stardom, the session produced a remarkable series of images that would later be selected for publication in the landmark February 1957 issue of Playboy.

Unlike conventional Hollywood publicity portraits, Woodfield photographed Mansfield in natural outdoor settings, using available light to create images that feel spontaneous, intimate, and remarkably modern. Here, Mansfield is seen from behind at the edge of a tranquil lake, her unmistakable platinum hair glowing in the sunlight as she glances seductively over her shoulder. Wearing only a striking zebra-print bikini bottom, the composition is both daring and elegant, balancing sensuality with artistic restraint.

The photograph perfectly demonstrates Woodfield's extraordinary ability to transform glamour photography into fine photographic art. The graceful curve of Mansfield's pose, the shimmering water, and the soft natural landscape combine to create one of the most memorable and visually sophisticated images from the entire series.

Printed on double-weight, semi-gloss photographic paper, this is an original Type I vintage photograph, produced from the original negative during the period of the photo session. Large-format examples from this celebrated shoot are exceptionally scarce and represent the most desirable form of vintage photographic material for collectors and institutions.

What makes this photograph particularly significant is its extraordinary provenance. It originates from the Hugh Hefner / Playboy Collection, one of the most important archives of twentieth-century popular culture. Original editorial photographs retained by Playboy are highly sought after, especially those directly connected to the magazine's formative years and its legendary collaborations with Hollywood's greatest glamour photographers.

Today, William Read Woodfield is remembered not only for his work with Jayne Mansfield but also for his iconic photographs of Marilyn Monroe, making his vintage prints increasingly desirable among collectors of classic Hollywood photography.

Details

Title: Jayne Mansfield – Zebra Bikini, Lakeside Portrait                                                                                                Photographer: William Read Woodfield (1923–2001)Date: 1956                                                                                      Publication: Images from this photo session appeared in Playboy, February 1957.                                                        Medium: Original Type I Gelatin Silver Photograph                                                                                                                Paper: Double-weight, semi-gloss photographic paper                                                                                                Provenance: Hugh Hefner / Playboy Collection                     
Dimensions: 9.6 × 12.8 inches
Condition: Excellent vintage condition.