An Archive of Letters and Cartoons by Hugh Hefner, together with Associated Photographs and Ephemera

A large archive of original letters, cartoons, photographs, and memorabilia, relating to Hugh Hefner's 75-year relationship with high school classmate and close friend Jane "Janie" Borson Sellers (1943-2017). The collection was organized by Sellers in seven quarto binders, who also provided numerous sheets of explanatory descriptions and observations, in keeping with her plan to publish her letters from Hugh Hefner under the title: *Letters from the Innocent Playboy*. The core of the archive consists of over 150 letters by Hefner, half of which are illustrated with pen & ink cartoon drawings by Hefner (including some hand-colored), and associated photographs and ephemera. The first group of correspondence consists of a fascinating and charming series of 65 letters from Hefner to Sellers during their time at Steinmetz High School (1943-44) and continuing through Hefner's career in the Army (1944-1946). There are 27 ALS and 38 TLS (a total of 293 pages), of which 60 are illustrated with cartoons by Hefner. The letters are neatly laid in protective sleeves, including several with the original mailing envelopes illustrated with a small cartoon figure by Hefner, and Seller's summary of the contents of each letter on an accompanying printed out sheet. The second group of correspondence consists of an equally charming series of 91 letters from Hefner to Sellers (a total of 101 pages) dating from Hefner's marriage to his second wife Kimberley Conrad and the birth of their two children, and continuing up until just a few months before his death (1985-2017). All are TLS, a few holograph cards, several of which are illustrated with Hefner's self-portrait cartoon next to his signature. Interspersed throughout the binders are over 100 original color photographs, along with notes, clippings, and ephemera. Sellers also interspersed throughout four of the binders photocopies of additional selected letters, cartoons, and photographs and duplicate photocopies of selected pieces of the original material. The collection is in fine condition: all of the letters are loosely laid into plastic sleeves; most of the photographs are mounted on paper sheets laid into plastic sleeves, including several loosely laid in; the associated cards and ephemera are also mounted onto paper sheets or loosely laid into the binder sleeves. Hugh Hefner was an important cultural touchstone of the 20th Century. As the founder and publisher of *Playboy* magazine, Hefner played a pivotal role in the sexual revolution of the 1960s to 1980s. Seller's archive includes letters and other memorabilia that reveal a different side of Hefner the man, including his largely unacknowledged talent as a cartoon artist. For example, while at Steinmetz High School on the west side of Chicago, Hefner distinguished himself by founding a school newspaper, for which he both wrote and drew cartoons. With his best friend Jim Brophy, Hefner also wrote, directed, and acted in both school plays and homemade movies. Like many young men during the war years, Hefner graduated in January (1944) in order to join one of the branches of the armed forces. He was voted "Class Humorist," and came in second as "Best Orator," behind Brophy. He also scored third place for "Most Likely to Succeed" (Brophy was first), "Most Popular Boy" (Brophy was second), "Best Dancer," and "Most Artistic." After his discharge from the Army in April 1946, Hefner earned a bachelor's degree in psychology with a double minor in creative writing and art from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. After college, Hefner continued his work as a cartoonist but failed to sell any of his ideas for a comic strip. In 1951 he published his first book of satirical cartoons about Chicago: *That Toddlin' Town: A Rowdy Burlesque of Chicago Manners and Morals*. In the summer of 1953, he raised $8,000 from friends and family and produced the first issue of *Playboy* in his apartment, which featured a 1949 calendar shoot of photographs o.…