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Suze
174 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1977
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 23, 2024
Note: the metadata on this book is severely limited on GoodReads and doesn’t give a page count. My edition was 219 pages long so this is a note to myself of the book length when the end of year stats gets posted and this gap will inevitably show up.
At any rate, Suze Randall is a famous erotic/pin-up photographer who got her start as a model in the 70s and then quickly shifted to going behind the camera and was the first female staff photographer for Playboy (I’m guessing Bunny Yeager doesn’t count because she was freelance in the 50s?).
Anyways this memoir was done in the 70s and the book has long since been out of print and I’ve had this rare copy on my shelf for awhile. I was finally motivated to read it when word hit that they are going to release an updated edition this year along with a coffee table book of all her photography work.
I enjoyed this memoir. She did things her way in a male dominated industry and seemed to have fun doing it along the way. There’s also plenty of salacious stuff here too.
Hugh Hefner features prominently in the book and his portrayal is honest (some positive things, lots of other negative things) as they had a falling out by the time this book came out and she ventured off to other publications like Penthouse (I believe).
Anyways I look forward to the updated edition!
P.S. - The book makes mention of Suze Randall discovering a Norwegian model named Inga Andersson and bringing her photos to the attention of Hugh Hefner. She gets selected as Playmate of the Month and then Playmate of the Year. I had to wonder if this was a fabrication since there was nobody by that name in that time period who was a Playmate, let alone PMOY. Sure enough, after some searching on the Internet it turns out Inga is actually Lillian Muller, who was extremely famous and beloved in that time period. Makes sense!
At any rate, Suze Randall is a famous erotic/pin-up photographer who got her start as a model in the 70s and then quickly shifted to going behind the camera and was the first female staff photographer for Playboy (I’m guessing Bunny Yeager doesn’t count because she was freelance in the 50s?).
Anyways this memoir was done in the 70s and the book has long since been out of print and I’ve had this rare copy on my shelf for awhile. I was finally motivated to read it when word hit that they are going to release an updated edition this year along with a coffee table book of all her photography work.
I enjoyed this memoir. She did things her way in a male dominated industry and seemed to have fun doing it along the way. There’s also plenty of salacious stuff here too.
Hugh Hefner features prominently in the book and his portrayal is honest (some positive things, lots of other negative things) as they had a falling out by the time this book came out and she ventured off to other publications like Penthouse (I believe).
Anyways I look forward to the updated edition!
P.S. - The book makes mention of Suze Randall discovering a Norwegian model named Inga Andersson and bringing her photos to the attention of Hugh Hefner. She gets selected as Playmate of the Month and then Playmate of the Year. I had to wonder if this was a fabrication since there was nobody by that name in that time period who was a Playmate, let alone PMOY. Sure enough, after some searching on the Internet it turns out Inga is actually Lillian Muller, who was extremely famous and beloved in that time period. Makes sense!
June 9, 2024
Suze Randall was the first woman photographer for Playboy Magazine. She was also featured in Playboy with her own nude layout.
The book describes her start in nude modeling in the UK, and her transition to being a photographer of nudes. About half the book talks about Playboy Magazine and life in the Playboy Mansions in both Chicago and LA.
The book describes her start in nude modeling in the UK, and her transition to being a photographer of nudes. About half the book talks about Playboy Magazine and life in the Playboy Mansions in both Chicago and LA.
March 26, 2025
I read the modern version of this book that was a successful Kickstarter project. In this format, it is 177 pages in length. It lists 2023 as the published date.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews