April 9 would have marked the 94th birthday of the late Hugh Hefner, entrepreneur and founder of Playboy magazine. In the heyday of America's Flagship's service career, Hefner's Playboy served as an important — albeit controversial — cultural and sociopolitical touchstone. However, there was nothing divisive about the magazine's decision to showcase a brilliant, full-color painting of the SS United States by the esteemed American artist LeRoy Neiman.
Hugh Hefner and Art Paul examine LeRoy Neiman's painting of the SS United States for a then-upcoming issue of Playboy magazine.
Neiman was interviewed for Lady in Waiting — Mark Perry and Bob Radler's 2008 documentary about the SS United States . (If you're an Amazon Prime member, you can watch this documentary for free.)
Our many thanks to Conservancy New York Chapter Co-Chair Paul Stipkovich for finding, scanning, and sharing this iconic magazine spread spotlighting the Big U.
The SS United States Conservancy is committed to creating a world-class museum and visitor center aboard the redeveloped Big U. Learn more about our plans here.