Margie Harrison’s Biograpghy
Margie Harrison was both the first and the sixth Playboy Playmate, making her the first model to have that honor twice. Both were in 1954 and started with Playboy’s second edition. While Marilyn Monroe was in the first issue of Playboy, she was not labeled as a “Playmate.” Instead she was the “Sweetheart” of the Month. Miss Harrison was the first to be labeled “Playmate. Like a lot of early Playboy models, we know very little about Margie Harrison. In fact her first Playboy pictorial has this to say: “Here’s Playboy’s playmate for the month of January. A very lovely unpinned pin-up to help you welcome in the New Year.” Playboy readers didn’t even get to know her name for another two years!
Margie Harrison’s January 1954 Playboy Playmate Photo
That is all it said. What we do know about her career is that she was a fairly popular pinup calendar girl. She did a lot of shoots through the John Baumgarth Calendar Company of Melrose Park Illinois. This company apparently purchased photos from amateur photographers and resold them. Including Hugh Hefner who used them extensively for the first year’s issues of Playboy. This led to an interesting phenomena where many of these early models didn’t even know they were Playmates until years later!
I don’t know if she was popular, or just chance, but her photos got purchased for the June 1954 Playboy where she was the Playmate of the Month again.
Margie Harrison June 1954 Playboy Playmate
Magazine Credits:
1950 – Modern Sunbathing and Hygiene (July)
1954 – Playboy, January (Playmate of the Month)
1954 – Playboy, June (Playmate of the Month)
Unknown – Follies
Unknown – Gala
She was featured in a couple of other Men’s magazines during that period of time. Again it is unclear if these were photos shot specifically for these magazines or if they were amateur photo shoots that the magazines purchased through the John Baumgarth Calendar Company.
Movie Credits
Unknown – Aqua Nudes (with Candy Paige)
Unknown – Hot Summer Nights (with Barbara Lyles)
Please comment below if you know anything else about Margie Harrison. I’d love to know more about her and find out if she ever knew she was the first Playmate.
Margie Harrison with Dottie Reeka, Rita Richman and Marie Metier
Margie Harrison with unknown models
Margie Harrison with unknown models
Margie Harrison with unknown models
Margie Harrison with unknown models
Margie Harrison with unknown models
Margie Harrison with unknown models
Margie Harrison with unknown model
As “The Joker” in a pack of Pinup Playing cards
