Neva A. Gilbert (September 1, 1929 – November 12, 2022) was an American model. She was ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...

'' magazine's

Playmate of the Month A Playmate is a female model featured in the centerfold/gatefold of ''Playboy'' magazine as Playmate of the Month (PMOTM). The PMOTM's pictorial includes nude photographs and a centerfold poster, along with a pictorial biography and the "Playm ...

for its July 1954 issue.

Early life

Gilbert was born in New York City and started work at

Sears and Roebuck Sears, Roebuck and Co., commonly known as Sears ( ), is an American chain of department stores and online retailer founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwal ...

by lying about her age in order to be eligible. She was married at age 16 and divorced within a few years.

Career

After moving to California Gilbert began modeling, and her acting roles included working with

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...

. When ''Playboy'' was launched, it did not commission its own photo sessions. Gilbert's photos were actually taken by a private photographer, Tom Kelley, the same photographer who photographed Monroe and who sold Gilbert's photos to the Baumgarth Calendar Company.

Hugh Hefner Hugh Marston Hefner (April 9, 1926 – September 27, 2017) was an American magazine publisher. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of ''Playboy'' magazine, a publication with revealing photographs and articles. Hefner extended the ''Playboy ...

bought her photos, (along with the photos of many other models), and, unbeknownst to Gilbert, published them. Gilbert was the seventh playmate in the first year playmates appeared in ''Playboy'' magazine. According to Gilbert, Gilbert had small parts in two films: '' Combat Squad'' (1953) and '' The Country Girl'' (1954). She also appeared in various off-Broadway and college theatre productions, especially the plays of Tennessee Williams. Decades later, she returned to ''Playboy'' and posed semi-nude for a feature called, "Playmates Forever!", in the December 1979 issue.

Later life and death

By 2017 Gilbert was the oldest Playmate, and told an ABC News reporter that she was still looking for work. Gilbert died in

Lake Worth, Florida Lake Worth Beach, previously named Lake Worth, is a city in east-central Palm Beach County, Florida, United States, located about north of Miami. The city's name is derived from the body of water along its eastern border known as the Lake Wort ...

on November 12, 2022, at the age of 93.

Filmography

* '' The Country Girl'' (1954) as Lady * '' Combat Squad'' (1953) as Virginia

References

External links