MAYFAIR (MAGAZINE)

'''Mayfair''' is a British adult magazine for men. Founded in 1965, it was designed as a response to U.S. magazines such as ''Playboy'' and ''Penthouse'', which had recently launched in the UK. For many years it claimed the largest distribution of any men's magazine in the UK.

Contents

Fisk Publishing era

Paul Raymond Publications era

Featured models past & present

Featured Photographers

Legal issues

External links

Fisk Publishing era

For many years ''Mayfair'' was edited by Kenneth Bound and published by Fisk Publishing Ltd. As well as nudes, ''Mayfair'' featured short stories and serious in-depth articles on such "male" interests as classic cars, trains, and military history. A regular feature for many years was ''Quest'', a series of interviews with ordinary people (usually two women and one man in each issue, and occasionally couples) about sexual matters. Another regular feature was a long-running cartoon strip featuring the misadventures of Carrie, a nubile blonde who lost her clothes in various embarrassing situations.
The December issue of each year was usually double-size, and featured a "review" of the models seen in previous issues, although for many years this was from the ' previous' year 'before', e.g. the review in Volume 16, Number 12 (December 1981) featured the models seen throughout Volume 15. In 1982 a separate and nominally annual ''Best of Mayfair'' supplement was introduced, reprinting the full photo-sets and other items from previous issues. This was followed in 1988 by a similar ''Girls of Summer'' supplement.
For many years ''Mayfair'' was one of the few "top shelf" magazines in which the models - though often seen full frontal - rarely had visible labia and virtually never in close-up.
Most of the models featured were frequently "girl next door" types who often claimed to be new to such work. Their pictures would be accompanied by text describing their everyday lives and jobs (it was up to the reader to decide whether to believe them or not). "Celebrity" models occasionally featured, although these were frequently topless only.
Many aspects of the magazine changed when, after 24 years as editor, Kenneth Bound agreed to sell the magazine to Paul Raymond Publications. The last issue from Bound/Fisk was Volume 26 Number 1 (January 1990), at which time the the magazine had a net paid circulation of 295,646 according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

Paul Raymond Publications era

The change of ownership and the appointment of Stephen Bleach as editor led to more explicitness, more girl-on-girl material, and a focus on established models, mostly with a large-breasted figures. The detailed description of the girls' "everyday lives" gave way to raunchy descriptions of their sex lives.
The serious content was gradually dropped in favour of an approach more akin to mainstream magazines like ''Loaded'', while the male interviewees in ''Quest'' were dropped in favour of more extreme female-only contributions, including lesbianism.
Today ''Mayfair'' is published every four weeks along with fellow Paul Raymond adult titles such as ''Club International'', ''Escort'', ''Just Girls'', ''Men Only'', ''Men's World'', and ''Razzle''.

Featured models past & present

★ Mel Appleby (of Mel and Kim)

★ Debee Ashby

★ Brigitte Bardot

★ Erica Campbell

★ Claire Cass

★ Kyla Cole

★ Poppy Coles

★ Lesley-Anne Down

★ Donna Ewin

★ Samantha Fox

★ Aria Giovanni

★ Jo Guest

★ Linda Lusardi

★ Sharon Macintosh

★ Penny Mallett

★ Pamela Sue Martin

★ Lorna Morgan

★ Marianne Morris

★ Victoria Principal

★ Adele Stephens

★ Rachel Ter Horst

★ Tula (Caroline Cossey)

★ Eve Vorley

★ Maria Whittaker

★ Veronika Zemanová

Featured Photographers

★ Peter Flodquist

★ John Allum

★ Donald Milne

★ Ed Alexander

★ Jean Rougeron

Legal issues

Previous issues of ''Mayfair'' occasionally - and quite legally - featured nude models who were 16 or 17 years old at the time. Such photographs are now illegal under UK law.
In common with many soft-core publications, ''Mayfair'' was specifically banned in Ireland in 1968, and remained so as recently as 31 December 2003.[1]

External links

★ Sexclub Official website of Mayfair's publishers Paul Raymond Publications