Photograph of a Minsky's Burlesque showgirl, Playboy Hotel, Chicago (Ill.), circa 1977

A close-up of a Minsky's showgirl posing on a sofa at the Playboy Hotel. The Playboy hotel was originally named The Knickerbocker, and has gone through several incarnations since it opened in 1927. Legend has it that in the 1930s the hotel housed a casino frequented by Al Capone. During World War II and the Korean War, US Armed Forces officers would fill the property's hallways and play cards in the Officer's Club. In 1952, Richard Nixon was nominated Vice President during the Republican National Convention held in the hotel. Finally, in the 1970s it became the Playboy Hotel, owned by Hugh Hefner. After completing a multi-million dollar renovation in 2008, the hotel has reinvented itself once again. However, the elegant two-storied lobby still honors the hotel's historic past, with marble ornaments and wood moldings. Site Name: Playboy Hotel (Chicago, Ill.) Street Address: 163 East Walton Place