PLAYBOY’s April 1956 Playmate Rusty Fisher, photographed above by Sam Wu, may have been a small-town beauty from Colorado, but she took to city life quite naturally—she told our editors she came to Hollywood to rise to fame and had already been in a few films and magazines. For her Centerfold pose above, Fisher displays her handy side and hangs some artwork—truly a domestic goddess.

August 1956 Playmate Jonnie Nicely reads an issue of Variety (which we assume is her second-favorite mag). Photos of Nicely first appeared in the October 1955 PLAYBOY in an unusual format: The editors craftily published side-by-side pictures of two possible Playmates before directing readers to turn to the Centerfold to see who had been selected…and it wasn’t Jonnie. We don’t think the editors acted very nicely, but after readers wrote in expressing their disappointment, PLAYBOY made up for it by awarding her the August berth. Back by popular demand, Nicely again showcased her smarts—and her stripes—for photographer Hal Adams.

Playmate Betty Blue, or the “buxom boss,” as our November 1956 pictorial dubs the office manager from Los Angeles, poses for Hal Adams while seemingly sketching a self-portrait at an easel. Feeling overwhelmed by free time during lockdown? We recommend following Blue’s lead: Get comfy, grab some art supplies and let inspiration guide you. (And if you’re into figure drawing and need a model, try browsing Playboy Magazine!)

When Peter Basch did a test shoot with soon-to-be October 1957 Playmate Colleen Farrington, she was a striking brunette. Soon after, though, the New York–based TV model was hired for a role that required her to dye her hair blonde. For her PLAYBOY pictorial, Basch decided to embrace Farrington’s “chameleon” nature and include photos of her as not only a blonde and a brunette but also a redhead. In the outtake above, Farrington has the right idea—plenty of booze and plenty of vinyl. Listening to music while sipping something strong: a great way to keep your cool during these socially distant days.

In this outtake of Marlene Callahan, PLAYBOY’s November 1957 Playmate, the “rural cutie” whips up some spaghetti for photographer Vivienne Lapham’s lens. Homemade sauce? Yes, please. We think experimenting in the kitchen is a perfectly pleasurable pursuit for sheltering in place.

A jumbo-size wineglass? Oh, we feel that. In this image from her February 1958 pictorial, Playmate Cheryl Kubert imbibes some vino after hitting the slopes for her ski-themed pictorial. Kubert, shot here by Mario Casilli, reminds us that a glass (or two) can take the edge off during stressful times.

For those of us isolating alone without the benefit of family, friends or flatmates, the quarantine can be challenging. Sometimes to stimulate your intellect you have to tap your inner chess opponent, as does July 1958 Playmate Linné Ahlstrand above, photographed by Frank Bez. Ahlstrand may have been the “laziest girl in town” (she requested that she pose only lying down), but she sure knows how to pick a worthy adversary.

Time to phone a friend! Mario Casilli captures September 1957 Playmate Jacquelyn Prescott, an executive secretary and avid sketcher, reaching out via landline. Pull out your little black book and remember to stay in touch with loved ones while remaining physically distant.

When in doubt, draw a bubble bath. It’s a surefire way to ease your worries after a tiresome day at home or a difficult stint on the front lines. In the above outtake, Lisa Winters, PLAYBOY’s December 1956 Playmate and cover model and 1957 Playmate of the Year, strikes a sudsy pose for lenswoman Bunny Yeager. What are some of Winters’s other favorite stay-at-home pastimes? “I’m the type to sit by the fire with a good book or a man.” A cuddle and a read? Now that’s an indoor approach we can endorse.

History was made in 1956 when famed photojournalist Ruth Sondak captured March Playmate Marian Stafford, PLAYBOY’s first Playmate to be featured with a three-page fold-out Centerfold. Above, Stafford does some light reading and some light stretching—it’s yoga for thinkers. We’d take that MasterClass.