35mm Slide 1982 Bob Guccione at Malcolm Forbes Balloon Launch #1

This original 35mm slide captures a rare candid of Bob Guccione, founder of Penthouse and Viva magazines, in a moment of quiet warmth during Malcolm Forbes’s 1982 hot air balloon launch show. Dressed in a navy puffer jacket over a soft knit sweater, Guccione is seen smiling off-camera, his posture relaxed and demeanor unusually casual—far removed from the high-gloss editorial world he helped shape.

Best known for redefining adult publishing in the 1970s and ’80s with a bold fusion of eroticism, intellect, and avant-garde aesthetics, Guccione was as enigmatic behind the scenes as he was influential in the cultural spotlight. Captured here during a social gathering among media elites and tastemakers, this image offers a rare glimpse into the softer, more human side of the famously private media mogul. A compelling artifact for collectors of vintage publishing history, celebrity culture, and analog-era photography.