Marilyn

October 29, 2018
Don’t dismiss this collection of candid, behind-the-scenes photographs of Marilyn Monroe as another attempt to cash in on the troubled life and tragic death of the famed actress. Monroe wanted to be seen as more than a sex symbol, and the photos assembled here are directed toward that goal. The book is split into five sections: “Norma Jeane” shows her as a child and a fresh-faced young model prior to going to Hollywood; “Actress” gathers studio stills and screen and wardrobe tests from her early Hollywood days; “Model” shows publicity photos and magazine shoots from after her studio contract; and finally, “Celebrity” shows her public appearances as a full-fledged star. The second and third sections prove most revealing. “Actress” showcases the role of costume design in Monroe’s career—such as through Orry-Kelly’s Oscar-winning work for her 1955 film The Seven Year Itch—and “Model” is filled with images that the star helped style herself. As she’s quoted as saying, photographers “think they arrange me to suit themselves, but I use them to put myself over.” This compilation reveals her as a sensitive, intelligent, and conflicted beauty whose love affair with the camera outlasted all of her marriages and even her untimely death.