Marilyn Monroe's Last Sitting

"Hollywood is a place where they'll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul" – Marilyn Monroe.

She was Playboy's first centerfold and Joe DiMaggio's second wife. She was also a very talented but much misunderstood and under validated actress. Marilyn Monroe – or Norma Jean Baker -  possessed a knack for the big splash, particularly if there was a camera nearby - and it seemed there was always a camera nearby. The actress was intoxicated by the pop of flashbulbs. During her too-short lifetime, she was photographed drinking and dining, smiling and sleeping, dressed and undressed.

In June 1962 photographer Bert Stern did an intensive photo session with Marilyn for Vogue. 3 days of shooting in the Bel Air Hotel in Los Angeles, which resulted in 2,571 photographs (375 in color) showing a mature Marilyn that no one had ever seen before, became his most important shooting of his professional career. It was Marilyn’s last performance in front of the camera, only 6 weeks before her death.  After the shooting, Marilyn rejected herself some of the pictures from the series. To be sure that no one will publish the rejected images, she marked the frames with a red pen, directly on the film.  This, obviously, turned out to be idle hope. When she died, Bert Stern published the rejected pictures showing the red marks. The complete set of 2,571 photos is published in 'The Complete Last Sitting' book by Bert Stern.

Lots of things have been written and said about Marilyn. Her life was the dream of many girls, yet she lived it unhappily. On August 5, 1962, Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her Brentwood, California home of an overdose of sleeping pills. She was only 36 years old. There has been much speculation about the events surrounding Marilyn's death. The drug overdose was probably accidental and possibly administered by someone other than Marilyn. Whatever the cause, it is unlikely it was suicide.

During her life Marilyn became an icon, but her premature death turned her into a legend. The Museum Maillol in Paris is currently running an exhibition with 50 selected photographs of Marilyn’s last sitting. The exhibition opened on June 5 and lasts till October 30.

Comments

[Ryon]

As a bisexual I of course adore her and I also love hot men too

[Alexsander]

She was a fascinating person! Tottally beautiful and enigma for millions! :)

[Sophie Hay]

anyone want a copy of this book, i'm selling an original 1982 copy in great condition

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150023599031

thanks

[Angela]

I love Marilyn so much. My house is covered with her. She was such a beautiful woman and actress, i'm sure Hollywood misses her dearly.