Marilyn Monroe Picture

Okay, so the most obvious choice is the classic Marilyn Monroe picture where she is standing over the subway grate blowing cool air up her sensual dress on a hot city day-in the movie, The Seven Year Itch, with co-star Tom Ewell.

But what if you want a more original or rare picture, one that not everyone has plastered to the bathroom or bedroom wall?

I have seen over the years some gorgeous, stunning, and rare pictures that seem more representative of her as a person.

Favorite Shot
One of my favorites is the shot of her working out. She is laying with her back to the bench press, holding small dumbbells up in front of her. She is dressed in jeans and a bathing suit top. The photo is black and white, shot by Phillipe Halsman in Hollywood in 1952. Simple, real.

Another staged but nevertheless telling picture is one with her in ballerina-like dress, a strapless white and gauzy number. She is sitting on a chair, facing the camera. She is barefoot, her painted toes crossing over each other as those of a child who would fidget with her feet. She is (nervously-pretending?) hunched inward, one hand in her lap the other moving toward her face.

Collectors will probably already own the pin-up, Vargas Girl photo, with bare-skinned, stretched out on red satin that matches her red lipstick, but they may not have such unique pieces as the one of her doing a Lustre Crème ad, the magazine ad she is featured in to sell Tru-Glow makeup, or Sam Shaw's photo of her in a bathrobe, looking wistfully out of the window of what is presumably her house?

More pictures that have appeal are the ones where she is with other celebrities. There is a set of photos of her with an old car, a set including one photo of her leaning on the car and Sammy Davis Jr. in the foreground doing a Mr. Bojangles-style kick in mid-air. Classic. Also in the series, Sammy and her are joined by Frank Worth.

True Collectors
And the true collector will have the rarest of images: Her on the cover of the very first issue of Playboy, on the cover of a May 14, 1956 issue of Time (where she is depicted in sketch illustration), and on the cover of LAFF, a "humorous picture magazine".

But the best pictures may be those taken before she was Marilyn Monroe.

Norma Jean is in bathing suit, on the beach, or in vibrant red sweater, standing at the shore in Mexico and captured by the early tintype photography or the brilliant color photography of William Carrol in 1945.

Of course, there's the rarest of shots of Marilyn Monroe picture. It's her as a baby, sitting on her mother Gladys's lap at the beach, adorable as ever. Cute as a button!

For years and to this day, many fans adore her, watch her movies and want to know more about her life story.

picture by Wikipedia

Resources and Facts:

The American film actress was born June 1, 1926 in Los Angeles, California. And died on August 5, 1962.

To this day, she is one of the 20th century's most famous movie stars and sex symbols.

After acting in small roles for several years, she gradually became known for her  sensuality, comedy skills, and beauty on the screen. She became one of the most popular stars of the 1950s.

Later in her career, she worked towards major roles with some success. However, long standing problems were antagonized by disappointments in both career and personal life during her later years.

Marilyn Monroe Death - her death, officially ruled to be possible suicide by drug overdose, has been the subject of much deliberation.

Marilyn Monroe Estate Website - Official website with photos, biography, films, and news.