Marilyn Monroe Is An Icon

Marilyn Monroe is still making waves. At a recent photo exhibit of vintage Marilyn shots (on display in Manhattan at the Staley Wise Gallery until June), visitors are getting a first peek at some never-before-seen Marilyn Monroe peekaboo. From the Archives of Bert Stern is a collection of the iconic photographer’s photos of stars over the years, and features Marilyn Monroe, Twiggy, and Kate Moss.

“An ‘original Mad Man,’ as a 2011 documentary dubbed him, Stern documented sex symbols like Kate Moss and Marilyn Monroe, who were often made only more infamous by the breathtaking, unforgettable imagery he created of them.”

The Monroe photos, from the 1962 Marilyn Monroe photo shoot with Stern known as The Last Sitting, includes several images that the star censored after asking to see the results of the shoot. The censored images are nearly nude shots of Marilyn, coyly veiled in diaphanous fabric and peering out at the viewer through a soft mist.

“The intimate series offers a rare glimpse of Marilyn Monroe. One collection of the sultry star shot by Stern is crossed over with orange marker by the actress herself after asking to see the photos before they appeared in Vogue.”

If you like the stills of Marilyn Monroe but miss seeing the star in motion, a video is included in the exhibit, with rare footage of Monroe at the Savoy.

In more Marilyn mania, Lifetime is airing a new Monroe mini-series on May 30 & 31. The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe (tagline: “Everyone knew her name, no one knew her secrets”) will take yet another look at the star’s troubled and difficult life.

“The series looks to focus on the darker aspects of Monroe’s life that the public was unable to see, such as her strained relationship with her mother.”

Meanwhile, in Poland, an exhibit of 47 Marilyn photos by celebrity photographer Milton H. Greene is set to open in the summer. Good Day, Marilyn promises a more intimate look at Marilyn’s personal life.

“A person walking through the exhibition should be able to see a different Marilyn Monroe on every photograph because these are photographs of an actress and movie star but also a private person. Some photographs were posed but some show Marilyn Monroe in intimate situations. The key thing was to show Marilyn Monroe not only as a great actress and sex symbol but Marilyn Monroe as a human and a girl.”

On the other side of the world, Marilyn Monroe is appearing in a whole different setting as part of a cartoon series, and it remains to be seen if cartoon Marilyn will overtake photo Marilyn in popularity! Either way, the star is still here, still making waves, and still beautiful.

“To put it simply, Monroe is an icon whose life is still revered.”

[Image via NY Times]