Eve Arnold was the first woman to join the prestigious Magnum photo agency; and among the handful of women to photograph Marilyn, Eve was the only one who worked with her extensively.
Her 1987 book, Marilyn Monroe: An Appreciation, was reissued as Marilyn Monroe in 2005, and now a third edition has been released – with the same image of Marilyn that was used for the original cover. (She has also been featured in numerous catalogues and retrospectives for Eve Arnold.)
“A star in her day and one that continues to captivate the world, Monroe’s multifaceted persona is brilliantly captured through Arnold’s lens in this revised and redesigned edition … Including newly discovered and restored photographs in colour and in black and white, alongside insightful commentary, Eve Arnold takes us on a photographic journey of Monroe’s life. A detailed biography in Arnold’s own words allows a rare glimpse into the stories behind the photographs and her unique relationship with Monroe. As these two female artists come together in the creation of this stunning photographic collection, an important historical testimonial has been actualised, showing women striving in a male-oriented world and succeeding in reaching the top of their game.”
The latest edition is published by ACC Art Books, the same house that produced Milton Greene: 50 Sessions – The Essential Marilyn Monroe in 2017. Unlike that maximalist tome, Eve Arnold’s Marilyn Monroe is essentially a reissue – albeit with a few images not shown in previous versions.
Measuring 268 mm x 245 mm, the third edition is smaller than its predecessor (compared above to another recent book) – and the photo which graced the cover of the second edition is reproduced on the contents page.
A brief foreword by actress Anjelica Huston – daughter of The Misfits director John Huston – is reproduced from the 2005 edition, with a rare photo of both Hustons captured by Eve in 1968 at their family home in Ireland replacing Marilyn’s image from the earlier version.
This photo of Marilyn at East of Eden‘s New York premiere in March 1955 is the earliest attributed to Eve Arnold, and it also appeared in the previous edition. As Marilyn was widely photographed that night, it’s curious that no other images have been claimed by Arnold’s estate.
Eve’s original manuscript is insightful, but contains a few chronological errors. For example, the chapters covering her candid photos of Marilyn on Long Island (including the famed Ulysses sitting) are dated back to 1952, but were actually shot over the Labour Day weekend in September 1955.
Marilyn’s first official jaunt with Eve occurred in August 1955, when she invited the photographer to join her on a trip to Bement, Illinois.
This unpublished image taken during the flight from New York has been added to the new edition; and a previously cropped ‘bathroom selfie’ of Marilyn with Eve in Bement is shown in full for the first time.
Eve was among the reporters who attended a press conference at New York’s Plaza Hotel in February 1956, when Marilyn and Sir Laurence Olivier announced their plans to make a movie together (The Prince and the Showgirl.)
Moving forward to 1960, a contact sheet introduces us to The Misfits.
Another error from previous editions is repeated here, mistaking a photo of Marilyn swimming in 1955 with a scene from the movie.
Some images from earlier editions have been removed, including this studio glamour shot.
However, there are several additions to the Misfits chapters, although some fans may have seen these photos before in exhibitions, prints or online.
And finally, Michael Arnold – Eve’s grandson, and manager of her estate – has written an afterword for this edition.
Thanks to Fraser
The Marilyn Report 
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