For almost 20 years, Picture Post was the British equivalent of LIFE or Look, a bestselling weekly magazine showcasing the world’s finest photo-journalism.
And now, the National Museum of Wales (Amgueddfa Cymru) is exploring the magazine’s rich legacy in a new exhibition, Picture Post: A Twentieth Century Icon, on display in Cardiff until November 9, 2025.
Admission is free, but tickets can be pre-booked and donations are appreciated.
“Before 24-hour news and social media, how did people see the world? In the 1930s, Picture Post revolutionised the way Britain understood itself. This groundbreaking photo-magazine captured everyday life, major events, and shifting social attitudes, reaching 1.7 million readers at its peak.
This exhibition brings Picture Post to life through striking photography, revealing Britain’s transformation from the 1930s to the 1950s. From war and politics to cultural change, discover the moments that defined a nation.
Experience the power of photography to inform, challenge, and connect—just as Picture Post did for a generation.”
One of Marilyn’s five Picture Post covers is featured in a wall frieze, though it’s unclear if she appears elsewhere.
Her first three covers date from early modelling sessions with Andre de Dienes, before she found fame in movies. Her Picture Post debut, published in December 1947, shows her as a natural brunette, photographed in 1945 when she was still working under her birth name, Norma Jeane.
Marilyn graced two more covers in 1949, with images shot by De Dienes in 1946, when she was newly blonde. Captioned ‘March Winds’ and ‘Cloudless’, these images reflected the seasons in which they were published.
After four year’s absence, Marilyn made the cover again in August 1953, alongside her Gentlemen Prefer Blondes co-stars, Jane Russell and Charles Coburn. Ed Clark’s photograph shows Marilyn and Jane wearing identical red sequinned gowns from the film’s opening number, ‘Two Little Girls From Little Rock.’
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was released in the US in July 1953, but wouldn’t reach the UK until New Year’s Eve. Inside, an article headlined ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes – We Prefer Marilyn’ is accompanied by photos from a 1952 shoot with Philippe Halsman.
Her next cover story, from April 1954, used Gene Kornman’s famous photo of Marilyn in her gold lamé gown, originally shot to promote Blondes. Unfortunately, the image was flipped – an error that has been repeated countless times since.
Inside, an article focused on Marilyn’s ‘new role’ after her February trip to Korea, when she sang for the troops at US military bases.
And in August, Marilyn’s recording sessions for There’s No Business Like Show Business (as documented by photographer John Florea) made the pages of Picture Post.
Marilyn’s next cover story came in July 1956, as she arrived in the UK to shoot The Prince and the Showgirl.
Milton Greene’s 1953 photos of Marilyn were also featured inside…
Elsewhere, Picture Post noted that another blonde star was turning heads in Hollywood. British actress Diana Dors was flattered by comparisons to Marilyn, whom the Post cheekily dubbed an ‘American Dors.’
Marilyn’s final Picture Post cover came towards the end of her UK stay, in October 1956. A Milton Greene photo of her on the Bus Stop set heralded the film’s upcoming release in Britain.
Noting the recent London premiere of A View From the Bridge – a controversial play by Marilyn’s husband Arthur – the headline read: ‘Highbrow Stuff From Mr. Miller – Lowbrow Stuff From Marilyn.’ (However, Bus Stop was also based on a Broadway play!)
The Marilyn Report 