This striking outtake from Philippe Halsman’s photo shoot with Marilyn for her first LIFE magazine cover story in 1952 is currently on offer in a 6×6-inch, estate-stamped print for £110 (or £325 framed), as part of a week-long square print sale at Magnum Photos, ending today.
“Where is the line between documentation and storytelling?
Fact/Fiction, the October Square Print Sale, brings together 75 images exploring the space between truth and imagination.
Available as limited-edition, signed or estate-stamped prints, these photographs have the power to make documentation feel dreamlike and unlikely moments seem believable. From surprising narratives to mysterious illusions and reflections, the selection blurs the boundaries between how things appear and how they really are.
For the first time, photographers and estates have been invited to offer their works in both 6×6″ and 9×9″ formats. The larger 9×9″ format is available for selected works, at the discretion of each photographer or estate.”
Marilyn was photographed in her apartment at the Beverly Carlton (now known as the Avalon Hotel.) While it’s not known what she was reading, works by Leo Tolstoy and others are stacked on her bookcase, and her framed portrait of the Italian actress Eleonora Duse is also partly visible.
If Halsman gave us a glimpse into Marilyn’s private world, a contrasting image by Bob Henriques reveals the public Monroe, arriving at the New York premiere of Some Like It Hot with husband Arthur Miller in 1959. This estate-stamped print is available sized 6×6″ for £110 or £325 framed (6×6″); and sized 9×9″ for £275, or £500 framed.
