Marilyn Monroe Unpublished Photos Surface

Allie @ Gone Hollywood | Monday, June 1, 2009

They were taken before Marilyn Monroe became branded as the voluptuous blonde who oozed sex appeal in dozens of Hollywood films.

They were taken before rumors of an affair with President John F. Kennedy swirled and her mental breakdowns became public.

They were taken before the beautiful actress’s mysterious overdose that resulted in her death at the age of 36.

In a collection discovered by Life.com last month, unpublished photographs of Monroe reveal a softer, more innocent 24-year-old budding starlet in a more peaceful time, before her fame peaked.

Her flawless face bears a natural look with minimal makeup, unusual for the star, who was often glamorized in photo shoots with lipstick, designer dresses and expensive jewelry.

Monday would have been Monroe’s 83rd birthday.

In one photo, the young Monroe lies in bliss, reading on a park bench, which editors at Life.com believe was shot at Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California. In another, her face is serene as she is perched over a bridge barefoot. The shoot, which dates to 1950, was conducted by Life photographer Ed Clark.

[Click thumbnails for a larger view]

It’s a side of Monroe that the American public has rarely seen.

“She hasn’t really exploded as a star, yet she was on the brink of something big,” says Dawnie Walton, deputy editor at Life.com, a Web site harboring more than 7 million Life magazine photographs. The site was launched in March.

“I was amazed looking at her face. Although she looks very innocent, there is something very … sexy.”

Last month, Walton stumbled upon the rare photographs while combing through the company’s digital photo archives. Apparently, no one at Life.com even knew they were ever taken.

Upon investigating the photos, Walton says, she found there were few notes left on the negatives. She says the photos were probably taken for a cover shoot that was never used. Monroe appeared on her first Life magazine cover in 1952.

source: Unpublished photos of Marilyn Monroe surface [cnn]

Marilyn Monroe Unpublished Photos Surface

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