On August 5, 1962, Marilyn Monroe was found dead at her home. At only 36, the world lost one of its most beautiful and much-loved icons.
Six weeks before her tragic death, photographer Bert Stern had taken the last photos of Monroe.
In 2,571 shots, he captured her beauty and charisma one last time.
The shoot was commissioned by Vogue and took place during two sessions over four days at the Bel Air Hotel. Monroe had never appeared in Vogue before, but Stern wanted to do an eight-page spread with Marilyn.
Stern shot all the Hollywood greats: Hepburn, Taylor, Twiggy, and more, but none of those photographs were quite as memorable as what would come to be known as 'The Last Sitting.'
Though many won't be as familiar with these shots as her more ubiquitous ones, Stern's Monroe photos are pure, dynamic and absolutely Marilyn.
And perhaps because they are the last shots of her, they are just a bit more precious
"I was preparing for Marilyn’s arrival like a lover, and yet I was here to take photographs," Stern said in an interview about The Last Sitting. "Not to take her in my arms, but to turn her into... an image for the printed page.”
Now, the portraits are on display at HGU New York for a limited time. Keyes Art in collaboration with Gallery 151 Annex, the Bert Stern Trust and Lumaca at HGU is hosting 'The Red Party' featuring these limited edition prints in black and white sepia tone with some red themes from 'The Last Sitting.'
Lumaca, John Delucie's latest hot spot, will also have a special Marilyn-themed menu this month where diners will be surrounded by portraits of the movie star.
While many of the shots portray the classic sultry Marilyn with opaque scarves draped over her nude body, many have a more refined, Grace Kelly or Audrey Hepburn feel to them.
The shots were chosen by Vogue's art director and had been sent to print when the news of Monroe's death came out.
It was too late to stop publication and the issue ended up becoming a final tribute to the late actress.
The editors decided to use the photographs that had been selected and added a note in the opening copy that read: "The word of Marilyn Monroe's death came just as this issue of Vogue went on the press. After the first shock of tragedy, we debated whether it was technically possible to remove the pages from the printing forms. And then while we waited for an answer from our printers, we decided to publish the photographs in any case.
"For these were perhaps the only pictures of a new Marilyn Monroe - a Marilyn who showed outwardly the elegance and taste which we learned that she had instinctively; an indication of her lovely maturity, an emerging from the hoyden's shell into a profoundly beautiful, profoundly moving young woman."
The Red Party
Photographs of Marilyn Monroe by Bert Stern on view through February 2020
Gallery 151 Annex at HGU New York Hotel
34 East 32nd Street
