Marilyn Monroe, 1956

Marilyn Monroe in a black derby and not much else.This image of Marilyn Monroe is from the series known as “The Black Sitting,” which remains the ultimate Monroe-Greene achievement. Marilyn was photographed before leaving for California to make Bus Stop in 1956. With all its sexy fishnet stockings and provocative attitudes, it retains the saucy innocence of a girl playing dress-up. This subtle duality is central to the core of Marilyn Monroe’s lasting appeal. The bustier and fishnet stockings, first used here, inspired the costume worn by Marilyn’s character, Cherie, in Bus Stop, a film they produced as well. This evocative sitting was only shared with a hand full of close friends. The public did not see photographs from this sitting until 1973 when some selected images where printed in the Monroe/Mailer biography Marilyn: A Biography.