The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2026 - Issue 39

biteexhibition M arilyn Monroe’s love affair with the camera probably began in 1944 when the 18-year- old Norma Jeane, who worked as a parachute inspector at an aircraft plant during World War II, was photographed by an army photographer. The camera immediately loved her, leading to a successful career as a pin-up and commercial model. Two years later, she secured an initial screen test at Twentieth Century Fox, where executives quickly realised her potential but felt her birth name wasn’t fit for a movie marquee. Studio executive Ben Lyon suggested ‘Marilyn’ for the first name, reminiscent of the Broadway star Marilyn Miller, while Norma Jeane chose ‘Monroe’ for the last name, her mother’s maiden name. In 1948, the film icon dyed her hair platinum blonde, a signature look that defined her newly created star persona and helped her capture global stardom. She studied acting and diligently perfected her famous breathy voice and captivating on-screen presence. To celebrate the Hollywood star’s 100th birthday, the Na- tional Portrait Gallery presents Marilyn Monroe: A Por- trait. The exhibition curated by Rosie Broadley explores her life, career, and legacy through portraits created by some of the greatest photographers and artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. It brings together the works of crea- tives such as Andy Warhol, Pauline Boty, Marlene Du- mas, James Gill, and era-defining photographers includ- ing Cecil Beaton, Philippe Halsman, Bruno Bernard, and Richard Avedon. Entering the space, you are greeted by Andy Warhol’s ‘Nine Multicoloured Marilyns (Reversal Series)’ created in 1962, shortly after her tragic death. “When Marilyn Monroe happened to die that month, I got the idea to make screens of her beautiful face: the first ‘Marilyns’”, Warhol said. His multiple series of ‘Marilyns’ are among the most famous portraits of the 20th century. He re- turned to her as a subject repeatedly throughout his ca- reer, making numerous unique and vividly coloured silk- screen images. The earliest photographs include the teenage Norma Jeane captured in the privacy of an automatic photo- booth, posing playfully. Here you see a young woman learning to read the lens, testing expressions, angles, and gestures with an almost tactile curiosity. André de Dienes and Bruno Bernard captured her before the myth calci- fied, revealing a performer in formation, someone who understood instinctively that the camera was not a pas- sive machine but a partner. As you move deeper into the gallery, the photographs be- come more deliberate and sculpted. For instance, Philippe Halsman’s portraits, by contrast, catch her mid‑gesture, mid‑thought, mid‑performance, revealing the kinet- ic intelligence behind the glamour. His 1952 portrait of Monroe, used for the actress’s first Life magazine cover, captures her in the bedroom of her modest two-room apartment on the outskirts of Hollywood, leaning against the closet. Cecil Beaton’s images present a Monroe who is luminous and self‑aware and who understood the power of still- ness. When she sat for the renowned British portraitist in February 1956, in his suite at the Ambassador Hotel in New York, he described her playfulness as: “She romps, she squeals with delight, she leaps onto the sofa. She put a flower stem in her mouth, puffing on a daisy as though it were a cigarette. It is an artless, impromptu, high-spirit- ed, infectiously gay (happy) performance. It will probably end in tears.” Eve Arnold’s observational, almost documentary photo- graphs strip away the Hollywood sheen and show a wom- an thinking, reading, and working. She captures Monroe reading James Joyce’s 1922 novel Ulysses at a children’s playground near Mount Sinai, New York. In another, the actress was resting in Bement, Illinois and in a Chicago airport washroom while visiting the Platt County village with the photographer, following an invite to their cente- nary celebrations after the release of The Seven Year Itch in 1955. Another photographer Monroe worked with was her longtime friend and co-founder of Marilyn Monroe Pro- ductions, Milton H. Greene. One of the best-known por- traits was Ballerina , taken in Greene’s New York studio during one of their first collaborations. The tulle-and-sat- in gown she wore, designed by Herbert Kasper, had been sourced by Milton’s wife, Amy. However, the dress was too small, and Monroe had to hold up the bodice at the front. The portraits taken by Monroe’s personal photogra- pher and friend, Sam Shaw, whether on the streets of New York, in Central Park, with her fans, or with her then-husband, Arthur Miller, in Roxbury, Connecticut, offered a rare glimpse of Monroe in natural, unguarded moments. They had met when they were both employed by Twentieth Century Fox in 1952. He also photographed Monroe on the set of The Seven Year Itch , creating some of the most famous subway grate images. “I want to be an artist, an actress with integrity. That includes playing all kinds of parts. When I’m older, I’ll play other kinds of parts” - Marilyn Monroe.