Marilyn Monroe
Metamorphosis
By David Wills
(It Books, Hardcover, 9780062036193, 320pp.)
Publication Date: October 2011
Categories: Cultural Heritage, Subjects & Themes - General
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There have been many Marilyn Monroe photo books—but nothing like this.
Curator and photographic preservationist David Wills has amassed one of the world’s largest independent archives of original Marilyn Monroe photographs. Now, in Marilyn Monroe: Metamorphosis, he has gathered spectacular, museum-quality work from Marilyn’s key photographers—Richard Avedon, George Barris, Cecil Beaton, Bernard of Hollywood, Andre de Dienes, Elliott Erwitt, Milton Greene, Philippe Halsman, Tom Kelley, Douglas Kirkland, Willy Rizzo, Sam Shaw, and many others—to create this dazzling portfolio of images from every period of Marilyn Monroe’s adult life, from her wedding day in 1942 till just weeks before her death two decades later. Marilyn Monroe: Metamorphosis pays homage to her continually evolving style and extraordinary beauty.
Among the highlights:
- Previously unseen Kodachrome, dye transfer, and Carbro prints of Norma Jeane from her modeling career.
- Classic portraits and pinups in luscious full color, digitally restored from the original transparencies.
- Never-before-seen photos from the sets of The Seven Year Itch, Some Like It Hot, The Misfits, and Something’s Got to Give.
- Rare candids of Marilyn with Marlon Brando, Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Ronald and Nancy Reagan, Queen Elizabeth II, Joe DiMaggio, Arthur Miller, and others.
- Previously unpublished photos by Richard Avedon, George Barris, Cecil Beaton, David Conover, Elliott Erwitt, John Florea, Tom Kelley, Richard C. Miller, Frank Powolny, Willy Rizzo, Zinn Arthur, and many others.
Pairing more than two hundred first-generation photos with reflections on Marilyn from her friends, work associates, and admirers—and including her last interview, in which she reflects on her life and fame—Marilyn Monroe: Metamorphosis is an unforgettable showcase of the actress’s transformation from an unknown factory worker to one of the most recognized faces in history.
Australian-born David Wills is an independent curator, photographic preservationist, and editor who has accrued one of the world’s largest independent archives of original photographs, negatives, and transparencies. He has contributed material to many publications and museums, including the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Wills has produced a series of photography exhibitions based on images from his archive. His shows have included “Murder, Models, Madness: Photographs from the Motion Picture Blow-Up,” “Edie Sedgwick: Unseen Photographs of a Warhol Superstar,” “Blonde Bombshell,” “James Bond,” “Women with Issues: Photographs from the Motion Picture Valley of the Dolls,” and “Warhology,” and they have received major profiles in the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, Vanity Fair, American Photo, and Vogue.
In 2002 Wills photo-edited Bernard of Hollywood’s Ultimate Pin-Up Book. He also coauthored Veruschka (2008) and authored Ara Gallant (2010), which featured an introduction by Anjelica Huston. He has written articles on photography and popular culture for publications including V Magazine and Palm Springs Life.
Wills lives in Los Angeles.
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