Ms. Photogenic at 100

[Richard Avedon: Marilyn Monroe from portrait session, 1957]

Unless you are living under a rock, it is near impossible to miss the fact that Monday, June 1st, 2026, is the centenary of the birth of Marilyn Monroe. Countless books have been, and will be, published. Articles written. Probably here on Substack also. I am writing this to celebrate not only the lady, who defined photogenic, but also one of the great photographic collaborations of the 1950s.

[Richard Avedon: Selfportrait - 1963]

I am not going to try to explain. I am going to let Richard Avedon (1923 - 2004) do the talking: “She gave more to the still camera than every other actress – every other woman – I had the opportunity to photograph…” He went on: “… She was more patient with me and more demanding of herself than others and she was more comfortable in front of the camera even when not posing.”

It may have been the most interesting portrait session of the period. In 1958, Life Magazine commissioned Richard Avedon and Marilyn Monroe to pay tribute to the greatest stars of the past half century. Life Magazine also asked Arthur Miller (1915 - 2005), Monroe’s husband at the time, to write a short piece to accompany the photographs.

The series which would be called: Fabled Enchantresses, was to be a celebration of five great actresses from stage and screen, who had come before, and had paved the way for the leading ladies of the 1950s. Leading ladies in leading roles. The list was impressive, the personalities intense: Lillian Russell, Theda Bara, Clara Bow, Jean Harlow, and Marlene Dietrich. The article by Arthur Miller was called My Wife, Marilyn.

[Richard Avedon: Miller and Monroe - 1958]

The five chosen forbearers to Marilyn Monroe had each made a huge impression on theatre and movie audiences alike. They were leading ladies, divas, sex symbols, pin-ups, super-stars, dream girls, seductresses and indeed fabled enchantresses… but at the same time, each was their own, in ways that today may be hard to understand. They broke new ground. Changed cinema and stage and created the foundation for the great actresses on stage and screen, who would follow in the second half of the 20th century.

These five stage- and movie-stars, were the women Marilyn Monroe was asked to channel in her 1958 session with Richard Avedon. A tall order you say? You be the judge…..

Lillian Russell (1861 - 1922): An icon at the turn of the century. She was a superstar on a different level. Trained as a soprano, who played the violin, she was on stage the leading star, who was unsurpassed for her beauty, life-style and presence, both on and off the stage.

[B.J. Falk: Lillian Russell - 188X]

[New York Journal, Lillian Russell on her Golden Wheel - 1886]

[Richard Avedon: Marilyn Monroe as Lillian Russell - 1958]

Theda Bara (1886 - 1955): Was an icon of the silent movies. She was the vamp. The temptress, who led the leading man astray. She made a series of movies over a short period of time, which broke all records and made her the most important movie star of the time. She is best known for her roles in Romeo and Juliet (1916), Madame du Barry (1917), Cleopatra (1917) and Salome (1918). She retired soon after. In her time, she was unsurpassed.

[George James Hopkins - Theda Bara as Cleopatra - 1917 publicity still]

[Unknown photographer: Theda Bara as Cleopatra - 1917 film still]

[Richard Avedon: Marilyn Monroe as Theda Bara - 1958]

Clara Bow (1905 - 1965): The IT girl. Defining the term, following her performance in the movie of the same name from 1927. During the 1920s, the flapper, Clara Bow was the measure of cool, before being cool was even a thing. The woman every girl wanted to be, and who personified the era.

[Eugene Robert Richee: Clara Bow - 1926]

[Eugene Robert Richee: Clara Bow - 1926]

[Richard Avedon: Marilyn Monroe as Clara Bow - 1958]

Jean Harlow (1911 - 1937): The platinum blonde, who was the epitome of class and style during her brief movie career. A career sadly cut short by a kidney infection, which resulted in her early death. She was only 26. She is famous for her line: “Would you be shocked, if I put on something more comfortable?”. Her brief career spanned the first half of the 1930s.

[MGM Studio Still - Photographer not identified - Jean Harlow 1935]

[George Hurrell: Jean Harlow - 1932]

[Richard Avedon: Marilyn Monroe as Jean Harlow - 1958]

Marlene Dietrich (1901 - 1992): The femme fatale of German American cinema, she changed everything, when she appeared in one of the first talkies in 1930 in Germany: Der Blaue Engel (The Blue Angel - 1930). She moved to the United States soon after denouncing Hitler as ‘an idiot’. Her roles in Morocco (1930), Dishonoured (1931), Shanghai Express (1932), Blonde Venus (1932), The Scarlet Empress (1924) and The Devil is a Woman (1935) established her as one of the true greats of the time. Her distinctive style and sexual allure - both a straight and gay icon - made her one of the true idols of the 1930s and beyond.

[UFA poster for Der Blaue Engel - 1930]

[UFA - Der Blaue Engel - photographer not identified - Marlene Dietrich - 1930]

[Richard Avedon: Marilyn Monroe as Marlene Dietrich - 1958]

I was able to find the Miller article. The reproduction is not great, but the text is almost readable. In the article Miller says: “I think it was the laughter of recognition: We knew she had hit the nail on the head, the exact combination of innocence and cunning, the sweet wit that used to accompany a girl’s rebellion 30 years ago….”

This is the final photograph from the series of Marilyn Monroe as herself, as seen by Richard Avedon, and as it appeared in Life Magazine in December of 1958.

[Richard Avedon: Marilyn Monroe for Life Magazine - 1958]

I have seen thousands of photographs of Marilyn Monroe over the years. Literally. I even own a few. From her earliest photographs by the likes of André de Dienes, to some of her last by Bert Stern. One thing, which I have noticed…. I have never seen a bad photograph of Marilyn Monroe. She seems to be the most photogenic person who ever lived. The camera loved her, and her photographers loved to photograph her. Smart, beautiful and misunderstood, and to this day the most iconic of all.

Marilyn Monroe, Ms. Photogenic, was born June 1st, 1926.

Until next time….