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gallery
October 6, 2017

Marilyn Monroe’s Most Trusted Photographer

By Danielle Cohen

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Photo: Milton H. Greene © 2017 Joshua Greene. From The Essential Marilyn Monroe; published by ACC Editions.

By the time Joshua Greene was 11 years old, his father Milton Greene, a close friend and longtime photographer of Marilyn Monroe, had enlisted him in his darkroom. Growing up, he helped develop prints of Monroe and other icons who posed for his father’s camera for decades — including Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, and Sammy Davis, Jr. After his father died, Joshua dedicated his own photography career to restoring the archive he left behind. He selected more than 100 never-before-seen images of Monroe for the new book The Essential Marilyn Monroe, published by ACC Art Books.

“They were like two kids in a sandbox,” Joshua says of Greene and Monroe. “They’d go to the 20th Century back lots, raid the costume department’s closing, and then go out and shoot something.” The book’s rare collection of photos dates back to September of 1953, when they met on their first shoot together for Life magazine. Greene became a confidante and business partner to Monroe, supporting her as a friend throughout the termination of her contract with 20th Century Fox — he validated her choice to do it, helped fund her lawsuit, and invited her to escape Hollywood and stay at his apartment in New York. As an artist, he focused on capturing Monroe’s ability to break the hyper-sexualized mold she faced, Joshua says, and she trusted Milton to help her do so.

They started their own production company, Marilyn Monroe Productions, and for the next two years produced Bus Stop and The Prince and the Show Girl, all while staging dozens of photo shoots in L.A. and New York. They dissolved operations in 1957, after Monroe married Arthur Miller. “My father’s eye was always going 100 miles an hour, making sure that Marilyn looked the best that she could look,” Joshua says. “He would never let anybody see a bad picture of her.”

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1 / 12 Photos
Taken in the guest villa of Joseph Schenck’s estate in October 1953, this shot is part of a previously unpublished series. Photo: Milton H. Greene © ... Taken in the guest villa of Joseph Schenck’s estate in October 1953, this shot is part of a previously unpublished series. Photo: Milton H. Greene © 2017 Joshua Greene. From The Essential Marilyn Monroe; published by ACC Editions./Photograph by Milton H. Greene
In the Red Sweater series from July 1955, Marilyn wears a cashmere sweater that was actually one of Milton’s props. Photo: Milton H. Greene © 2017 Jo... In the Red Sweater series from July 1955, Marilyn wears a cashmere sweater that was actually one of Milton’s props. Photo: Milton H. Greene © 2017 Joshua Greene. From The Essential Marilyn Monroe; published by ACC Editions./Photograph by Milton H. Greene
In this renowned series from October 1954, known as The Ballerina Sitting, Marilyn wears a dress designed by Herbert Kasper that was actually two size... In this renowned series from October 1954, known as The Ballerina Sitting, Marilyn wears a dress designed by Herbert Kasper that was actually two sizes too small — which is why she had to hold up the bodice throughout the sitting. Photo: Milton H. Greene © 2017 Joshua Greene. From The Essential Marilyn Monroe; published by ACC Editions./Photograph by Milton H. Greene
In a costume nabbed from 20th Century Fox, Marilyn posed for Milton in three locations, including from inside the window of a palm-reading shop. Phot... In a costume nabbed from 20th Century Fox, Marilyn posed for Milton in three locations, including from inside the window of a palm-reading shop. Photo: Milton H. Greene © 2017 Joshua Greene. From The Essential Marilyn Monroe; published by ACC Editions./Photograph by Milton H. Greene
This was the second ensemble from Marilyn and Milton’s first collaboration in September of 1953, often known as the Négligée Shoot. Phot... This was the second ensemble from Marilyn and Milton’s first collaboration in September of 1953, often known as the Négligée Shoot. Photo: Milton H. Greene © 2017 Joshua Greene. From The Essential Marilyn Monroe; published by ACC Editions.
A candid shot in a hotel room from September 1954. Photo: Milton H. Greene © 2017 Joshua Greene. From The Essential Marilyn Monroe; published by ACC ... A candid shot in a hotel room from September 1954. Photo: Milton H. Greene © 2017 Joshua Greene. From The Essential Marilyn Monroe; published by ACC Editions./Photograph by Milton H. Greene
In February 1985, Marilyn posed for a Look magazine shoot modeling oriental gowns. Photo: Milton H. Greene © 2017 Joshua Greene. From The Essential M... In February 1985, Marilyn posed for a Look magazine shoot modeling oriental gowns. Photo: Milton H. Greene © 2017 Joshua Greene. From The Essential Marilyn Monroe; published by ACC Editions./Photograph by Milton H. Greene
For a September 1953 shoot for Look magazine, Milton shot Marilyn in a sweater coat after the magazine’s entourage had left. Photo: Milton H. Greene ... For a September 1953 shoot for Look magazine, Milton shot Marilyn in a sweater coat after the magazine’s entourage had left. Photo: Milton H. Greene © 2017 Joshua Greene. From The Essential Marilyn Monroe; published by ACC Editions./Photograph by Milton H. Greene
In March 1955, Milton shot Marilyn just after she finished her makeup, sporting a white terrycloth robe. Photo: Milton H. Greene © 2017 Joshua Greene... In March 1955, Milton shot Marilyn just after she finished her makeup, sporting a white terrycloth robe. Photo: Milton H. Greene © 2017 Joshua Greene. From The Essential Marilyn Monroe; published by ACC Editions./Photograph by Milton H. Greene
Milton did this shoot in March 1955 in his New York studio, with Marilyn wearing a matching jacket and trousers designed by Jax of Hollywood. Photo: ... Milton did this shoot in March 1955 in his New York studio, with Marilyn wearing a matching jacket and trousers designed by Jax of Hollywood. Photo: Milton H. Greene © 2017 Joshua Greene. From The Essential Marilyn Monroe; published by ACC Editions.
On the 1930s-style set of Marilyn Monroe Productions’s second film, The Prince and the Showgirl, filmed in July and August of 1956. Photo: Milton H. ... On the 1930s-style set of Marilyn Monroe Productions’s second film, The Prince and the Showgirl, filmed in July and August of 1956. Photo: Milton H. Greene © 2017 Joshua Greene. From The Essential Marilyn Monroe; published by ACC Editions./Photograph by Milton H. Greene
In October of 1955, when Marilyn and Milton heard their lawsuit against 20th Century Fox would soon be settled, he dressed her in two outfits left ove... In October of 1955, when Marilyn and Milton heard their lawsuit against 20th Century Fox would soon be settled, he dressed her in two outfits left over from a fashion shoot and photographed her while setting up for a shoot the next day. Photo: Milton H. Greene © 2017 Joshua Greene. From The Essential Marilyn Monroe; published by ACC Editions./Photograph by Milton H. Greene
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