It is astounding and delightful that some people at LIFE magazine recently unearthed never-before-published Marilyn Monroe photographs (in,of all places, a warehouse in New Jersey).They were taken by Ed Clark in August 1950,2 months after his subject's 24th birthday.The images were snapped at a Los Angeles park and show Marilyn minimally done-up, yet more polished than in the beach photos mentioned in my previous article.She is casually dressed--as she often was in the years before stardom-- surrounded by foliage,water,sunlight and shade.My favourite images are numbers 1 and 11. I do not agree with the captions' assessment that Marilyn was an innocent with no inkling of the fame she would soon command.This is,at best,disingenuous and,at worst, a slam to an ambitious woman who always went after what she wanted.To imply that it just kind of fell into her lap is tinged with some disrespect,however unconsciously meant.However,the photos are stunning.They add more texture to a woman already well-sated with complexity.
Click the word delightful to be transported to LIFE's gallery of lost MM photos.
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