On a sunny London evening, a small crowd has gathered outside the National Portrait Gallery. It’s June 1st, 2026, and Marilyn Monroe was born 100 years ago today. Among the onlookers, a drag artist wears a replica of Monroe’s red gown with a diagonal strap from How to Marry a Millionaire. The doors open, and Marilyn herself greets us from within a black-and-white photograph overlaid with the words Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait in yellow type. This image was captured in early 1953 by Alfred Eisenstaedt, one of many European emigrés who came to define photojournalism in postwar America. 

At the time of the shoot, Marilyn was twenty-six years old and about to take her place among Hollywood’s elite with the release of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. She posed in the back yard of her Beverly Hills condo, wearing a black polo-neck jumper with white capri pants. One hand is placed on her hips, while the other reaches forward as she faces the camera with calm determination.  Continue reading →