Marilyn in New York

New York photographer Ed Feingersh produced some of the most beautiful Marilyn Monroe shots there are, such as the iconic Chanel No. 5: Marilyn in her hotel suite putting the finishing touches to her evening attire — with a touch of perfume for her decollete. In 1955 she retreated to her exile in New York to avoid the constraints of her contract with Twentieth Century Fox and to take acting lessons with Lee Strasberg. For one whole week, Feingersh observed 29-year-old Marilyn during her private and public life in New York. He followed her on her wanders through the city, joined her at costume fittings and at the Actors Studio, went along for an incognito jaunt on the subway and during her legendary ride on the pink elephant in Madison Square Garden. What he captured was the truly beautiful Marilyn Monroe oscillating between new self-confidence and extreme vulnerability, who could be relaxed and joyful one moment, contemplative, dreamy and sad the next? Marilyn the person, as it were.