My journey ends here...
In 1962, Bert Stern was a reknown photographer. He lived in New York CIty and worked for Vogue magazine.
He was ready to take pictures of Marilyn, and more precisely for nude pictures (which hadn't happened since her pictures for the calendar with Tom Kelley in 1951).
Vogue magazine and Marilyn agreed, under her condition that the pictures would be taken in Los Angeles.
To him, nude pictures in studio were impossible, she wouldn't agree. He then had the idea to realise his session at the Bel Air Hotel : it was a very charming hotel, quiet, and the fireplace in each room guaranteed her a maximum of privacy.
To lead Marilyn to take off "smoothly", he asked Vogue magazine to provide him some scarfs and jewels.
The room 261 had a big sitting-room linked to the room by a passage. The room was used as a cabin; there was also a dressing table where Marilyn could make her up and a big bathroom. The sitting-room was used as a studio.
Pat Newcomb asked Stern to buy 3 bottles of Dom Perignon 1953 champagne for Marilyn.
She came in and visited the place. She agreed to undress but kept her pants on and played with the scarfs. The session lasted all night long, until 7.00 AM and at he end of the session, after having drunk lots of champagne, she agreed to completely undress, wearing only a black and white scarf.
Georges Masters was her hairdresser for this session (
).
Pictures " The Last Sitting » part 1
The Pearls Sitting 1
,
(more pics here). The Pearls Sitting 2
,
,
(more pics here).
The Face Sitting
,
(more pics here).
The Black Dotted Scarf Sitting
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(more pics here).
The Orange Striped Scarf Sitting
,
(more pics here).
The Pink Scarf Sitting
(more pics here).
The Black and White Scarf Sitting
Two Scarves Sitting
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,
,
,
,
,
The Striped Scarf Sitting
(more pics here).
Stern went back to New York City;Alexandre Lieberman, artistic director of Vogue magazine, satisfied with the pictures, wanted however black and white fashion pictures for the 8 pages planned in the magazine.
Marilyn agreed for a new 3-days session, and Stern went back to Los Angeles.
The session was to take place on July 10, 11 and 12. But Marilyn, exhausted, only came on July 10 and 12.
Stern had rented the bungalow n° 96 at the Bel Air Hotel to have more space for the pictures. Kenneth Battelle was her hairdresser for those two sessions.
Pictures « The Last Sitting » Part 2 : July 10, 1962
The Black Dress Sitting
,
(more pics here).
The Make up and Hairdress Sitting
,
(more pics here).
The Black Dress and Glitter Gloves Sitting
,
(more pics here).
The Black Dress with Pearls Sitting
,
(more pics here).
The Dark Costume with Hat Sitting
,
(more pics here).
The Light Coat with Hat Sitting
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,
,
,
,
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The Mink Fur Hat Sitting
The Black Wig Sitting
,
(mor pics here).
The Fashion Sitting
The White Veil Sitting
,
(more pics here).
The Chinchilla Sitting
,
(more pics here).
The Black Dress and Blond Hair Sitting
The White Dress and Fur Stole Sitting
,
(more pics here).
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The Bed Sitting
,
,
(more pics here).
Leif-Erik Nygards, Bert Stern's assistant was the one who took the very last picture of Marilyn, a picture Stern
has wrongfully taken all the credit for himself (
-
).
Pictures « The Last Sitting » 3rd part : July 10, 1962
,
(more pics here).
The Sparkle Sitting
,
,
,
(more pics here).
During the 3 sessions, Stern took some 2 700 pictures.
During the following days, Marilyn chose some of them, and refused some others by crossing them out with a red pen or by ripping them with a hair-pin
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At that time, Vogue magazine published only 8 black and white pictures (
).
A 464 pages book based in this event, containing 2 571 pictures, "The Complete Last Sitting" had been reprinted several times. More than any other book, it gives the idea of waht a picture session with Marilyn could be : a succession of poses lightly different, tiny changes in the way to hold the pose, to smile and to move.
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