Stunning photos of Marilyn Monroe taken by John Florea, 1950s

These stunning photos of Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe were captured by photographer John Floria during the 1950s. The mere name of Marilyn Monroe represents different images to different people. For some, it suggests an absolute standard of female sexuality. beauty. Beautiful. sophistication. For others, insecurities come to mind. Suffering. Tragedy.

Floria started out as a photographer for the San Francisco Examiner, then was signed to the staff of LIFE in 1941, living in Hollywood and specializing in celebrity portraits of actresses such as Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe.

After the war, Floria returned to Hollywood to continue photographing celebrities, leaving LIFE in 1949. Portraits of color film stars in the 1950s were part of the 1988 "Masters of Starlight: Photographers in Hollywood" exhibition at LACMA. Los Angeles. He later went on to become a producer, director, and writer for over 130 TV shows from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s.

Floria first photographed Marilyn Monroe in 1951. She had already appeared in two acclaimed films, 'The Asphalt Jungle' and 'All About Eve', before her 24th birthday. Twentieth Century-Fox recently signed a seven-year deal with him.

On March 29, 1951, Marilyn presented the Academy Award for Best Sound Recording to Thomas Moulton for 'All About Eve'. Floria photographed her that day in a beautiful black gown, and the photographs were used to illustrate a feature, '1951 Model Blonde', which was published in Collier in September.

On June 19, Floria accompanied Marilyn on a voyage to the USS Benham at Long Beach, where they photographed her with the sailors. She wore a black net dress as seen in 'As Young As You Feel'.

The period also yielded two of the most beloved portraits of Marilyn, lying on a rug. In one shot, she faces the camera with heavy eyes, and a finger dangles from her mouth. In another shot, she rests her hand on his head and looks up angrily.

Monroe was already a talented model, but she had yet to find great portrait photographers to turn her from starlet to goddess. Most of her promotional shots from this period fit the 'cheesecake' mold, and Floria was happy to play along.

Marilyn posed on a rock in a tight-fitting bathing suit with a strap pulled down. Other seasons showed Floria's sense of mischief. For one shoot, Marilyn was sitting at a dressing table, wearing a slacks, depressed as the telephone rang.

Another series depicts Marilyn in thermal underwear by a thundering fire. It was snubbed by men's magazines that winter, proving she can look sexy in just about anything.

During 1953–54, Floria photographed Marilyn on the sets of her films. During the filming of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, she played the character of gold digger Lorelei Lee, sitting cross-legged and counting piles of money.