What Marilyn Monroe Taught Me About Vintage Glamour Photography
As a photographer who is obsessed with all things glossy and glamorous, Marilyn has always been a historical figure I keep coming back to for visual inspiration - it is the way her entire persona became a synonym for femininity and allure.
A true bombshell of her time, she became the definition of 20th-century Hollywood glam and continues to enchant generations even decades after her death.
A great part of her appeal was her brilliant comedic timing in performances in classics like Some Like It Hot(1959) and The Seven Year Itch (1955), highlighting her playfulness and cheekiness.
Her real name was Norma Jeane Mortenson, a woman with an unfortunate upbringing. A photographer during World War II discovered her and quickly caught the eye of talent scouts all over Hollywood - she just had that je ne sais quoi.
Pushing the boundaries of objectification, she formed her own film company in the 1950s, Marilyn Monroe Productions - for a woman who was usually reduced to her appearance, it shifted the public perception; she was an actual player in the world of Hollywood productions and not just something pretty to look at.
Blonde, curvy, soft-spoken and covered in diamonds, Marilyn embodies feminine confidence and playfulness in a glossy, theatrical way that can only be described as seen through rose-coloured glasses.
What I take away from Marilyn’s persona is that charm and sex appeal shine from within; her spark was ten times brighter due to her humour and charisma, and that was captured flawlessly through the lens of the photographers who captured her portrait.
And it is quite funny; sometimes I feel like I channel her in a way - when I am feeling down in the dumps, but I have to drag myself out of bed and…. Well, slay. Hair done, perfumed and ready to take on the day and show the world my best, most enchanting self, and it is a life skill that a lot of women have to learn to navigate this world.
When I photograph women, I try to uplift them and bring out a side of them that maybe they didn’t know was there - a confidence and playfulness that is just within us; it just needs the right prompting to shine bright.
