After sitting in storage since his death in 1985, André de Dienes's complete Marilyn archives have finally been gathered together for this exclusive publication!
Photographer André de Dienes's life was changed forever one day in 1945 when he met an aspiring young model named Norma Jeane Baker. They immediately took off on the road together so that André could photograph her in natural settings across the West; during their travels, they fell in love and were briefly engaged. After their romance ended, they remained friends and de Dienes continued to photograph her. His unique, loving photographs of Norma Jeane helped to launch her model career and, a few years later, the film career that was to make her a legend. His entire relationship with the star, including many private moments never before revealed, is detailed in de Dienes's memoirs, which were written shortly before his death in 1985. Recently uncovered and published here for the first time, these unknown memoirs tell a bittersweet story of love and friendship, tracing the evolution of a sensitive, ambitious girl into a deeply troubled megastar. From their trip to see Norma Jeane's mother in an Oregon mental hospital to Marilyn's visit to his home the year before her death, de Dienes recounts all of the emotional moments they shared. This special edition, combining de Dienes's memoirs and photographs, is at once a touching autobiography and an exclusive personal exploration into the psychology, history, and iconography of Marilyn Monroe.
Tucked into the enlarged facsimile of de Dienes's Kodak film box are:
an extra-large format, 240-page hardcover book featuring a vast selection of sumptuous photographs and excerpts from de Dienes's memoirs, printed on 150g matte stock;
a 608 page softcover facsimile of de Dienes's complete Marilyn memoirs and his Marilyn composite book (which includes the complete set of nearly 1000 Marilyn photos in contactsized prints);
a brochure containing all 24 of Marilyn's magazine covers shot by de Dienes.
With some notable exceptions, the vast majority of these images–especially those in color–have never been seen before!
