Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe by Sam Shaw 1954

On September 15, 1954, Marilyn Monroe stood on a subway grate in New York City wearing a little white dress and fought an upward breeze. This photograph is a scene from the Seven Year Itch, which went on to become one of the most iconic moments in movie history.                            The dress she is wearing is a white cocktail dress which has a plunging neckline which leaves her arms, shoulders and back bare. In this iconic picture, Marilyn Monroe is standing over the subway crate while her dress is flowing in the air, and she keeps it from coming up by placing her hand over it to cover her body. Her one hand is covered by the dress as she tries to keep it from flying upwards, and her other hand is back behind her ear, causing a sexual pose. The flow of her dress, floating around her body, creates this perception of a seductive movie star. Marilyn is seducing the camera in this pose, and in the same moment, everyone watching is being seduced by her. This one picture may not seem scandalous now, but back then this what not something normal, which shows just how spectacular and unique Marilyn Monroe was.

The image was shot in black-and-white in which the white of her dress and shoes contrasts the darkness of the background. Monroe’s very blonde hair and earrings also contrasts with the dark image. The fact that the dress is white makes her look almost as if she is flying, and as if she is angelic. In the image, you can see other photographers and an audience in the background. There is also another man walking past in the background who is not even looking in the direction of the camera shooting the image. It is almost as if he does not even notice that her dress is flying up. Also there is another man on the left side of the photo, who is looking at Monroe with a sense of craving and fondness. The angle of her bottom half makes it looks like her legs are slightly crossed and she is bent down, which makes it seem like she is trying to be innocent and not reveal too much. This can also be seen by how she puts her hand on her dress to cover more. Although she is crouching down a little, her legs still appear to be long like a models. This photograph is quite unique and fits Marilyn Monroe’s personality.