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The Last Glimpse: Uncovering The Untold Stories Behind Marilyn Monroe's Final Photoshoots

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The enduring mystery surrounding Marilyn Monroe’s final days is inextricably linked to the images captured in her last professional photoshoots. These sessions, taken just weeks before her tragic death in August 1962, offer the world a poignant, and sometimes startlingly raw, glimpse of the global icon at the end of her life. As of December 2025, new analysis and exhibitions continue to explore the nuances of these final portraits, revealing a woman who was both vulnerable and dazzlingly resilient.

The term "Marilyn Monroe last photoshoot" is surprisingly ambiguous, referring to two distinct, yet equally pivotal, sessions that have cemented her image in popular culture. One was a controversial, high-fashion spread for a major magazine; the other was a more intimate, unstyled session that yielded the absolute final professional photographs ever taken of her. This article delves deep into both, exploring the context, the photographers, and the lingering questions surrounding these iconic final images.

Marilyn Monroe: A Brief Biography and Profile

Marilyn Monroe, born Norma Jeane Mortenson on June 1, 1926, in Los Angeles, California, overcame a difficult childhood to become one of the world's most enduring sex symbols and a top-billed actress for a decade.

  • Real Name: Norma Jeane Mortenson (baptized Norma Jeane Baker)
  • Born: June 1, 1926, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
  • Died: August 5, 1962, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
  • Occupation: Actress, Singer, Model
  • Key Films: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), The Seven Year Itch (1955), Some Like It Hot (1959), The Misfits (1961).
  • Legacy: Monroe personified Hollywood glamour and her films grossed over \$200 million by her death (equivalent to \$2 billion in 2024).

Her persona was a complex blend of alluring beauty and a fragile inner life, a duality that makes the photographs from her final weeks so compelling to modern viewers. Her career was marked by both immense success and personal turmoil, setting the stage for the dramatic and poignant nature of her last professional engagements.

The First 'Last Shoot': Bert Stern’s Iconic 'The Last Sitting'

The most famous and often-cited candidate for the "last photoshoot" is the legendary session with photographer Bert Stern. Commissioned by *Vogue* magazine, this shoot was a pivotal moment in fashion photography and Monroe’s public image.

The Context and Controversy of 'The Last Sitting'

In late June 1962, Marilyn Monroe arrived at the Hotel Bel-Air for a series of sessions with Bert Stern. The shoot, which was intended to be her first appearance in *Vogue*, spanned three separate sessions and yielded an astonishing 2,571 portraits.

The pictures from "The Last Sitting" are iconic for their raw intimacy. Monroe famously discarded her inhibitions, posing with sheer scarves, jewelry, and, most controversially, completely nude. These were not the typical heavily styled Hollywood glamour shots. Instead, they revealed a more vulnerable, yet still dashing and delightful, Marilyn.

A key aspect of the shoot, which adds to its tragic lore, is the series of images where Monroe, dissatisfied with the results, used a red grease pencil to mark an "X" over the negatives of her least favorite shots. These "X-marked" images are now some of the most famous, symbolizing her desire for control over her own image, even in her final weeks. The sheer volume and uninhibited nature of "The Last Sitting" make it a powerful, and emotionally heavy, collection.

The Absolute Final Professional Photos: George Barris for Cosmopolitan

While Bert Stern’s session was the more famous and extensive "last sitting," the true final professional photographs of Marilyn Monroe were taken by her close friend and photographer, George Barris. This session offers the most definitive, and heartbreaking, look at the star just weeks before her death.

The Intimacy of the Barris Shoot

George Barris was assigned by *Cosmopolitan* magazine to photograph Monroe around Los Angeles in June 1962. The sessions extended over several days, with the final photographs reportedly taken on July 13, 1962. This date places the Barris shoot as the absolute last professional engagement before her passing on August 5, 1962.

The Barris images are distinctly different from Stern's high-fashion, high-concept approach. These photographs capture a Marilyn that is more "real," unstyled, and natural. They were taken in various locations, including on a beach and around a pool, showing her in simple attire, such as a casual sweater or wrapped in a towel.

Barris’s work provides a captivating insight into her final days. The images are described as raw and compelling, capturing a sense of her life and legacy in a way that feels less like a product and more like a person. Barris intended to publish a book with the photos, but he ultimately held back after her death, only releasing them much later, adding another layer of mystique to the collection of "unpublished pictures."

The Lingering Legacy of the Final Images

The two final photoshoots—Bert Stern's "The Last Sitting" and George Barris's final pictures—serve as a powerful and complex visual epitaph for Marilyn Monroe. They capture her at a critical juncture: on the cusp of a potential career comeback, yet clearly struggling with the pressures of her fame and personal life.

The images from both photographers continue to be exhibited and discussed globally, especially since the passing of George Barris in 2016. The ongoing interest in these "final photos" speaks to the public's enduring fascination with her life and the profound tragedy of her early death. They are not merely pictures; they are historical documents that freeze a moment in time, revealing the vulnerability and the sheer magnetic star power of a woman who, even in her final weeks, was utterly captivating.

Ultimately, the George Barris photos represent the final, casual wave goodbye from an icon, while the Bert Stern images stand as a testament to her willingness to strip bare—both literally and figuratively—for the camera, cementing her legacy as a timeless and complex figure in Hollywood history.

marilyn monroe last photoshoot
marilyn monroe last photoshoot

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