Marilyn Monroe centenary exhibitions showcase unseen photos and letters

The 2022 centenary of Marilyn Monroe’s birth (June 1, 1926) has been marked with exhibitions worldwide that feature previously unseen photographs and personal correspondence. A new volume, Dear Marilyn – The Unseen Letters and Photographs, assembles Sam Shaw’s iconic images – including those from The Seven Year Itch (1955) – alongside letters the photographer exchanged with Monroe during the early 1960s.

Exhibitions have been mounted at venues such as the National Portrait Gallery in London and the International Film Festival in Troia, with curation by Shaw’s granddaughter Melissa Stevens. The London show also includes interviews and letters that were first published in Life magazine shortly after Monroe’s death.

Commentary accompanying the displays has linked Monroe’s legacy to contemporary discussions of female independence and sex‑work economics, noting the actress’s own statements about self‑reliance and the way her image continues to influence debates on gender and financial autonomy.