A Century of Marilyn Monroe: Celebrating 100 years of an American Legend through the Lens of an Acknowledged Master of the Medium
June 1, 2026 marked the 100th Birthday of Marilyn Monroe. The world remembers Marilyn largely from her high-profile movie career, celebrity marriages, affairs, and the marquee lights of her very public life. However, photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt portrays something entirely different from his visit to her Hollywood home in 1953. Still named Norma Jeane Mortenson at the time, most of her notoriety was still to come in the following decade, and she continues to captivate our imagination.
“They don’t take me too seriously with my little camera,” Eisenstadt is quoted as saying, “I don’t come as a photographer. I come as a friend.” Through his candid approach, he captured a rare moment of a relaxed, radiant beauty and innocence—a genuine glimpse into the person behind the persona.
Eisenstaedt is regarded as one of the earliest practitioners of photojournalism, made possible by his mastery of the small Leica rangefinder cameras. By the time of this shoot, he’d already taken a good many of his 90 iconic Life magazine covers, defining the visual history of the early 20th century. He possessed an unmatched gift for making subjects comfortable and his camera invisible, earning his subject’s full trust and a portrayal for the ages.
To mark Marilyn’s centenary, Gallery 270 offers up this perfect, rarely available, iconic, signed and numbered Alfred Eisenstadt photograph. It’s a unique opportunity to own a portrait of an American icon taken by one of the world’s most celebrated photographers.
About the image: Marilyn Monroe at home in Hollywood [1953] by Alfred Eisenstadt
16×20 toned silver gelatin print, #145/250 | $27,500
Printed in the 1990’s by the Time-LIFE Photo Lab.