Photographer Unveils Secrets Behind Iconic Marilyn Monroe Photo Shoot

In 2025, previously unseen images and correspondence between photographer Sam Shaw and Marilyn Monroe have been unveiled in the book "Dear Marilyn: The Unseen Letters and Photographs." Shaw, who passed away in 1999, had become Monroe's de facto personal photographer in the early 1950s.

The book details how Shaw was the mastermind behind the iconic windswept photo of Monroe above a subway grate, which was used to promote the 1955 film The Seven Year Itch. Shaw explains that he had shot a similar photo of a model and a sailor over a decade earlier at Coney Island, and always wanted to recreate the concept on a larger scale.

When the opportunity arose to create a key photo and logo for the film's promotion, Shaw seized the chance. He worked closely with the film's director, Billy Wilder, and producer, Charles Feldman, to coordinate the logistics of the shoot, including arranging for additional police officers to handle the expected crowd. On the day of the shoot in September 1954, thousands of fans and press members showed up, but the situation remained under control, with the police "too mesmerized by what they were seeing" to intervene.

After the film crew finished their shots, Shaw had "complete freedom to set up" his own photo of Monroe, who "loved posing" for him. The resulting image became known as the "shot seen 'round the world," despite the fact that it had to be recreated in a Los Angeles studio for the final advertisement due to the "rough shooting conditions" in New York.