This weekend I decided to take a trip into central to visit the Marilyn exhibition at the Getty Images Gallery in Eastcastle Street, London. The exhibition displays a collection of imagery and memorabilia to commemorate 50 years since the untimely death of Marilyn Monroe.
Image taken using a Nikon D40
Showcased in London for the first time, the exhibition features a number of original dresses and costumes worn by the Hollywood icon, alongside unique and iconic photographs.
Marilyn includes imagery from Monroe’s early years as an aspiring actress through to her rise to international stardom. Accompanying the photographs is original film costumes and dresses from the legendary collection of David Gainsborough Roberts, owner of one of the largest collections of Marilyn Monroe memorabilia in the world. Original video of Marilyn offer an unrivalled glimpse into the life of one of the world’s most famous stars.
Image taken using a Nikon D40
Louise Garczewska, Director, Getty Images Gallery says:
We are extremely excited to present our Marilyn exhibition, offering the public unparalleled and rare access to Marilyn’s life through the iconic imagery from Getty Images’ extensive archival collection. David Gainsborough Roberts has kindly loaned us Marilyn’s dresses which the public can see in London for the first time ever, making this exhibition a perfect tribute to one of Hollywood’s greats.
Image taken using a Nikon D40
A smaller exhibition will also be on display at Getty Images Gallery in Westfield Stratford City at a slightly later date of 23 March to 3 June 2012.
The Venue
ADDRESS – Getty Images Gallery, 46 Eastcastle Street, London, W1
DATES – 9 March to 23 May
OPENING TIMES – Monday to Friday 10am-5.30pm and Saturday 12-5.30pm
WEBSITE – http://www.gettyimagesgallery.com/
TWITTER – @gettygallery
On Film
Following along with the theme of all things Marilyn is the 2011 British biographical film My Week with Marilyn, directed by Simon Curtis and written by Adrian Hodges.
Based on two books by Colin Clark, the film depicts the making of the 1957 film The Prince and the Showgirl, which starred Marilyn Monroe and Laurence Olivier. The film focuses on the week in which Monroe spent time being escorted around Britain by Clark, after her husband, Arthur Miller, had left the country.
The film stars Michelle Williams, Kenneth Branagh, Eddie Redmayne, Dougray Scott, Judi Dench and Emma Watson. Michelle Williams is astonishingly good as Marilyn Monroe, as she ably conveys the tension between Monroe’s eyelid-fluttering public persona and the damaged woman behind it.
Monroe is portrayed as unreliable, profoundly unhappy and insecure in the film. At the same time we see her as a vulnerable, childlike, insanely beautiful and magnetic in her charms.
I could go on about how much I enjoyed the movie and what a fabulous actress Michelle Williams is, but I think you really should just go and watch it for yourself.
On March 13, the film that earned Michelle Williams a Best Actress Academy Award nomination, My Week With Marilyn, will debut on Blu-ray and DVD. Visit the HDRoom for more information.
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