Marilyn Monroe

Born Norma Jeane Mortenson in 1926, Marilyn Monroe "was an American actress, model, and singer" (Wikipedia).

Marilyn in bed.

From the Castroville, California Wikipedia entry:

Marilyn Monroe, Honorary Artichoke Queen

Marilyn Monroe was given the honorary title of Artichoke Queen in 1947 during a visit to the Monterey Bay Area.

Stanley Seedman, owner of Carlyle's Jewelers in Salinas, California, made arrangements for a model named Doreen Nash to model for a big promotional sale in Salinas in February 1948. Doreen Nash was not able to attend; her replacement was Marilyn Monroe.

Marilyn Monroe spent a week in the Monterey Bay Area, visiting and promoting her career. She made her appearance replacing Doreen Nash at Carlyle's Jewelry and signed autographs. Marilyn Monroe was asked to draw the lucky ticket for a $250.00 diamond ring in the Vogue Theater.

During her stay in Salinas, Marilyn Monroe visited several Men's Civic Clubs including the Kiwanis Club. During the Kiwanis Club meeting, representatives from CalChoke (The California Artichoke Association) presented her with a sash.

A photograph was taken of her wearing a sash with the wording "California Artichoke Queen," and she posed with Edward Modena, Randy Barsotti, and Enrico Bellone. They were all holding artichokes."

The photographs of Marilyn wearing the sash and holding artichokes were used in advertisements and passed throughout the produce industry.

Also see Marilyn Monroe, Artichoke Queen.

Norma Jeane at Avalon, Santa Catalina Island, 1943.

Norma Jeane photographed by Conover while working at a radioplane factory in mid-1944 (from Wikipedia).

Norma Jeane.

Marilyn Monroe, 1946.

Marilyn Monroe, 1949.

Marilyn shooting arrows.

Marilyn Monroe photo by Frank Powonly, 1952.

Marilyn Monroe.

The Seven Year Itch movie poster.

The quote is by Timothy Leary.

For the photo below, commentary is by Jorjeh Taradanamore, a Facebook personage:

Marilyn Monroe at home at the Beverly Carlton in 1951. Photo by David Cicero. It's a very large image, let's take a closer look. She's reading The Poetry and Prose of Heinrich Heine (1948), near her feet is the screenplay of her upcoming film Don't Call Me Mother, which during production would be retitled, more salaciously, Don't Bother to Knock.
There's a glass of wine or champagne next to the bouquet of flowers; under it, a 1950 edition of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, a dictionary, and a photo of a man who suspiciously looks like Arthur Miller, whom she'd marry in 1956 (she had met him in 1951 and had told her acting coach, "That's someone I could love forever").
The very first book in the row behind her, Ibsen's An Enemy of the People, is the adaptation by Arthur Miller. Greatest line ever in that play, "Was the majority right when they crucified Jesus?"
Also among her books: The Loyalty of Free Men (1951) by Alan Barth, Anna Karenina lying on top of Charlie Chaplin, many books on acting (Building a Character, Focus), and Tolstoy's War and Peace. Her love of Russian literature had been ignited by her former sugar daddy, Russian-born Johnny Hyde, who had died a year before; and also by her acting coach, Natasha Lytess.
On the table in front of her are books about Michelangelo and Albrecht Durer, and there's one of those year-in-review books, from 1949.
Her mirror has been decorated with several pictures: Bruegel's Portrait of an Old Woman (bottom left), A Woman by Modigliani, and Cezanne's Card Players.
Finally, on top of the bookcase, in the corner, is a portrait of famed Italian actress, Eleonora Duse, who once remarked, "Away from the stage, I do not exist."
Obviously, well placed, but the room does point to her genius and scholarship.

Richard dot J dot Wagner at gmail dot com