Diana Ross (born Diana Ernestine Earle Ross, March 26, 1944) is an American entertainer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown’s most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world’s best-selling girl groups of all time. They remain the best-charting female group in history, with a total of twelve number-one hit singles on the US Billboard Hot 100, including “Where Did Our Love Go”, “Baby Love”, “Come See About Me”, and “Love Child”.
Following departure from the Supremes in 1970, Ross embarked on a successful solo career in music, film, television and on stage. Her eponymous debut solo album featured the U.S. number-one hit “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and music anthem “Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand)”. It was followed with her second solo album, Everything Is Everything, which spawned her first UK number-one single “I’m Still Waiting”. She continued her successful solo career by mounting elaborate record-setting world-wide concert tours, starring in a number of highly watched prime-time television specials, and releasing hit albums like Touch Me in the Morning (1973), Mahogany (1975), and Diana Ross (1976) as well as their number-one hit singles, “Touch Me in the Morning”, “Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To)”, and “Love Hangover”, respectively. Ross further released numerous top-ten hits into the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. She achieved two more US number-one singles, “Upside Down” (1980) and “Endless Love” (1981), as well as UK number-one hit “Chain Reaction” (1986) and UK number-two hit “When You Tell Me That You Love Me” (1991).
Ross has also acted. Her first role was her Golden Globe Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Billie Holiday in the film Lady Sings the Blues (1972); she also recorded its soundtrack, which became a number one hit on the U.S. album chart. She also starred in two other feature films, Mahogany (1975) and The Wiz (1978), and later appeared in the television films Out of Darkness (1994), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and Double Platinum (1999).
Ross was named the “Female Entertainer of the Century” by Billboard in 1976. Since her solo career began in 1970, Ross has released 25 studio albums, numerous singles, and compilations that have sold more than 100 million records worldwide. She is the only female artist to have had number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo artist, as the other half of a duet, as a member of a trio, and as an ensemble member. In 2021, Billboard ranked her the 30th greatest Hot 100 artist of all time. Her hits as a Supreme and a solo artist combined put Ross among the Top 5 artists on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart from 1955 to 2018. She had a top 10 UK hit in every one of the last five decades, and sang lead on a top 75 hit single at least once every year from 1964 to 1996 in the UK, a period of 33 consecutive years and a record for any performer. In 1988, Ross was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Supremes. The Guinness Book of World Records recognizes her as the greatest female artist in U.S. and U.K. chart history, with a career total of 70 hit singles. She was the recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 2007, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016. (Wikipedia)
Hepburn met American actor Mel Ferrer at a cocktail party hosted by mutual friend Gregory Peck. He had suggested that they star together in a play. The meeting would result with them working together in Ondine, during which they began a relationship. Eight months later, on 25 September 1954, they were married at a local 13th century Protestant church in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, while preparing to star together in the film War and Peace (1955).
Hepburn would suffer two miscarriages, one in March 1955, and another in 1959, after she fell from a horse while filming the movie The Unforgiven (1960). When she became pregnant for the third time, she took a year off work to prevent another miscarriage. Their son Sean Hepburn Ferrer was born on 17 July 1960. She would have two more miscarriages, one in 1965 and the other in 1967.
Despite the continuous rumors that their marriage would not last, Hepburn always maintained that she and Ferrer were happy, although she once admitted that he did have a bad temper. From the beginning of their marriage Ferrer was accused of being too controlling, and had often been referred as being her “Svengali” – an accusation that Hepburn heartily denied. William Holden was once heard saying, “I think Audrey allows Mel to think he influences her.” After 14-years of marriage, the couple would divorce in 1968.
Women love classic vintage cars just as much as men. It may be true that vintage automobiles aren’t the greatest when it comes to fuel efficiency, but most of these models were picked combine aesthetics with performance.
Most of these cars are also small since women don’t have the same taste in the idea of ‘bigger, better’ as men do. Regardless of their reduced size, these models will make any lady look like a badass.
1946 Plymouth Deluxe Convertible.
Back to the distant past, now, with this luxury cars of the 40s. This one was a full-size automobile produced by Chrysler, that also came in various shapes and sizes: sedans, coupes, convertibles and station wagons. It’s certainly a sight for sore eyes, with its sleek, smooth lines and its exceptional overall design, but the main advantage to choosing the Deluxe Convertible is its outstanding interior space. It can fit 4 adults and guess what, they can feel exceptionally comfortable.
1954-1986 Jeep CJ5.
Although some people think of it as the laughing stock of all jeeps, the CJ-5 was, after all, manufactured for more than 30 years, so customers must have appreciated it for something. In fact, buyers can choose from a multitude of variants, out of which the highly acclaimed models are the following: the 1965 Tuxedo Park Mark IV, the 1969 462, the 1970 Renegade I, the 1973 Super Jeep and the 1980 Golden Hawk.
1954 Ferrari 250 Europa.
This notorious automobile was first introduced at the 1954 Paris Motor Show and it quickly became the favorite car of the 50s. The Europa is quite a powerful car for its size, featuring a horsepower of 217, which comes from its V12 engine.
1955 Porsche 356 Speedster.
This car is as classy as possible. Let’s not forget that women used to buy the model back in the days because it was James Dean’s favorite vehicle. In fact, the actor used to drive it when he was outside the studio. The model is a luxury car known for its 1300 and 1500 cc engines.
1956 Jaguar XK 140.
This one’s a looker. We can even imagine a lady driving down the street and the wind blowing through her hair. This Jaguar model isn’t even extraordinarily powerful, coming equipped with a 3.8-liter engine and a horsepower of 210. The car can reach a maximum speed of 125 mph, and a July 1957 test performed by Karl Ludvigsen, an editor for Sports Car World, accounted for the statement. Unfortunately, in 1961, Jaguar halted the production of the model, and therefore there’s only a limited number of them available in the world today.
1956 Lancia Aurelia B24S America Spider.
This is the second series of Lancia Aurelias. The model was introduced in late 1955 and was marketed as a convertible. It came with chrome bumpers and larger bonnet air-scoop. The model was a limited edition, as only 521 cars were produced, and all of them were equipped with 2,451 cc engines. It was also the owner of a 2.5-liter displacement and a horsepower of 110. A famous American character, John Jang, purchased a vehicle in 1956, drove it for 28,000 miles and later on abandoned it in its garage. In 2012, Jang’s family decided to check on the automobile and surprisingly enough, the electrical system still worked and all the carrosserie had perfectly survived all these years.
1958-1960 Ford Thunderbird.
In 1958, the Thunderbird was redesigned to fit 4 passengers. The modification increased the vehicle weight to 1,000 pounds. The car was one of the most powerful of the times, as it came equipped with a 5.8 liter V8 engine, responsible for producing 300 hp.
1958 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL Roadster.
The roadster was produced by the German car manufacturer between 1955 and 1963. The ‘58 model features a 4-cylinder engine, a 4-speed manual gearbox and an average fuel consumption of 18.8 mpg. Let’s not forget that back in the days, people weren’t particularly focused on fuel economy. Also, at the time the Roadster was launched, it was said that its interior lacked style and recalled a Spartan way of life, with one-piece leather-covered seats and aluminum doors. Luckily for the model, in 1958 people couldn’t choose from too many other alternatives when it came to interior design. This grand tourer was widely popular until 1963, when it was replaced by the 230SL model.
1959-1967 Mini Mark I.
This is also a rather small-sized vehicle, but since Minis are known for their reliability, women will surely find these models to be more than satisfactory. The greatest advantage to choosing a Mini Mark I is the 4-speed automatic transmission that was added to the model in 1965. Other than that, it’s simply a chic car for ladies who want to get noticed on the road.
1960-1964 Chevrolet Corvair.
This car is truly cosmopolitan, since Chevrolet made a big deal out of manufacturing it as diversely as possible. Ladies can choose from 2-door convertibles and coupes, 4-door sedans and station wagons, and if they’re eager to use as much space as possible, they can even opt for a 6-door or an 8-door van.
1964-1966 Ford Mustang
This is the first generation of Mustangs that Ford ever produced. It also comes with three alternatives: hardtop, sportsroof and convertible. Its engines vary from a small 2.8 liter Thriftpower I6 to a thrilling 4.7 liter Windsor HiPo V8.
1964-1970 Pontiac GTO.
The Pontiac remains one of the favorite automobiles of vintage cars collectors. The GTO is a classic muscle car and it comes in various shapes and sizes: depending on its fabrication year, it can feature a 6.4-liter or a 6.6-liter V8 engine. Buyers have three choices when it comes to the design of the car: convertible, hardtop and coupe.
1964 Aston Martin DB5.
ot only James Bond has the right to drive this car. The automobile became outrageously popular when it was featured as the famous spy’s vehicle, in the acclaimed Goldfinger motion picture. The DB5 is a grand tourer that comes as a coupe or as a convertible and offers buyers a wonderful driving experience, thanks to its 3,995 cc Inline-6 engine and its 282 bhp.
1966 Volvo 121 Amazon.
It was somewhat predictable to find a Volvo in this list of 20 vintage cars for women, as the Swedish brand is known worldwide for manufacturing super-safe vehicles. The Amazon came as a 2-door coupe, 4-door sedan or a 5-door station wagon. Engines ranged from a 1,583 cc to a 1,986 cc one. It’s no wonder that Volvo chose to name the model Amazon because it looks like it’s come out of an exotic movie.
1967-1969 Chevrolet Camaro.
This is the first generation of Camaros that Chevrolet produced. It’s more of a sports car than anything else. The Camaro is a noteworthy alternative for women who are keen on speed, as it comes with various engines (varying from a 4.9 liter to a 7.0 liter V8 one). The car received some negative publicity at the time it was released, in the virtue of Ralph Nader’s book, Unsafe at Any Speed.
1967 Morris Minor Convertible.
Morris Minor is a British brand of automobiles, which debuted with its first cars in the brinks of 1948. All the models were designed to be small, fuel-efficient vehicles, especially since they were launched following WWII. The 1967 convertible was a limited edition, having been produced in only 1,000 numbers. This one comes with a 948 cc engine. The only possible downfall of choosing this model is the fact that its manufacturers didn’t necessarily focus on safety features, and therefore the driving experience could get somewhat risky. Nowadays, drivers have the opportunity to equip their cars with almost any other supplementary features, making even very old models turn into fully loaded automobiles.
1967 Volkswagen Beetle.
This one is such a classic car for women that it almost doesn’t need any description. The charm of a small, smooth car appeals to ladies from all over the world. Another cute thing about its design is that its headlights feature ‘eyelids’. The 1967 Beetle features a 50 hp thanks to its 1.3-liter engine.
1969-1973 Triumph TR6.
Girls will love this British automobile because it’s a beautiful 6-cylinder sports car, which can go from 0 to 60 mph in only 8.2 seconds. Some say it can reach a maximum speed of 120 mph.
1969 Fiat 500.
Fiat has been through a lot of changes in the 60s. One of its innovations was an interesting beach car, which featured chairs made out of raffia. We’ve chosen a more classic model, though, since we know that in today’s reality, women opt for small cars that are also practical. Keep in mind it’s not the most powerful car in the world, but that’s mostly due to its size. It can reach 50 mph in a matter of more than one minute. It comes with a 499 cc, 2-cylinder engine, responsible for producing a rather decent 21.5 bhp. Its top speed isn’t impressive: 65 mph. However, it does offer a 45 mpg fuel economy, which is truly respectable for the end of the 1960s.
1970 MG Midget.
The Midget is yet another classic British brand of cars, which specialized in manufacturing sports and coupes. The 1970 model has a horsepower of 65 bhp, thanks to the addition of a 1,275cc A-series engine. It’s a cool car, which goes well with bright colors (such as red and light blue), and it’s certain that people won’t feel cramped when driving it on the road.
During the Second World War there was a sudden increase in the number of weddings. Unsure of what the future held and anxious to formalise their relationships – and perhaps in need of some hope and joy – men and women overcame the obstacles of bombs and rationing with ingenuity on their way to the altar.
In 1942 alone, 1.8 million weddings took place, up 83 percent from 10 years before. And two-thirds of those brides were marrying men newly enlisted in the military.In 1944, a church pastor in the United States even wrote, “Marriage Is a Serious Business,” a book for young couples in which he warned, “The hasty marriage, caused by glamour and excitement rather than by genuine affection, is one of the evil products of war.”
While wartime romance continued to win out, the pomp of the ceremony was rarely the point. Often small wedding cakes were baked with rationed ingredients, and brides were wearing modest, nontraditional dresses, some even made of silk from the parachutes that had saved their grooms in battle.
A good example is Theodora Roosevelt’s wedding to an artist. She was the granddaughter of former President Theodore Roosevelt, and a cousin of Eleanor Roosevelt. In June 1945, The New York Times reported that the couple had “dispensed with attendants” in a ceremony “witnessed only by immediate relatives.” The bride wore “a brown faille suit, and straw hat with brown veiling,” instead of a typical wedding gown.
During wartime, weddings often needed to be planned quickly, as grooms in the military had be ready to leave on a moments notice if they get called into duty. Weddings often happened in hometowns when the soldier was on leave, or in chapels on military bases when the bride-to-be visits the groom-to-be. Many brides, unable to be with their new husbands due to military orders, often moved back home with their parents to work. As men marched off to war, women were left to take care of homes and businesses and fill war-time jobs in industries to support war effort. This led to a new found independence and many concerns about women in the workforce straining marriages.
With the rise in fast weddings came a sharp spike in divorce rates after the war. The quick rise in divorce rates had many possible causes, the most obvious being a lack of foundation. Since men were marrying women they barely knew before going off to war, there was little time to build a relationship leading to infidelity on both accounts: men yielding to prostitution and women abandoning their husbands for lovers they met in their husbands’ absences. If they did manage to stay together until the end of the war, there was estrangement due to separation to deal with upon men returning. As well, women had been enjoying their independence in their husbands’ absences and some were unwilling to relinquish the freedom. The perception of divorce was also changing with the generations meaning had became more acceptable to separate from a spouse. For all of these reasons and more, those quick marriages before the war also ended with the war.
Yet for all the problems, roughly 75% of the marriages continued after the war. What had begun as a reaction to the war would create a generation of people who would go on to have a profound and lasting effect on the modern world.
We hope you will enjoy these photographs of wartime weddings during World War 2.
1906 photograph of Ota Benga taken at the Bronx Zoo.
Ota Benga was a Mbuti (Congo pygmy) man born in the Ituri Rainforest of the Belgian Congo in 1883. His village was attacked by the Force Publique, established by King Leopold II of Belgium as a militia to enslave the natives for labor in order to utilize the large supply of rubber in the Congo. During the assault Benga’s wife and two children were killed. Benga survived only because he was on a hunting expedition when the Force Publique attacked his village. He would later be captured by “Baschelel” (Bashilele) slave traders.
In 1904 American businessman and explorer Samuel Phillips Verner travelled to Africa under contract from the St. Louis World Fair to bring back a group of 12 pygmies to be part of an exhibition. when he got to Africa, Verner met with a tribe known as the Baschelel(ph) and he found that they had a pygmy in a cage as a captive. He managed to negotiate an agreement to purchase of Ota Benga for several bags of salt and a spool of brass wire. Verner later professed he had rescued Benga from cannibals.
Samuel P Verner took Benga captive in Congo and brought him back to the United States.
Verner and Benga travelled together until they reached a Batwa village. The villagers did not trust the muzungu (white man) due to the abuses of King Leopold’s forces. With some persuasion from Benga, four Batwa, all male, ultimately decided to accompany them to St. Louis. Verner managed to recruit other non-pygmy Africans to make the trip including the son of King Ndombe, ruler of the Bakuba.
The group was brought to St. Louis, Missouri, in late June 1904 without Verner, who had been stricken with malaria. The St. Louis World Fair had already begun, an instantly the Africans became the prime attraction. Ota Benga was the most popular of the group with people especially eager to see his teeth, which had been filed to sharp points in his early youth as ritual decoration. One newspaper called Ota Benga the “the only genuine African cannibal in America”, claimed “[his teeth were] worth the five cents he charges for showing them to visitors”. It did not take the Africans long to develop an entrepreneurial spirit and begin charging for photographs and performances.
Benga (second from left) and the Batwa in St. Louis.Ota Benga, at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, showing his sharpened teeth.
When Verner arrived a month later, he realized the pygmies were more prisoners than performers. Their attempts to enjoy the forests surrounding St. Louis on Sundays was interrupted by the publis’s incessant obsession with them. At the end of the World’s Fair Verner was awarded the gold medal in anthropology for his efforts in bringing the pygmies to St. Louis.
Benga went with Verner when he returned the other Africans to the Belgian Congo. He briefly lived amongst the Batwa (becuse his village had been wiped out in the aforementioned attack), while continuing to accompany Verner on his African mission. He married a Batwa woman who later died of snakebite, and very little is known of this second marriage. Not feeling that he belonged with the Batwa, and being totally alone, Benga decided to return with Verner to America and landed in New York in 1906.
After a brief stint at the American Museum of Natural History, Verner took Benga to the Bronx Zoo. Shortly thereafter Benga was displayed as part of the New York Anthropological Society’s exhibit on human evolution. Once again he became the most popular public display item in America.
Ota Benga at the American Museum of Natural History, 1906.
African-American clergymen immediately protested to zoo officials about the exhibit. James H. Gordon stated that “Our race, we think, is depressed enough, without exhibiting one of us with the apes … We think we are worthy of being considered human beings, with souls.” Gordon felt that the exhibit was antagonistic to Christianity and was in effect a promotion of Darwinism: “The Darwinian theory is absolutely opposed to Christianity, and a public demonstration in its favor should not be permitted.”
Reverend James Gordon led the protests against Ota Benga’s exhibition and captivity at the Bronx Zoo. 1906.
One report states that as many as 400,000 people a day went up to the zoo just to see Ota Benga. The 1900s were a decade when the theory of evolution was still being hotly debated. It wasn’t as broadly accepted even in the scientific community as it is today. And people were probably led to believe by the nature of the exhibition that this was a missing link. This was a bridge between the animals and the humans that had never been seen before.
After the dispute, Benga was given free reign of the zoo. Despite this, and because of continued verbal and physical prods from the gathered crowds at the zoo, he became more vexatious and somewhat violent. Eventually the zoo finally removed Benga from the grounds. For reasons unknown, Verner an Benga decided that it was best that he stay in America.
Toward the end of 1906, Benga was released into Reverend Gordon’s custody.
Gordon placed Benga in the Howard Colored Orphan Asylum, a church-sponsored orphanage which he supervised. As the unwelcome press attention continued, in January 1910, Gordon arranged for Benga’s relocation to Lynchburg, Virginia, where he lived with a local family.
In order that Benga could more easily assimilate into local society, Gordon arranged for the Benga’s teeth to be capped and gave him American-style clothes. He was then sent to elementary school to improve his English as well as other subjects.
Once he felt his English had improved to acceptable levels, Benga decided to leave school. He began working at a Lynchburg tobacco factory. He proved to be a valued employee because he could climb up the poles to get the tobacco leaves without having to use a ladder. His fellow workers knicknamed him “Bingo”. He would tell his life story in exchange for sandwiches and root beer. He began to plan a return to Africa but when World War I broke out, he was unable to do so.
Benga became despondent as his dreams of a return to Africa diminished. On 20 March 1916, at the age of 32, he built a ceremonial fire, chipped off the caps on his teeth, and shot himself in the heart with a stolen pistol. He was finally free.
Thus ended Ota Benga’s heart-rending saga of unhappiness and abuse at the hands of a great many misguided and deluded people.
Ota Benga at the 1904 St. Louis World FairA group of pygmies, including Ota Benga, dancing at the St. Louis World Fair.New York times article covering Ota Benga’s display in Bronx Zoo, 1906.Samuel P Verner in Congo in 1902 with members of the Batetela tribe.
Born Farrokh Bulsara in Tanzania to Pakistani parents, Freddie Mercury set off to London just after he turned 16 years old. In 2002 he landed the 58th place in the top 100 famous British people. While the Rolling Stone magazine gave him a top place in the list of the greatest singers of all time.
Sufferer of Aids, the British musician died following pneumonia on 24 November 1991. Freddie kept his passion going up until is death. He had only publicly announced that he was a carrier of the virus the day before he died.
Freddie Mercury was a brave man in his last days as the band’s lead guitarist Brian May revealed in the book entitled ‘Somebody to Love: The Life, Death and Legacy of Freddie Mercury’: “He never asked for sympathy from anyone else. He was a very strong person and always liked to be in control of his own destiny.”
“There was no drama, no tears in his eyes,” May said. “He was incredibly self-contained. We didn’t feel we could speak about it to anyone.”
With a drawn face and an unusually skeletal appearance in these rare photographs, it is difficult to recognize the signer who used to be full of passion and vibrancy.
Until the end of the 1930s the best women’s stockings were made from silk. This changed in the United States when DuPont began manufacturing nylon in 1939. Nylon stockings went on limited sale in October of that year followed by a national launch at selected stores in 1940. DuPont struggled to keep up with demand and American women were still complaining of shortages in 1942 when the United States joined the war. Commercial quantities of nylon stockings would not reach the rest of the world until after 1945.
Although most nylon was used to make stockings, some was bought by the American military to replace silk in the manufacture of parachutes. When the United States entered the war, DuPont shifted nylon production to a war footing and production was channeled into national defense uses, including parachutes and bomber tyres, and supplies of nylon for stockings dried up. Silk stockings were also unavailable, as trade with Japan ceased and the American army requisitioned all stores of silk for parachutes, munitions and other military uses.
Women were asked to collect silk and nylon stockings and hand them in to help the war effort.
As silk and nylon stockings vanished from the shelves, women looked to alternatives. Depending on the occasion, what was available, their degree of patriotism and their economic situation, they substituted with stockings made from other fibres, wore socks, covered their legs with trousers, went bare-legged or used leg make-up – also known as cosmetic stockings, liquid stockings, bottled stockings and phantom hose – to give the appearance of stockings.
In England, wartime austerity led some women to try their hand at making their own cosmetic stockings from published recipes.
Applying the cosmetic stocking liquid, lotion, cream or stick evenly so that there were no streaks would also have taken practice. Fortunately, help on how to achieve the best results was available from the place of purchase and from articles in newspapers and magazines.
The end of the war saw nylon stockings return to the shelves followed by a corresponding decline in the use of substitutes. DuPont began producing nylon for stockings within two-weeks of the Japanese surrender and this produced what reporters of the time called the ‘nylon riots’ of 1945 and 1946 as women scrambled to buy them in the United States. In those parts of the world where things remained economically depressed and/or clothes remained rationed, cosmetic stockings lingered longer and were still being sold in the 1950s, well after the war was over.
Actress Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Cuban glamour boy, who eloped to Greenwich, Connecticut, express their happiness while waiting for Desi to make his next stage appearance at a New York theater. Wedding ceremony caused Desi to miss the first show.
They met in Hollywood, during filming of picture, Too Many Girls, in which both appeared. Arnaz gave his age as 25; Miss Ball said she was 26.
Here below is a small set of romantic images of newlyweds Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball at the Roxy Theatre on November 30, 1940.
Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 – August 4, 1962) was an American actress, model and singer. Famous for playing comedic “blonde bombshell” characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s and was emblematic of the era’s sexual revolution. She was a top-billed actress for a decade, and her films grossed $200 million (equivalent to $2 billion in 2020) by the time of her death in 1962. Long after her death, Monroe remains a major icon of pop culture. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked her sixth on their list of the greatest female screen legends from the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Monroe spent most of her childhood in foster homes and an orphanage; she married at age sixteen. She was working in a factory during World War II when she met a photographer from the First Motion Picture Unit and began a successful pin-up modeling career, which led to short-lived film contracts with 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures. After a series of minor film roles, she signed a new contract with Fox in late 1950. Over the next two years, she became a popular actress with roles in several comedies, including As Young as You Feel and Monkey Business, and in the dramas Clash by Night and Don’t Bother to Knock. She faced a scandal when it was revealed that she had posed for nude photographs prior to becoming a star, but the story did not damage her career and instead resulted in increased interest in her films.
By 1953, Monroe was one of the most marketable Hollywood stars; she had leading roles in the film noir Niagara, which overtly relied on her sex appeal, and the comedies Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire, which established her star image as a “dumb blonde”. The same year, her nude images were used as the centerfold and on the cover of the first issue of Playboy. She played a significant role in the creation and management of her public image throughout her career, but she was disappointed when she was typecast and underpaid by the studio. She was briefly suspended in early 1954 for refusing a film project but returned to star in The Seven Year Itch (1955), one of the biggest box office successes of her career.
When the studio was still reluctant to change Monroe’s contract, she founded her own film production company in 1954. She dedicated 1955 to building the company and began studying method acting under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio. Later that year, Fox awarded her a new contract, which gave her more control and a larger salary. Her subsequent roles included a critically acclaimed performance in Bus Stop (1956) and her first independent production in The Prince and the Showgirl (1957). She won a Golden Globe for Best Actress for her role in Some Like It Hot (1959), a critical and commercial success. Her last completed film was the drama The Misfits (1961).
Monroe’s troubled private life received much attention. She struggled with addiction and mood disorders. Her marriages to retired baseball star Joe DiMaggio and to playwright Arthur Miller were highly publicized, and both ended in divorce. On August 4, 1962, she died at age 36 from an overdose of barbiturates at her Los Angeles home. Her death was ruled a probable suicide. (Wikipedia)
Here’s a gallery of three-year-old Norma at the beach. The photographs of a young Marilyn Monroe were taken in 1929.
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Woman wearing Rennee’s formal nudity fashions, 1946.Zookeeper giving hippo bundle of hay, 1947.Postwoman during wartime in England, 1942.Demolition of the Boulevard apartment block to prepare for the construction of the War Office, Washington, D.C., 1940Gym class, 1940.Have donut holes gotten smaller down through the years? This compelling vintage chart says yes.A women’s bowling team poses on the front of Chevrolet in a showroom, San Francisco, California, 1945New Yorker reads headline “Nazi Army Now 75 Miles From Paris.” May 18, 1940.Girls from Hoover High School stand on their heads in gymnastics class, San Diego, California, 1946.Couple in front of their candy store in New York City, 1949.3 year old boy in a night club at 5 in the morning on New Year’s day, New York, 1943.Hollywood beach, Florida, 1949A British soldier takes advantage of the opportunity to have a bath in Tobruk, Libya. 17th February 1942.Spanish-American girl singing folk songs to her little brothers and sisters in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1943.Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, 1948Beech-nut Gum girl, Harlem, 1940.Veronica Lake, 1944.Walt Disney on the beach. Brazil, 1941.Street scene in London, 1949Bonny Ann Weber on rearing pony in Potlatch parade, Seattle, 1941Wartime shelter festively decorated for the sleeping child’s Christmas, 1940Nuns in snow, New York City, 1946The children army, neighborhood children playing, Washington DC, 1942Christmas in the Ramu Valley, New Guinea, 1943.Backstage of Mark Foy’s fashion parade, Sydney, 1947Newspaper photographer with women showing nylon stockings, 1942Men in Victorian and Edwardian swimsuits, 1940sBathing beauties, 1944Bowling in Denton, Texas, 1942.The New York Times writers, 1942Girl in the street, Cuba, 1940s.Soldiers of the Hungarian Second Army having fun, 1942A military policeman posing on his motorcycle in Columbus, Georgia, 1942A woman playing badminton on a beach in Tel Aviv, 1948Film players at the Venice Pier Fun House in 1940. As the bowl spins, people fight for leverage to stay in the center.Orchard Street & Rivington Street, New York City, 1949.Young girls play with their dolls seemingly unfazed by the piling shells around their homes, Munich, 1943A dawn scene of Union Street after a night raid, Bristol, 1941The end of WWII is celebrated in Moscow’s Red Square, May 9, 1945A man riding a motorcycle with his two children, Munich, Germany, May 1949.Sailors watching stocking fashion show during WWIIPiccadilly Circus, London, 1940sBack when they called them “service stations”, 1940s.Girls at the University of Chicago learn Jiu-jitsu, 1943Spring break, Southern California, 1947.Snow day, looking south on Broadway from 12th Street, Los Angeles, 1944.Cycles and sidecars at the famous Paris restaurant Maxim’s, 1942Family driving on motorcycle and sidecar from Omaha, Nebraska to Salt Lake City, Utah along Highway 30, July 1948.Escaping the German raids people sleep in the London underground during the battle of Britain, 1940Dona Drake in bikini with rifle, Los Angeles, 1942.
