Fashion photographer Andre de Dienes's life was changed forever one day in 1945 when he met a lovely young aspiring model named NormaJeane Dougherty. He instantly fell in love with her innocence and charm and the two were briefly engaged. They took many adventurous road trips together in those early years, de Dienes shooting NormaJeane in every possible natural setting in his original, inspired style. He soon built up a huge portfolio of stunning photographs of the smiling brunette which helped to launch her model career and, a few years later, a film careerthat was to make her a legend.
As well as Monroe, Dienes also photographed such notable actors as Elizabeth Taylor, Marlon Brando, Henry Fonda, Shirley Temple, Ingrid Bergman, Ronald Reagan, Jane Russell, AnitaEkberg and Fred Astaire.
His entire relationship with the star, including many private moments shared only between the two, is detailed in deDienes's secret memoirs, which were discovered when Monroe fans ravaged his home after his death in 1988.
Photos dated October 1945.
