© BOB ADELMAN ESTATE, COURTESY WESTWOOD GALLERY NYC

TO PURCHASE THIS ARTWORK CONTACT WESTWOOD GALLERY NYC, INFO@WESTWOODGALLERY.COM | (212) 925 5700 | IG: @WESTWOODGALLERYNYC

SAM SHAW (1912 - 1999) Marilyn Monroe on the set of “The Seven Year Itch”, NYC Photograph 1954 | Printed later Gelatin silver print, AP
Stamped by the Estate
Paper size: 24 x 20 inches | 60.9 x 50.8 cm
Framed size: 31 x 25 inches | 78.7 x 63.5 cm
© Sam Shaw, Inc., courtesy Westwood Gallery NYC

THE IMAGE

Marilyn Monroe on the set of the movie “The Seven Year Itch” in 1954. Marilyn is shown moments before the iconic photo of her dress blown over the subway grate, from the air of passing subway train. Sam Shaw was a production director and came up with the idea.
The photograph was taken during the movie filming and included a publicity event, with a large crowd of admirers and press. The sounds from the train and crowd created too much background noise and rendered the film footage unusable. Subsequently, the scene was reshot on a closed soundstage in Los Angeles, where Sam Shaw was the only photographer present.

THE PHOTOGRAPH

$9,500 (described above)

Westwood Gallery NYC is a representative for the Sam Shaw Estate and premiered the exhibition, “Marilyn. The New York Years” in 2005.

To acquire, contact Westwood Gallery: info@westwoodgallery.com or call the gallery at (212) 925-5700.

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Sam Shaw (1912-1999) was an American photographer born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, who had a passion for art, photography, and film. He began his artistic career as a sculptor and painter, while working in the atelier of Romare Bearden, before transitioning to photojournalism in the 1940s. Shaw's photographic archives cover over 60 years of American history, from social essays, film documentation, icon figures, and legendary personalities.

In 1951, he started working in the film industry as a special photographer, traveling to many cities in the U.S. and Europe working closely with Billy Wilder, Anthony Quinn, Marlon Brando, and other cinema legends. His friendship with Marilyn Monroe, whom he photographed extensively, is well documented and the subject of numerous publications. Shaw’s photographs are widely considered some of the most revealing and intimate images of Monroe.