Marilyn Monroe 100 – the only official book that celebrates the Hollywood and cultural icon in photos

American actress Marilyn Monroe, New York, 1954.
American actress Marilyn Monroe, New York, 1954. (Image credit: © Elliott Erwitt LLC)

Few cultural icons ever reach the heady heights of Marilyn Monroe. The illustrious actor transcended her roles in blockbuster movies such as Some Like It Hot and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes to become one of the most recognizable faces of the 20th century.

Some 63 years after her tragic death, the model turned superstar remains firmly rooted in the public consciousness.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe’s birth and, in celebration, ACC Art Books has published Marilyn Monroe 100: The Official Centenary Book, the only official publication celebrating and commemorating this momentous milestone. Here's what you'll find inside this 348-page tome…

The oversized, hardback book is published in association with the Marilyn Monroe Estate and delivers a specially curated selection of photographs.

From the genesis of her career as model, Norma Jeane, through to her movie career as Marilyn Monroe, where she was photographed by some of the world’s most famous photographers such as Eve Arnold, Richard Avedon and Henri Cartier-Bresson, including that photograph of the white dress by Sam Shaw from The Seven Year Itch.

Readers are then taken right up until the final months of Marilyn's life, when she sat for Bert Stern during the famous ‘Last Sitting’ sessions and Allan Grant’s Life magazine photoshoot at the star’s Brentwood residence, which were originally published just days before her untimely death in August 1962.

The incredible photographs are also accompanied by quotes from Marilyn herself, along with informative copy providing further insight into her life.

Marilyn Monroe 100: The Official Centenary Book cover

Marilyn Monroe 100: The Official Centenary Book is an oversized hardback (Image credit: ACC Art Books Ltd )

This premium book is 330 x 270mm, 348 pages, and contains 116 color and 158 black-and-white illustrations / photographs. It retails for £75 / $95 at Amazon.

The release is timely, coinciding with major photography exhibitions in both Los Angeles’ Academy Awards Museum and London’s National Portrait Gallery.

‘Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon’ runs from May 31, 2026, to February 28, 2027, and ‘Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait’ runs from June 04 to September 06, respectively.

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Admiring the work of other photographers is a fantastic way to broaden your photography horizons and inspire your own work. Take a look at the best photo books, and for some great personal recommendations, check out Vivian Maier: Street Photographer and Marvin E. Newman. Photographs 1949–1983.

Mike Harris
How To Editor

Mike studied photography at college, honing his Adobe Photoshop skills and learning to work in the studio and darkroom. After a few years writing for various publications, he headed to the ‘Big Smoke’ to work on Wex Photo Video’s award-winning content team, before transitioning back to print as Technique Editor (later Deputy Editor) on N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine.

With bylines in Digital Camera, PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, Practical Photography, Digital Photographer, iMore, and TechRadar, he’s a fountain of photography and consumer tech knowledge, making him a top tutor for techniques on cameras, lenses, tripods, filters, and more. His expertise extends to everything from portraits and landscapes to abstracts and architecture to wildlife and, yes, fast things going around race tracks...

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