A new version of the popular Unseen Archives series of books. This 2010 book has the same text as that 2003 Marilyn book with seven individual chapter sections of brief biography details but with 100 less pages so there’s not quite such a feast of photos. However, there is still plenty here of similar style. The photos are from the Corbis archives and the Associated Newspaper Archive.
This isn’t the first reincarnation of Marie Clayton’s book. Every so often they appear to re-design them with new covers and new format and they look like new books, often on sale in the discount bookshops, at bargain prices, which adds to their appeal. This particular version features the classic Gentlemen Prefer Blondes era Marilyn, wearing her famous diamond pendant with the black silk cord necklace on the cover to stunning effect.
It’s a nice book for the collectors but has more appeal for those with a passing interest in the subject serving more as a cosmetic function rather than literal.But the pictures speak for themselves. They tell the story from starlet to superstar with a rise and fall type of subtext.Marie has written on a wide variety of subjects, but her two main areas of interest are sewing and popular culture.
By Fraser Penney
