Marilyn Monroe: Her First Truly Daring Photos

Much has been said about the famous story in which Marilyn posed nude for a photo session that later became a calendar, published just as she was beginning to gain public recognition. This episode is often presented as the starting point, almost as an isolated and exceptional event. The reality, however, is more complex and far less known: Marilyn had already posed nude—or partially nude—in earlier photo sessions, several years before that calendar. These images, taken between 1946 and 1950, were part of her professional work as a model and were connected to her collaboration with illustrator and photographer Earl Moran, although many of them would not become public until after her death.

In the mid-1940s, Marilyn was working extensively as a model while determinedly pursuing her dream of becoming an actress. In 1946, she signed her first contract with 20th Century Fox, but this initial agreement did not guarantee stability or major roles. Like many young Hollywood hopefuls of the time, she combined small film jobs with modeling work, which was a necessary and common source of income within the industry. It was within this professional context that her relationship with Earl Moran developed.

Earl Moran was an illustrator and painter best known for pin-ups and commercial art. His work was widely used for calendars, advertisements, magazine illustrations, and artistic studies, and he often relied on photographs of real models as references for his drawings and paintings. Moran was deeply impressed by Marilyn’s photogenic presence and considered her one of his favorite models. Their collaboration took place intermittently between 1946 and 1950, in what available accounts describe as a strictly professional and respectful working relationship.

During these sessions, Marilyn posed in a wide range of styles. There are photographs of her wearing a nightgown or lingerie, others in a bikini, and some in which she appears completely nude or topless. These images were not intended for direct publication in magazines or mass-market calendars, but rather served as reference material for Moran’s illustrations or as artistic studies. In many cases, the photographs were an intermediate step toward the final drawn or painted work.

It is important to emphasize that these photographs were not publicly circulated at the time they were taken. Unlike the famous 1949 calendar, which surfaced when Marilyn was already becoming well known, the images created with Earl Moran remained in private archives for decades. They were not part of any publicity strategy and were not used to promote her public image during her lifetime, which helps explain why they are far less widely known.

After Marilyn’s death, these photographs gradually began to surface, particularly through auctions, collectors, and specialized publications. Their later emergence contributed to confusion and, in many cases, to their being conflated with the calendar story, despite belonging to an earlier and very different context. Far from being a hidden scandal, these images reflect an early stage of her career in which Marilyn worked professionally and pragmatically as a model.

The Earl Moran photographs reveal a Marilyn who was still in the process of becoming a public icon, yet already completely confident in front of the camera. They do not convey gratuitous provocation, but rather a blend of naturalness, sensuality, and control over her image—qualities that would later define her career. In this sense, they are a valuable record of her transition from model to actress and of how she used every available opportunity to move forward in Hollywood.

In conclusion, while popular narratives often reduce Marilyn’s early nude work to the calendar story, her collaboration with Earl Moran shows that this period was broader, more nuanced, and more professional than is commonly assumed. These photographs, taken years earlier and only widely seen much later, do not contradict her image but enrich it, revealing a determined woman, aware of her potential and willing to work hard to build a career in an extremely competitive industry.

References

Earl Moran pin‑up photo of Marilyn Monroe. (c. 1950). Wikimedia Commons.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marilyn_Monroe._Earl_Moran.jpg Wikimedia Commons

Cuando Earl Moran hizo de Marilyn Monroe una Pin‑Up. (2013, 19 julio). Libertad Digital.
https://www.libertaddigital.com/fotos/earl-moran-marilyn-monroe-pin-up-chic-1005973/14‑MMPERRO.jpg.html Libertad Digital

Marilyn Monroe posed for Earl Moran, c. 1950. (n.d.). Wikimedia Commons.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marilyn_Monroe%27s_photo_taken_by_Earl_Moran_02.jpg Wikimedia Commons

Christie’s. (n.d.). Marilyn Monroe and Earl Moran original oil painting “Lady in the Light”.
https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot‑1610037 Christie's

Christie’s. (n.d.). Marilyn Monroe oil painting by Earl Moran, circa 1946.
https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot‑4133302 Christie's

Charitybuzz. (n.d.). The Nude Marilyn Monroe, 1946 by Earl Moran (signed by Hugh Hefner).
https://www.charitybuzz.com/catalog_items/auction‑nude‑marilyn‑monroe‑1946‑signed‑by‑hugh‑hefner‑3053209 Charitybuzz

Earl Moran pin‑up photography and calendar art featuring Marilyn Monroe. (n.d.). Heritage Auctions.
https://fineart.ha.com/itm/paintings/earl‑moran‑american‑1893‑1984‑marilyn‑monroe‑brown‑and‑bigelow‑calendar‑pin‑up‑february‑1960gouache‑on/a/5213‑71190.s Heritage Auctions

Marilyn Monroe photo sessions with Earl Moran and later Playboy publications. (n.d.). Christie’s.
https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot‑5395491 Christie's

Sesión fotográfica pin‑up de Marilyn Monroe como modelo antes de ser famosa (1946–1950). (2021). Momentos del Pasado.
https://momentosdelpasado.blogspot.com/2021/03/marilyn‑monroe‑posando‑modelo‑pin‑up.html momentosdelpasado.blogspot.com