Only a few years before before Marilyn Monroe was the platinum-haired actress and sex symbol of the ’50s, she was Norma Jeane Mortenson. Her girl-next-door image is captured in her early work with the Blue Book Modelling Agency in Hollywood. Blue Book was a big launching point in Marilyn's career, despite the head of the agency initially dismissing her hair as “pretty unmanageable” and her face “too round.”
A collection of more than 200 archived photos from that era is now available in a new book, Before Marilyn: The Blue Book Modelling Years.
Here, Norma Jeane poses outside the factory she worked at before her modeling days.
From the collection of Kim Goodwin. Permission granted by David Conover Jnr
Norma Jean with a Great Dane.
Potter Hueth / From the collection of Dionne Abraham
Miss Snively kept the negative for this Richard C. Miller photo in her archive for the rest of her life.
From the archive of Ben and Astrid Franse, reproduced with permission from Margaret Miller
Norma Jeane with yellow skirt.
Richard C. Miller. Reproduced with permission of Margaret Miller
Norma Jeane becomes a “sweater girl.”
David Conover / From the collection of Kim Goodwin
Douglas Airview magazine employed models to advertise its American Airlines flights. Here, Norma Jeane shows great interest in the stewardess handing milk to a young mother.
Larry Kronquist/From the archive of Ben and Astrid Franse
Norma Jeane at the factory.
David Conover/From the collection of Kim Goodwin
Norma Jeane at the pool.
Richard C. Miller
Norma Jeane posing in the gardens of the Ambassador Hotel holding the Blue Book Models life ring.
Joseph Jasgu/From the archive of Ben and Astrid Franse
