The Last Sitting

I was faffing around the other day  reorganising my bookshelves when I came across a book I bought years ago when I was a student in Brighton, purchased from a cut price book shop, the book cost about a pound, because the copy on the dust-jacket was printed upside down.

The book is 'The Last Sitting' by Bert Stern a story of the last photo shoot of Marilyn Monroe before her untimely death.  The shoot was for Vogue and the photographs were taken over three photographic sittings in June 1962 (she died in August 1962).

Out of all the hundreds, probably thousands of images of Marilyn, I think Bert Sterns photographs are my favourite, I think he managed to capture something that other photographers missed.

The book is a bit tatty now, I had it in one of the guest bedrooms for years and unsurprisingly it was very well thumbed!  The dust jacket is long gone.  Now it is safely on the bookshelf.  It was a joy to discover it again, not only are the photographs beautiful and haunting (given the timing) but I remember it was a fascinating story, I think I will be reading it again soon. 

The scar from surgery to remove her gall bladder is clearly visible

The photographer and his subject

The book I have is the abridged version first published in 1982, I believe there is a newer book 'The Complete Last Sitting' with more photographs.

Available here.