Stern's iconic 'Last Sitting' Marilyn Monroe photos get Norwalk showing

By Phyllis A.S. Boros

The legendary New York photographer Bert Stern will mark the 50th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe's death with an exhibition of iconic photos from the "Last Sitting" -- photos that he shot shortly before the star's probable suicide in August 1962.

And the three-day exhibition will be in Connecticut, where Stern says he and the actress both have ties.

"Marilyn Monroe 2012" will take place today, Saturday and Sunday, June 8-10, at Sono Studios in Norwalk, which is run by two of his three children: Bret, of Fairfield, and Trista Stern Wright, of Westport. Stern is divorced from celebrated Balanchine ballerina Allegra Kent.

Speaking on behalf of her father (Stern, 82, did not wish to be interviewed directly), Trista said Stern has "re-imagined his iconic 'Last Sitting' photographs."

Each piece is unique: The series features 31 photos with enhanced crystal overlays, a technique done by hand that "accentuates the saturated glamour of his original photographic images" in order to "enrich the images ... with dimensional sparkle and a fresh perspective." Photos will range from $10,000 to $25,000.

Stern, a self-taught photographer who was born in Brooklyn, shot more than 2,500 photos of America's sex symbol during a three-session period in late June 1962 in Los Angeles.

Accordin! g to Tri sta, "Bert came to L.A. to photograph Marilyn for Vogue magazine. He rented a suite at the Hotel Bel-Air and came prepared with a case of '53 Dom Perignon (Marilyn's favorite champagne) and a bag full of sheer scarves. That first day he waited for her all afternoon. Bert wasn't upset. He waited patiently. He was planning on taking the first nudes of her since her 1949 calendar shot. At 7 p.m. she arrived. Bert went down to meet her."

"The sun was setting behind the Hollywood Hills, and the girl next door every man dreams of was walking towards me in the golden light," Bert wrote in the introduction to his book about the shoot "The Complete Last Sitting" 1992. "She came alone. ... No makeup. She was gorgeous. I was shocked she was so fit. She was wonderful for photography."

"The first thing Bert said was: `You're beautiful.' She smiled and said: `Really? What a nice thing to say.' "

Trista pointed out that "He convinced her to pose nude with the scarves as they drank champagne and listened to the Everly Brothers. The shoot went on until 7 in the morning. Stern was very happy with the photos. Although he shot nudes, they had an innocence about them."

Asked a! bout his most striking impression of the actress: "Monroe had the magic of a child," Stern said in a statement relayed by Trista.

Trista continued the story: "Bert flew back to New York where he found out that Vogue loved his photos so much that they wanted more. Only this time, a Vogue editor named Babs traveled to L.A. with Stern. At the Bel-Air shoot, there were wardrobe and makeup people. And a case of Chteau Lafite-Rothschild along with bottles of Dom Perignon. Monroe arrived and drank and posed in a chinchilla. Posed again in an elegant black cocktail gown. A white veil.

"There was a third act to Bert Stern's sessions with Monroe. Several days after the fashion shots, he took a series of photos that he hoped would include his `one black and white (photo) that was going to last forever like Steichen's (photos of Greta) Garbo.' He stood above Monroe and photographed her face lying among jewels and glitter until he got his shot."

That photo is included in the show.

Inducted into the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame in 2006, Stern was described by that group as one of the "legendary figures in contemporary photography, (who) personified the commercial photographer as cultural hero in the 1960s. Hugely successful in the worlds of fashion and advertising photography, in the late 1960s he operated a studio, not unlike Andy Warhol's Factory, from which he created countless award-winning ads, editorial features, magazine covers, films and portraits. His name is firmly associated with the ! golden a ge of advertising, and many of his images are classics."

Both Stern and Monroe have special ties to Connecticut, Trista noted. "After marrying playwright Arthur Miller at the height of her stardom in June 1956, Monroe told him: "I hate Hollywood. I want to live quietly in the country."

Marilyn's words emphasize the feeling of protection her house with Miller in Roxbury gave her. "For the first time I have the feeling of being sheltered. It's as if I have come in out of the cold." Stern also has a strong affiliation with Connecticut. In the '60s he was one of the 10 key founders, along with Irving Penn and Richard Avedon, of Westport's Famous Photographers School.

"I am thrilled to debut the new show I am creating for Marilyn's 50th anniversary in Connecticut. It is a place that I hold near and dear to my heart and that was meaningful to Marilyn as well. I'm pleased to bring her home to Connecticut, a place where she felt happy and safe, on this special occasion," Bert Stern said in a statement.

pasboros@ctpost.com; 203-330-6284; http://twitter.com/PhyllisASBoros