Rare Photographs of Marilyn Monroe Go on Display in London

Two legendary celebrity photographers are united in their mutual affinity for Marilyn Monroe in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," an exhibition showing at The Little Black Gallery in London today through February 27. The exhibit showcases some of the most iconic photos of Monroe, from Kirkland's 1961 series, In Bed with Marilyn, featuring evocative images of Monroe wrapped in a sheet, to Greene's Ballerina Awaiting Her Cue, which shows Monroe posing wistfully in a strapless tulle gown. Rarer images, including Greene's Winsome in White Fur, NY and The Hooker Sitting, LA will also be displayed.

Greene is most famous for his portraits of Monroe; he shot her on 52 separate occasions, capturing more than 5,000 photographs of the film star between 1953 and 1956. "Milton wanted Marilyn to step away from the dumb blonde thing, so he took a series of pictures of her in different characters, to show how versatile she could be," Greene's son, Joshua, told The Telegraph. Click through to see images from this series and more from the exhibit.

"Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Starring Marilyn Monroe by Milton H. Greene and Douglas Kirkland" is at The Little Black Gallery, 13A Park Walk, Chelsea, London SW10 0AJ from today until February 27, 2016.