Touch of Retro

In August 1950, Marilyn Monroe was just a model and recently had a bit part in the movie “The Asphalt Jungle.” Ed Clark took these photos of the 24-year-old Marilyn in Griffith Park.

“She was unknown then, so I was able to spend a lot of time shooting her,” Clark said. “We’d go out to Griffith Park and she’d read poetry. I sent several rolls to Life in New York, but they wired back, ‘Who the hell is Marilyn Monroe?’ ” (read more at CNN)

Life magazine didn’t use the photos and stored them away. Forgotten over time, they only recently surfaced when Dawnie Walton, deputy editor at Life.com, found them when combing through Life.com digital archive. Two years ago, Life started converting their substantial photographic collection into a digital archive.

Imagine what they will find next, darlings!

Photos of Marilyn Monroe at Life.com

(photo: Ed Clark/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images)