Steve Crist

Before there was Marilyn, there was Norma Jean. This title includes the photos and secret memoirs of Marilyn Monroe's first photographer and lifelong friend. Fashion photographer Andre de Dienes' life was changed forever one day in 1945 when he met a lovely young aspiring model named Norma Jean Dougherty. He instantly fell in love with her innocence and charm and the two were briefly engaged. They took many adventurous road trips together in those early years, de Dienes shooting Norma Jean in every possible natural setting in his original, inspired style. He soon built up a huge portfolio of stunning photographs of the smiling brunette which helped to launch her model career and, a few years later, a film career that was to make her a legend. His entire relationship with the star, including many private moments shared only between the two, is detailed in de Dienes' secret memoirs, which were discovered when Monroe fans ravaged his home after his death in 1988.

One day in 1945, fashion photographer Andre de Dienes met an aspiring model named Norma Jeane Dougherty. It was a momentous moment, both for his personal life and his photographic portfolio. Over the next few years, he would be briefly engaged to Norma Jeane, take a number of adventurous road trips with her, and build up a stunning series of portraits which would help launch her modelling, and later movie, career. Now available as part of TASCHEN's Bibliotheca Universalis series, this collection of de Dienes' photographs and private memoirs offers an intimate picture of Norma Jeane the woman, before she was Marilyn the icon. From their trip to see Norma Jeane's mother in a mental hospital to Marilyn's visit a few days before her death, de Dienes' emotion-laden archive, often annotated with handwritten notes, offers a deeply personal account of Monroe's transformation from a sensitive, ambitious girl into a deeply troubled global star.

Polaroid Now celebrates new work created by contemporary artists working with Polaroid cameras and film today, and discusses the history, and evolution of the first instant imaging camera system that became a household name. This curated selection of images is diverse aesthetically and geographically, and embraces the world-wide community of Polaroid artists. The book celebrates the unique, one-of-a-kind, and instantly gratifying qualities of Polaroid imagery. Additionally, Polaroid photographs by renowned luminaries such as Andy Warhol, David Hockney, and Chuck Close are included, as well a section on the 20x24 Polaroid camera. * The cover of the book features a design that is reminiscent of the vintage Polaroid Colorpack Film boxes. * The book features over 200 photographic images that explore the inherent beauty and possibilities of Polaroid film, as created by Polaroid artists from around the world. * An index features popular Polaroid cameras that are still available and used today. This officially licensed partnership with this world-renowned brand is the most comprehensive book published on Polaroid, and includes an essay by Polaroid's CEO Oskar Smolokowski.