Falling for Marilyn: The Lost Niagra Collection

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In 1952, a Canadian magazine asked photojournalist Jock Carroll was given the assignment of a lifetime. He was to to write a story about and take pictures of the most seductive actress of the day, Marilyn Monroe, on the set of her movie 'Niagara', which was shooting at Niagara Falls. Over the course of several days, Jock followed Marilyn on and off the set, shooting her at work, at play, and at rest. Just twenty-six old, Marilyn was on the brink of stardom, not yet disillusioned, she spoke openly to Jock of her dreams, hopes, and even fears.

Jock's story 'Marilyn's Not So Menacing', appeared in Canada's 'Weekend Magazine' in August 1952. The photographs that he had taken were then filed away. Now, more than forty years later, these pictures have been rediscovered and many published for the first time ever in this magnificent, intimate book.

The camera loved Marilyn, and Jock Carroll's photographs showcase her breathtaking beauty. They also reveal the deeper Marilyn, capturing the star in moments of seriousness and anxiety as well as laughter and teasing. In the accompanying text, Jock releases the thoughts and feelings that Marilyn confided to him during the time they spent together. The extraordinary combination of words and pictures reveals both the image that Marilyn confided to him during the time they spent together. The extraordinary combination of words and pictures reveals both the image that Marilyn knew exactly how to project and the complex nature of the woman behind the public persona.

This stunning collection shows Marilyn carefully applying make-up, playfully practising how to smoke a cigarette, and taking direction on the set - always exuding the natural sensuality that made her one of the most compelling stars of this century. Jock Carroll's remarkable and candid photographs capture the essential contradiction of Marilyn - her quality of being at once knowing yet vulnerable - in a way that will make you, too, fall for Marilyn.