George S. Zimbel
Marilyn Monroe and Billy Wilder, "The Seven Year Itch," New York

Marilyn Monroe and Billy Wilder, "The Seven Year Itch," New York

© George S. Zimbel

Marilyn Monroe and Billy Wilder, "The Seven Year Itch," New York
Marilyn Monroe and Billy Wilder, "The Seven Year Itch," New York
ArtistCanadian, born United States, 1929–2023
CultureAmerican
Titles
  • Marilyn Monroe and Billy Wilder, "The Seven Year Itch," New York
DateSeptember 11, 1954, printed 1993
PlaceNew York, New York, United States
MediumGelatin silver print
DimensionsImage: 17 13/16 × 11 15/16 in. (45.3 × 30.4 cm)
Sheet: 19 3/4 × 15 7/8 in. (50.2 × 40.3 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by Jonathan and Cynthia King
Object number93.363
Current Location
The Nancy and Rich Kinder Building
Gallery 208
Exposé

Explore Further

Department
Photography
Object Type
DescriptionGeorge Zimbel was just one of more than twenty photographers invited to the film set of The Seven Year Itch for a photo shoot which took place on November 11, 1954, and became one of the most successful publicity stunts ever staged. To promote their new film, Marilyn Monroe and director Billy Wilder were posing when Marilyn was directed to stand over a subway grate when a train passed beneath, causing an updraft to blow up the skirt of her white dress. The appeal of the staged accident was immediately recognized, and the scene was reenacted numerous times, allowing the film crew and invited press photographers alike to get the perfect shot. Every publication that could find an excuse to run the story did so, and the variations of this image, such as the one shown here, became indelibly part of Monroe’s persona and allure.
ProvenanceThe artist; purchased by MFAH, 1993.
Exhibition History“Made for Magazines: Iconic 20th-Century Photographs,” The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, February 9–May 4, 2014.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Inscribed in pencil, verso, lower left:Marilyn Monroe & Billy Wilder NYC 1954 // Seven Year Itch // All Rights Reserved
Signed in pencil, verso, lower left: © George S Zimbel 1954/1993 Print GSZ '93

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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