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

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Artist George S. Zimbel (Canadian, born United States, 1929–2023)Canadian, 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

On view

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Department

Photography

Object Type

PHOTOGRAPHS

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

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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