A few weeks ago, while out doing some Oscar stalking with Mike, from MovieShotsLA, the two of us visited a convenience store on Hollywood Boulevard which just so happened to be selling the latest edition of fave star map “Movie Star Homes and Notorious Crime Scenes”.  So, I, of course, just had to buy myself a copy (actually, truth be told, Mike purchased it for me – Thank you, Mike!) and was absolutely floored to discover that one of the many new addresses included in the map was that of Tom Kelley’s former photography studio, the very place where a then-unknown wanna-be actress named Norma Jeane Baker posed for her now-infamous series of nude calendar photographs on May 27, 1949.  Just twenty-two years old at the time, the woman, who would just a short time later come to be known as one of the most famous movie stars in the entire world, posed sans clothing while laying on top of a drape made of red velvet.  When later asked about what she was wearing during the controversial photo shoot, Marilyn said, “It’s not true that I had nothing on.  I had the radio on.”  Love it!  Well, once I had the address of the studio, Mike and I headed right over there to stalk the place.   Yay!

Tom Kelley’s former photography studio is currently inhabited by Pictures in a Row, a production company which touts the famous history of their office space right on their website – SO LOVE IT!  The studio is unfortunately gated, but, as luck would have it – and I always seem to have the most AMAZING luck when I am out with Mike – one of the Pictures in a Row employees just happened to be standing outside of the gate when we pulled up.  So we, of course, got to talking to him and I told him about my blog and my love of Miss Monroe and asked if I could snap a few photographs.  Well, not only did he tell me to snap away, but he then asked – are you sitting down for this? – if I wanted to COME INSIDE THE STUDIO TO SEE WHERE THE FAMOUS PHOTOGRAPHS HAD BEEN TAKEN!   Well, let me tell you, I just about FAINTED right there on the spot!  Did I want to come inside????  Did I want to come inside?????  OF COURSE I DID!  So, after regaining my composure, he led me past the front gates and INTO TOM KELLEY’S FORMER STUDIO.  As you can probably imagine, I was just about DYING the entire time.  The interior of the studio is pictured above and while the employee told me that the space has undergone quite a few changes in the sixty some-odd years since Marilyn was photographed there . . .

. . . the ceiling has been left largely untouched.  So, what is pictured above is pretty much the exact view Marilyn had as she looked upwards while Tom Kelley photographed her from a ten foot ladder.  So darn cool!  I really can’t tell you how incredible it was to be able to actually set foot inside of such a historically significant building onto what I very much consider to be hallowed ground. 

Because Marilyn’s calendar photographs became so incredibly famous, the legends surrounding them abound.  There are even differing reports as to why the struggling starlet posed in the first place, but according to her official statement she was behind on a rent payment and simply needed the $50 paycheck.  Apparently, after the two hour session ended, the photographs of Marilyn sat in one of Tom Kelley’s filing cabinets for over a year until Western Lithograph contacted him to see if he had any nudes he’d be willing to sell.  Kelley ended up selling the company two of his Marilyn photographs for a mere $200 fee and it was those two prints, which were entitled “Golden Dreams” and “A New Wrinkle”, that wound up in the calendar.  The calendars were then sold and hung up in men’s garages all over the U.S., but it wasn’t until March of 1952 that a newspaper journalist named Aline Mosby identified the now-wildly-famous Marilyn as the calendar’s model.   But the story doesn’t end there.  In 1953, a young entrepreneur named Hugh Hefner purchased one of Kelley’s prints and featured it as the centerfold in the very first issue of his new men’s magazine which he dubbed Playboy.  That first issue sold a staggering 54,000 copies and turned the magazine and its creator into household names.  The rest, as they say, is history.  Marilyn was so significant in building Heff’s empire, in fact, that he wound up purchasing the crypt directly next to hers at Pierce Brothers Westwood Memorial Park Cemetery so that he could lay in eternal rest with the woman who launched his career.  The area of the studio where Marilyn posed is denoted with the pink arrow in the above photograph.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 

Stalk It: Tom Kelley’s former photography studio, where Marilyn posed for her now infamous nude calendar pictures, is located at 736 Seward Street in Hollywood.

Opinion: Benefiting from free photography, or how they know me in Russia

By stevendepolo

March 18, 2010, 5:12PM

de Polo

I took up photography five years ago.

Having spent $50,000 on art history degrees, I thought it was time to begin exploring my creativity. I went to shows at the DAAC and UICA and posted photos of my friends online. People seemed to like what I was doing.

Soon, my friends began using my photos as their avatars on LiveJournal and Myspace. Did I get mad that they were stealing my work? No. I was flattered that they liked what I was doing and appreciated me documenting their work.

Soon I began posting to Flickr. This is a fun way to share photos with photographers around the world. Now I was part of a creative community. I upgraded to an entry-level DSLR camera and began documenting my life.

As my skills improved, I wanted others to see and be inspired by my work. I decided to license my photography through Creative Commons.

This nonprofit organization has created a number of free copyright licenses that allow creators to release their photos into the public domain, while retaining certain rights. It's commonly called “copyleft,” as compared to “copyright.”

I use the most liberal “Attribution By” license: Any user can use, display, perform, and make derivative works with my photos as long as they give me credit. I do not have to be told my photos are being used, and someone can make a profit with my photos.

Creative Commons has exploded on Flickr. There are many services that allow people to search through these photos. My work began showing up on websites and blogs all around the world.

Yesterday, I was contacted by someone making a presentation to the Detroit Chamber of Commerce. She wanted to use my photo of a shower head. I took it for a Flickr group that posts photos according to a weekly theme. That week's theme was “ephemeral.”

I remember standing on the edge of the tub, focusing on the water drops, while trying to keep my balance and keep my camera dry. Now this shot has illustrated stories about water conservation and limiting waste in France, Spain and Mexico.

Another photo documents my girlfriend Caroline's last injection of cancer medication. It has been used in Russia to discuss heroin addiction and by American bloggers writing about male birth control and acne medication.

My photos have been used for free by the Smithsonian Institution to illustrate the history of fortune cookies, a Popular Science blog post on bacteria in shower heads (ewww!), and a Lifehacker.com post on how loose-leaf tea can flavor coffee. I am always surprised by the creative ways my photos are used.

I could charge for my work through a stock image website. But, my time is worth more than worrying about a $1 usage fee. This may anger my professional photographer friends, with their fancy equipment and magical software.

But, I learn more by giving my stuff away and helping writers and educational organizations.

Free seems about right.

Steven Geoffrey de Polo works in foundation relations at Grand Valley State University. He  blogs for Influence West Michigan. He is a strong supporter of Kids Food Basket and a board member of the Local First Educational Foundation. Feel free to friend him on twitter.

Photographer Rankin has been commissioned by The Macallan single malt Scotch whisky to create a limited edition series of photographs for the first year of the landmark commission series, The Macallan Masters of Photography.  The results of this collaboration will be published in a highly collectible edition, Rankin: A Photographic Essay of The Macallan Estate (RRP £40), available for purchase through The Macallan website.

Website: Macallan

Press Release

The Macallan Masters of Photography

A limited collectible edition of Rankin’s Polaroids

Publication May 2010

Inaugural Macallan Master of Photography Rankin pays homage to the things he loves most in this unprecedented photographic essay and ode to the Scottish Highlands

In 2008 photographer Rankin was commissioned by The Macallan single malt Scotch whisky to create a limited edition series of photographs for the first year of the landmark commission series, The Macallan Masters of Photography. The results of this collaboration will be published in a highly collectible edition, Rankin: A Photographic Essay of The Macallan Estate (RRP £40). Marking the end of Rankin’s tenure as the inaugural Macallan Master of Photography, Rankin will hand over the baton to the next commissioned photographer who will be announced later this summer.

This commissioned series is an unparalleled opportunity for photographers to experiment with different methods and techniques and Rankin’s decision to use Polaroid to shoot this commission lends the project a special sense of individuality. The nature of the medium dictates that each of the 1,000 images shot during his stay at The Macallan distillery are unrepeatable single editions. Polaroid’s demise adds a greater sense of uniqueness. Together they form a story or visual journey in a specific moment of time in the stunning Speyside landscape, The Macallan Estate and its people, giving a glimpse behind the scenes of the Estate at work.

Tuuli, Rankin’s long term muse and wife, is as a central subject of the photographs. Her nude form posed in the setting of the beautiful Estate, coupled with the obvious intimacy of the relationship existing between photographer and subject, lend these images a sensuality and emotional warmth. They reveal a style of photography which is far removed from the glossy work for which Rankin is renowned.

The shoot was a rewarding experience for the photographer as Rankin states:

‘It’s very different to my other work – that was definitely one of my intentions. I wanted to do something that was unlike anything I’d ever done before, so it had a freshness to it. I normally create one or two, maybe up to five images. When you do that you only get a certain aspect, one layer, one perspective. You don’t go on a full visual journey. I wanted to create something that, when each individual gets in, they get a something that has value – emotionally, visually and aesthetically.’

Ken Grier, Director of Malts, The Edrington Group, commenting on the project, said: “It gives me great pleasure to see this book in publication as it marks the culmination of the first edition in our Masters of Photography series.

“The project itself has enjoyed success beyond our wildest dreams. We are very proud to be the first Scotch whisky brand ever to release 1,000 limited edition pieces of art. We value Rankin’s contribution enormously and this book with all 1,000 images, including 40 previously unseen shots will be a fabulous addition to the library of any fan of photography or premium single malt.”

A Photographic Essay of The Macallan Estate will be available for purchase through The Macallan website: http://www.themacallan.com. There are still a small number of limited edition bottles, which sees the partnering of the superb Macallan 30 year old, with the individual Polaroid shot by Rankin, available directly from The Macallan Visitor Centre (RRP £899).

Photo credit: Rankin