© Agence France-PresseMarilyn Monroe
Photographer Anton Fury found an envelope containing negatives of snaps of a young Monroe, while searching a weekend garage sale in Parsippany, New Jersey, in 1980.
They apparently were taken during a photo session sometime in 1950, before the Some Like It Hot star shot to fame, reported CNN. "I found an envelope of negatives, didn't know what they were, but I realized they were old," Fury said.
He paid USD 2 for the folder, which contained two envelopes of black-and-white negatives. "I took it home, put them on the lightboard with a loupe and, needless to say, these are Marilyn.
That was probably my greatest garage sale discovery ever," added Fury. The second envelope was filled with about 70 negatives of actress Jayne Mansfield.
Monroe, who would have been 24 in 1950, wore two bathing suits, including a bikini, and short pants during the poolside photo shoot.
Fury held onto the photographs for the last three decades, not knowing much about them. "The only thing we're sure of is who. We don't know where, we don't know why, we don't know when, we don't know who shot them. But we do know it is Marilyn."
Fury flew to Los Angeles this week to show the images to David W Streets, a Beverly Hills art dealer and appraiser experienced with Monroe photos.
Streets suspects the photos are from her early years, soon after she cut her hair and evolved into the iconic look most people associate with her.
I have some never before seen photos of Marilyn that were taken by a solider in 1954 in Japan while she was on her honeymoon with Joe Dimaggio. anyone interested?