MARILYN MONROE: An icon in the eye of the storm, caught off-guard in 1955 by her favourite photographer Eve Arnold

Touching up her make-up on a flight to Chicago, the Marilyn Monroe of this off-guard image is a world apart from her look in the publicity shots released by the Hollywood studios. 

Taken in 1955, at the height of her fame, by legendary photographer Eve Arnold (and featured in a new book Marilyn Monroe*), the photo gives a glimpse into the private life of the actress.

Monroe, then 29, had phoned Arnold at 4am that day to ask if she would accompany her to Illinois with her hairdresser Leonardi. 

‘Wherever we went, the press of people was so great that in order to give her privacy I stood guard at the ladies’ room in the airport,’ writes Arnold. 

‘I had long since decided that I would try to document the craziness of her junket and the kind of mass hysteria she engendered. 

‘Also, if I could catch the mood of her behind the scenes, that would add immeasurably to the story.’

*ACC Art Books, £40. To order a copy for £34 with free UK delivery until 10 November, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937. Magnum