Available Artworks
Marilyn Monroe backstage on Broadway, New York City Photograph
Printed 2005 llfochrome print Edition 21_30 Stamped by the Photographer’s Estate
1954
16 x 12 in, 40.6 x 30.5 cm
Marilyn Monroe on the set of The Seven Year Itch, Hollywood, CA Photograp
Printed 2005 llfochrome print Edition 21/30 Stamped by the Photographer’s Estate
1954
16 x 12 inches | 40.6 x 30.5 cm.
Marilyn Monroe on the set of The Seven Year Itch, New York City Photograph
Printed 2005 llfochrome print Edition 21/30 Stamped by the Photographer’s Estate, numbered,
1954
16 x 12 inches | 40.6 x 30.5 cm
Marilyn Monroe on the set of The Seven Year Itch, New York City Photograph
Printed 2005 llfochrome print Edition 21/30 Stamped by the Photographer’s Estate
1954
16 x 12 inches | 40.6 x 30.5 cm
Marilyn Monroe on the set of The Seven Year Itch, Hollywood, CA Photograph
Printed 2005 llfochrome print Edition 21/30 Stamped by the Photographer’s Estate, numbered
1954
6 x 12 inches | 40.6 x 30.5 cm
Sam Shaw, born in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, was a cosmopolitan figure driven by a deep passion for art, photography, and film. He embarked on his artistic journey as a sculptor and painter, refining his skills under the tutelage of Romare Bearden. Transitioning into journalism, Shaw served as a political cartoonist for the Daily Worker before assuming the role of art director at the Brooklyn Eagle.
In the early 1940s, Shaw’s career expanded when he joined Collier’s Magazine as a reporter and photojournalist. He gained recognition for his powerful portrayals of coal miners in West Virginia and his insightful stories on New Orleans jazz musicians, many of whom became lifelong friends.
By 1951, Shaw had ventured into the film industry as a special photographer, capturing the essence of numerous cinema icons such as Woody Allen, Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando, Alfred Hitchcock, John Wayne, Fred Astaire, Elizabeth Taylor, Ingrid Bergman, Sophia Loren, Charlie Chaplin, Audrey Hepburn, and Frank Sinatra, among others.
Shaw’s evocative photographs graced the covers of LIFE and Look magazines regularly, as well as international publications like Paris Match, L’Europeo, The Daily Mail, Der Stern, Harper’s Bazaar, and Connaissance des Arts. Notably, Shaw preferred a candid approach, eschewing staged setups and artificiality, which distinguished his work from traditional Hollywood glamour photography and anticipated his future as an independent filmmaker.
Throughout his travels across the United States and Europe, Shaw immersed himself in local cultures, capturing their essence through his lens. He also worked extensively at Cinécitta (Cinema City), Italy’s equivalent of Hollywood. Upon returning to the United States, Shaw deepened his involvement in filmmaking, collaborating closely with luminaries such as Billy Wilder, Anthony Quinn, Marlon Brando, and John Cassevettes.
Shaw’s photographic archive is a treasure trove spanning diverse subjects including crime photography, sports, landscapes, photojournalism, classic American and European cinema, independent film, and portraiture. His collection features iconic figures from various fields, including musicians, artists, intellectuals, and notable personalities like Marc Chagall, Arthur Miller, Marcel Duchamp, Igor Stravinsky, Joe DiMaggio, Irving Berlin, Tennessee Williams, Patti Smith, and Deborah Harry of Blondie fame.
