Sam Shaw

American · 1912–1999

Sam Shaw was a celebrated American photographer whose work in Hollywood and New York from the 1940s through the 1980s produced some of the most iconic images of twentieth-century American culture. He is best known for his photographs of Marilyn Monroe — including the legendary images from the filming of The Seven Year Itch — and for his candid, warm portraits of actors, directors, and cultural figures during the golden age of Hollywood.

Shaw began his career as a street photographer in New York before transitioning to Hollywood, where he worked as a still photographer on major film productions and developed close personal relationships with his subjects. His photographs of Monroe are notable for their intimacy and affection; he was a friend to her as well as a documentarian, and the relationship shows in images of unusual warmth and trust.

His archive includes photographs of Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, Audrey Hepburn, and scores of other mid-century cultural figures. The Shaw Family Archive continues to manage and license his work.