The Archives’ Blog

 

 

The Start of Marilyn Monroe Productions
May 14th, 2015 11:42 am
Marilyn Monroe and Milton H. Greene arrive at Idlewood Airport, New York the day after her 30th birthday, 1956
 
While the DiMaggio marriage faltered-it lasted only nine months-the Monroe-Greene collaboration flourished. Not the sittings. They became perfunctory and mostly documentary for the time being. Marilyn and Milton had bigger fish to fry. From their months of brainstorming, the idea of Marilyn Monroe Productions had evolved, a creative collaboration that would give them control of Marilyn's future projects. Why had she entrusted her career to a magazine photographer with no track record in the movie business? Yes, he gave her respect and affirmation. Yes, his pictures of her plumbed the depths. But this was the most profitable commodity of a powerful fiefdom run by Darryl F. Zanuck, one of the biggest bastards in a Monument Valley of bastards. Why this David to fight these Philistines? Judy Balaban Quine, a child of that world and a key player in the MMP saga, explained that Milton's camera communicated with and let us communicate with the whole Marilyn, which was an incredible validation for her, because people like Zanuck saw only the most obvious external, blatant representation of her and defined her as that alone:
 
"You know how as a child, if you have loving reinforcement from parents or teachers or friends you see yourself in their eyes and it helps develop the sense that you can handle problems and all kinds of things? I don't think Marilyn got it from anyplace. So the voices that defined her were very rejecting, very critical and very demeaning, and basically that was her sense of self. She was just so wounded that vulnerability is not even the right word. Yeah, there was vulnerability in her, but it was a seriously wounded vulnerability that couldn't find it's way out of that damaged inside. Suddenly, along comes Milton who validates the innocence with the camera and wants to protect that definition. He not only redefines her for herself but he is willing to fight for her redefinition to survive in her career. That's heavy stuff. That's superseductive emotionally for somebody who was so fragile, for someone so wounded."
 
By the end of 1954, Milton had taken the legal steps required to create Marilyn Monroe Productions...

         Excerpted from Milton's Marilyn, written by James Kotsilibas-Davis & Directed by Joshua Greene. Published by Moss Run, LTD.
We Have our First Pieces of Me Challenge Winner!
May 13th, 2015 4:24 pm
We have our first winner of the Diamond Edition Marilyn Monroe White Fur print which retails for $2,300!! Six Portraits of an Era prints and the Diamond Edition print for a total of $1,125! Congratulations!! Sale challenge details below.



The Archives is pleased to announce our latest promotion: The Marilyn Monroe 'A Piece of Me' Challenge. Buy a total of six (6) prints from our Portraits of an Era collection, and receive a Marilyn Monroe limited edition print valued at $2,300 from our First Portfolio collection as our gift to you!

 

Here is how it works: Portraits of an Era prints regularly retail for $750 each. Starting in March, we will be periodically holding 36-hour sales. At least once a month, during a 36-hour window, we will be offering Portraits of an Era prints for $187.50, that's 75% off! If you purchase your discounted print between 12 and 2 pm in your time zone, you will receive a piece of 'Marilyn Monroe is Winsome in White Fur' limited edition print from our First Portfolio collection. Every time you buy an additional Portraits of an Era print from 12 to 2 pm during any future 36-hour sales, you will receive another piece from the White Fur print. When you have bought your sixth Portraits of an Era print, you will receive a 21x21, White Fur limited edition print.

By the end of the promotion, 'A Piece of Me' members will have received more than $6,800 in limited edition prints for a total of $1,125. These sales will be announced several days in advance via our blog, Facebook and Twitter, so make sure to follow us if you aren't already.

Enrollment in The Marilyn Monroe 'A Piece of Me' Challenge is easy. Simply buy any Portraits of an Era print between 12 to 2 pm in your time zone during one of our special 36-hour sales and you will automatically receive a piece of your White Fur print. Shipping is not included in the sale price. Marilyn Monroe Pieces of Me Challenge offer only valid with purchases of prints from the Portraits of an Era collection. The six prints must be purchased within six (6) months of the first print purchase in order to be eligible to receive the free First Portfolio print. The Archives reserves the right to switch the free print to another Marilyn Monroe print in the First Portfolio if White Fur print sells out.

The Portraits of an Era edition first debuted as an exhibition of newly restored photographs by Milton H. Greene. It was launched in major U.S. cities in 2001, and then traveled to London, Melbourne, Tokyo, and Sydney. In October 2015, the Portraits of an Era collection will be discontinued. The 'A Piece of Me' Challenge is the last chance for collectors to purchase Portraits of an Era at a discounted price.

The First Portfolio edition was the first set of images from Milton H. Greene’s vast photographic collection to be restored. This exclusive edition includes 19 images selected by The Archives to be digitally remastered and made available as fine art, limited-edition prints. Portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich, Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Laughton, and Diahann Carroll were presented here for the first time.


The Archives Offers Photographic Restoration, Printing, Curating and Licensing Services
May 8th, 2015 9:39 am


While we here at The Archives are known for our limited edition prints, books and our stunning photographs of Marilyn Monroe, The Archives also offers photographic restoration and printing, image licensing, photographic and estate curating services as well artist representation. 

The Archives, LLC was originally formed in the mid-1990's by Joshua Greene, the son of legendary 20th Century celebrity and fashion photographer, Milton H. Greene, as a way for Joshua to protect and restore Milton's photographic legacy as well as to provide curating services for the 300,000 images in his father's collection. Along the way, Joshua became an expert in estate curation, developing techniques for selecting the most important images from a graphic, historical and financial perspective. His evaluation process determines which images will get the best traction in popularity and financial return. Joshua spent years researching ways to restore and preserve his father's photographs as well as cataloging and promoting Milton's vast body of work all over the world. As a result, The Archives, LLC has been at the forefront of the estate curating, digital imaging and the large format printing revolution in Fine Art Photography.
Barbra Streisand, 1964 New York City
April 23rd, 2015 10:29 am
Barbra Streisand, 1964 New York City By Milton H. Greene


"One night Milton and I were having dinner with Jule Styne at "21" when Milton said he had to appear as a drop-in guest on a local New York television nighttime show for his friend Mike Wallace. This was pre "60 Minutes" fame. It was fascinating that Milton would even do this show, because he was painfully shy. I sat there and wondered why, but he looked adorable so who cares. We talked Jule into going with us to the live show because there may be a piano there and he could play something. There was a strange Bohemian-looking girl singer in a ratty black dress, who was very nervous, but for some reason, looked interesting to me. After she sang in a shaky voice, I went to Jule and whispered in his ear, “There is your Fanny Bryce.” And the rest as they say, is history."

         Excerpted from But That's Another Story, by Amy & Joshua Greene. Published by powerHouse Books.
A Piece Of Me!
March 27th, 2015 11:15 am

 



The Archives is pleased to announce our latest promotion: The Marilyn Monroe 'A Piece of Me' Challenge. Buy a total of six (6) prints from our Portraits of an Era collection, and receive a Marilyn Monroe limited edition print valued at $2,300 from our First Portfolio collection as our gift to you!

 

Here is how it works: Portraits of an Era prints regularly retail for $750 each. Starting in March, we will be periodically holding 36-hour sales. At least once a month, during a 36-hour window, we will be offering Portraits of an Era prints for $187.50, that's 75% off! If you purchase your discounted print between 12 and 2 pm in your time zone, you will receive a piece of 'Marilyn Monroe is Winsome in White Fur' limited edition print from our First Portfolio collection. Every time you buy an additional Portraits of an Era print from 12 to 2 pm during any future 36-hour sales, you will receive another piece from the White Fur print. When you have bought your sixth Portraits of an Era print, you will receive a 21x21, White Fur limited edition print.

By the end of the promotion, 'A Piece of Me' members will have received more than $6,800 in limited edition prints for a total of $1,125. These sales will be announced several days in advance via our blog, Facebook and Twitter, so make sure to follow us if you aren't already.

Enrollment in The Marilyn Monroe 'A Piece of Me' Challenge is easy. Simply buy any Portraits of an Era print between 12 to 2 pm in your time zone during one of our special 36-hour sales and you will automatically receive a piece of your White Fur print. Shipping is not included in the sale price. Marilyn Monroe Pieces of Me Challenge offer only valid with purchases of prints from the Portraits of an Era collection. The six prints must be purchased within six (6) months of the first print purchase in order to be eligible to receive the free First Portfolio print. The Archives reserves the right to switch the free print to another Marilyn Monroe print in the First Portfolio if White Fur print sells out.

The Portraits of an Era edition first debuted as an exhibition of newly restored photographs by Milton H. Greene. It was launched in major U.S. cities in 2001, and then traveled to London, Melbourne, Tokyo, and Sydney. In October 2015, the Portraits of an Era collection will be discontinued. The 'A Piece of Me' Challenge is the last chance for collectors to purchase Portraits of an Era at a discounted price.

The First Portfolio edition was the first set of images from Milton H. Greene’s vast photographic collection to be restored. This exclusive edition includes 19 images selected by The Archives to be digitally remastered and made available as fine art, limited-edition prints. Portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich, Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Laughton, and Diahann Carroll were presented here for the first time.