Ben Apfelbaum

MARILYN MONROE : THE WOMAN BEHIND THE ICON : OPENING NIGHT

Joe Grewe Assistant Curator, ‘Marilyn’ Ted Stampf Curator’
‘Marilyn’ & Fans
‘Marilyn’ & Joe Grewe
Marilyn Monroe.Suzan Muesi.. Hannah TmperialJPG
‘Seven Year Itch’ Movie Still scaled

Sydney Town Hall is welcoming locals and guests to celebrate the unveiling of the iconic legacy of the American acting legend Marilyn Monroe with the exhibition MARILYN : THE WOMAN BEHIND THE ICON on display at the large Lower Town Hall space until the 24th September 2023.

Currently the largest collection of its kind, the Exhibition  features  over 200 single pieces of personal artefacts and will be the only public opening of this form and variety depicting her life, career, and cultural significance. 

Through iconic stories, moments and memorabilia, this exhibition celebrates the personal life of Marilyn Monroe — also known as Norma Jean — from a difficult childhood to an international career defined by fame, fortune, and an untimely death.

Visitors will have the opportunity to see Marilyn’s handwritten notes, personal letters, and treasured possessions. 

The exhibition is designed to peel back the layers of mystery behind the iconic phenomenon, offering rare insights in her private world and the opportunity to discover the independent and hard-working woman behind it all. 

The collection owner and curator, Ted Stampfer, says the exhibition will showcase a journey from Marilyn’s childhood, the rise in the film industry, and the popularity enjoyed throughout her career. 

“With rare insights and exclusive access to Marilyn’s personal belongings, this exhibition offers a unique glimpse into the private world of this cultural icon,” Stampfer said. 

“From humble beginnings to Hollywood stardom, Marilyn Monroe remains an enduring cultural icon, whose life continues to fascinate and intrigue us to this day. 

“MARILYN : THE WOMAN BEHIND THE ICON is a must-see event celebrating the life of the glamorous, fearless and independent cultural icon, Marilyn Monroe.” 

Tickets to the exhibition are  on sale for general admission andVIP experiences and is suitable for most ages.

WHAT: Marilyn, The Woman Behind the Icon 

WHEN: Until 24 September 2023 

WHERE: Lower Town Hall, Sydney Town Hall 

https://www.marilynexhibition.com.au/

Featured photo ‘Marilyn’ & Joe Grewe. All photos by Ben Apfelbaum

 

Published by Ben Apfelbaum

My photography began when my father handed me the proverbial brownie box camera as a child. As cameras developed I went through Fujica and Olympus range finders graduating to my first single lens reflex camera, the Minolta SRT101, the latter being the greatest facilitator to my growth as a photographer. Digital photography has only added to this. I was a regular contributor to Camera Craft magazine (Australian Camera ) for over three years. During Australia’s Bicentennial year (1988) I made it a personal project to document the celebrations. This culminated in the creation of a book of my photos which was published in 1989. The book was called CELEBRATING AUSTRALIA and came with an accompanying calendar. My works have appeared in a number of publications including the coffee book entitled MY AUSTRALIA (1989), publisher Robertsbridge Severn. This book had a preface by the then Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke. I was a co-photographer on a book entitled SYDNEY- DISCOVER THE CITY with text written by Robert Treborlang. Major Mitchell Press was the publisher. Also for two years I was the photographer for calendars celebrating Sydney’s multicultural communities. The two calendars were entitled MULTICULTURAL SYDNEY. My work appeared in a group exhibition held at Sydney’s Town Hall pertaining to the diversity of life in South America to raise money for orphanages there. I have over one hundred photos stored in the New South Wales State Library archive. I had a solo exhibition held in 2007 entitled Ben’s Lens at the Sydney Jewish Museum which celebrated the vibrancy of the Sydney Jewish community. Some of these photos are on the Museum’s permanent display. I have exhibited internationally firstly at the Spruill Gallery in Atlanta Georgia, United States, and in an exhibition entitled Kosher and Co at the Jewish Museum in Berlin. Currently I am a regular contributor to J-Wire and this esteemed publication. To celebrate the opening of a permanent Photography Gallery, the State Library of New South Wales selected 400 shots from its archive of over 2,000,000 images to display in the new gallery. An image of mine was plucked out of the multi million photo archive to be part of the inaugural exhibition.