M is for.... Marilyn: A Portrait @ National Portrait Gallery

“It's all make-believe, isn't it?” (Marilyn Monroe)

Join us at Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait at the National Portrait Gallery to explore the life, career and legacy of Marilyn Monroe through portraits created by some of the greatest photographers and artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Bringing together works by Andy Warhol, Pauline Boty, Marlene Dumas, James Gill, Rosalyn Drexler and Audrey Flack, alongside over 20 era-defining photographers, including Cecil Beaton, Philippe Halsman, Bernard of Hollywood, Sam Shaw, Richard Avedon and George Barris, the exhibition will foreground Monroe’s collaborative approach to image making and her creative agency.

The exhibition will also include personal belongings such as books, scripts and clothes to enrich understanding of the woman behind the image.

From the earliest ‘cheesecake’ pin-ups made when she was a young model named Norma-Jeane, to the most poignant final photographs taken on the beach in Santa Monica in 1962, Marilyn Monroe was one of the most photographed people in the world. A defining presence in popular culture, she captivated audiences with performances in much loved films such as Some Like it Hot.

Read more here: https://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/exhibitions/2026/marilyn-monroe-a-portrait

MEET DETAILS:

FROM 1.45pm: MEET AT AUDREY GREEN CAFE
Address: Ground Floor, NPG, St Martin's Place, London, WC2H 0HE

2.30pm: ENTER THE MUSEUM/EXHIBITION
Address: Ground Floor, NPG, St Martin's Place, London, WC2H 0HE

4.15pm-Late: PUB SOCIAL (optional)
We'll head to a local pub for a social chit chat over drinks.
Location tbc 48 hours before event.

TICKETS:
You will need to purchase your own ticket for this event.
Please book here and choose the 2.30pm slot (or thereabouts).

Ticket: £27
Ticket with Art Pass: £13.50
Members: free, no need to book

GETTING THERE:
See 'Visit' page of website here.

EVENT WHATSAPP GROUP:
Please join the event WhatsApp group to help you find the group on the day. The link will be posted in the Event Comments 48 hours before the event, for those on the confirmed going list.
NB Joining this WhatsApp group will make your phone number visible to other members in the group.

PLEASE READ:
LoMAZ events are run by volunteers. This event has an attendee limit as we prefer a smaller, friendlier group. If you RSVP but can no longer attend, please change your RSVP as soon as possible, otherwise you will be marked as a 'no show'.

We remove members from the group who:

• repeatedly sign up for events then 'no show'.
• repeatedly change their RSVP to 'No'.
• are on the event waitlist or have not RSVPd but turn up anyway.

Please see the About Us section for more information about the group and how it works.

Thank you for your interest in the group & being part of LoMAZ.
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Image credit: Marilyn Monroe, Ballerina Sitting, 1954, by Milton H. Greene, Milton H. Greene © MHG Collective, LLC.