The New York photographer Sam Shaw achieved world-wide fame, particularly with his photographs of Hollywood celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe and Marlon Brando.
In the 1940s Sam Shaw began his career as a photographer for Collier's Magazine, however, he sought to depict real life through his lens, life beyond the glossy studio shootings: The "Americana" were made, documentary shots of simple people and their everyday life, among the miners or jazz musicians from New Orleans. As of 1951 Sam Shaw worked for the film industry - where he also took the famous photo of Marylin Monroe with a fluttering skirt above a subway grid during the shooting of "The Seven Year Itch". Marilyn Monroe remained a preferred motif for Sam Shaw, who tried with her and other stars to capture a playful naturalness beyond the artificial pose.
Works by Sam Shaw have already been honored in numerous international exhibitions, such as the show "Sam Shaw: Hollywood Stars. Marylin & Brando" (K35 Art Gallery) in Moscow in 2008.