The Hungarian photographer who discovered Marilyn Monroe

André de Dienes rose to fame in Hollywood in the 1940s. According to 24.hu, the Hungarian-Romanian fashion photographer’s work with Marilyn Monroe greatly contributed to the success of the iconic actress.

He was born as Andor Dienes into a middle class family in 1913 in Transylvania. Following his mother’s suicide in 1925, the family moved to Budapest. His brothers soon left for America, while he became interested in painting, drawing and, photography. He traveled across Europe, then in 1933, he moved to Paris, where he purchased a Rolleiflex camera. He started working as a professional photographer for Associated Press and L’Humanité, and his fame as a fashion photographer began to grow.

In 1938, Arnold Gingrich, legendary founder of the Esquire, offered him work in New York. His work was published in Life and Vogue, and he also traveled around photographing Native American cultures. In 1944, he relocated to Hollywood to focus on his career in fashion photography. He photographed the likes of Ingrid Bergmann, Henry Fonda, Marlon Brandon, Ronald Reagan, Elizabeth Taylor, and Shirley Temple.