"I went to work at Radioplane Company. They had some photographers there taking moving pictures for army training. An army corporal with the 1st Motion Picture Unit told me he would be interested in getting some still shots of me, so I posed for him. He said that I should go into modeling." ~ Norma Jeane 1945

"After Parade duty I picked up my film at Eastman. The guy asked me who my model was ~ that she was a humdinger! I showed the shots to Norma Jeane this evening. She liked them immensely, and I think she was excited about them as much as I. Even her aunt (Ana Lower) was amazed how beautiful they were. Norma Jeane wants to be a movie star. (Seems everybody does these days ~ ha!) I told her she would have to be a model first, and to think about it."
~ David Conover

"There was a luminous quality to her face, a fragility combined with astonishing vibrancy." ~ David Conover

Click on letters to read them
~ A letter written by Norma Jeane to Grace Goddard about her new modeling ventures with David Conover.

Marilyn & David meet up years later in 1953
on the set of "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"

"Yes, I always knew the camera was kind to me. I thought of it as my friend. It was because of David Conover that I found that out. Might say he was the first of photographers that couldn't wait to flap their shutters at my body. He sold a lot of me to Yank magazine and that was my first big break. Didn't mind at all going off on weekends with him and shooting outdoor shots."

"God gave her everything. The first day a photographer took a picture of her she was a genius." ~ Billy Wilder

"As of today, I have absolutely no regrets. I think I am a mature person now who can take things in stride. I'm grateful for people in my past. They helped me get to where I am, wherever that is. But now, I'm thinking for myself and sitting in on business transactions." ~ MM 1961

~ To learn more about Norma Jeane & David Conover please read "Finding Marilyn" by David Conover.

~ Copyright: All photographs are copyrighted by David Conover.
~ Copyright: The letters are from James Haspiel's "Marilyn The Ultimate Look At The Legend"

All the images are thumbnailed, click on image for the full size.