06/01/2026
Did you know Marilyn Monroe spent time on Long Island?
From her iconic 1955 photo shoot in Mount Sinai to quiet days in the Hamptons, Long Island was the setting for some of Marilyn’s most memorable moments away from Hollywood.
Celebrating what would have been her 100th birthday by looking back at her Long Island story. 🤍
For the reader:
1. Marilyn did a famous photo shoot in Mount Sinai in 1955- Photographer Eve Arnold photographed Monroe at a playground and nearby marshland in Mount Sinai during Labor Day weekend 1955. These images became some of Arnold’s most celebrated portraits of Monroe because they showed a more thoughtful, natural side of her rather than the glamorous Hollywood image.
2. She carried James Joyce’s Ulysses to the Mount Sinai shoot- One detail that surprises many people: Monroe brought a copy of Ulysses with her and was photographed reading it. Eve Arnold later recalled that Marilyn kept the book in her car and read it aloud because she loved its sound, even though she found it difficult. The photo helped challenge the stereotype that Monroe was merely a “dumb blonde.”
3. She was staying nearby in Port Jefferson- The Mount Sinai photo session happened while Monroe was spending the holiday weekend at a cottage in Port Jeffersonowned by friends of Arthur Miller. At the time, Monroe and Miller were developing the relationship that would eventually lead to their marriage.
4. Marilyn and Arthur Miller spent summers in Amagansett- After marrying in 1956, Monroe and Arthur Miller rented a cottage on a farm in Amagansett. Photos from that period show them bicycling country roads, relaxing on the beach, and enjoying a quieter life away from Manhattan and Hollywood.
5. The Hamptons were one of the few places where she could feel normal- Friends recalled that Monroe loved the relative privacy of Amagansett in the 1950s. Long before the Hamptons became known for celebrity culture, it offered open beaches, farmland, and a slower pace. Many of the iconic photos of Monroe laughing barefoot on the beach or driving through the East End were taken there.
