Two Original Photographs of Marilyn Monroe Taken by Allan “Whitey” Snyder

These two original photographs of Marilyn Monroe were taken by Allan “Whitey” Snyder, her personal makeup artist and one of the most trusted figures in her life and career. Captured on location in Canada during the filming of River Of No Return in 1953 (left photo), and also on location that same year in Niagara for that film, (right photo) the images offer a rare and intimate glimpse of Monroe outside the formal structure of studio photography.

Unlike promotional photographs created for publicity purposes, these images were taken by Snyder himself, documenting Monroe in candid moments during production. Their informal nature reflects the unique access Snyder had to Monroe, not only as a member of the production team, but as a close personal friend.

Both photographs remained part of Snyder’s personal estate, preserved among his private effects for decades. As such, they represent authentic firsthand documentation of Monroe during two of the most physically demanding and personally challenging film productions of her career.

These images survive not as constructed studio portraits, but as personal records created by the man responsible for crafting the face the world would come to recognize.

Allan “Whitey” Snyder And His Extraordinary Relationship With Marilyn Monroe

Allan “Whitey” Snyder was Marilyn Monroe’s personal makeup artist from her first screen test at Twentieth Century Fox in 1946 through the entirety of her career. He remained one of the few constants in her professional life, helping to shape the visual image that would become one of the most recognizable in history.

Their relationship extended far beyond that of artist and subject. Snyder was a trusted confidant and friend. Near the end of her life, Monroe made a deeply personal request that Snyder prepare her makeup in death, should he outlive her. In August 1962, Snyder fulfilled that promise. He also served as a pallbearer at her funeral.

Snyder’s distinguished career extended well beyond his work with Monroe. He received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Achievement in Makeup, including for Marilyn: The Untold Story in 1978 and Little House on the Prairie in 1981. His career spanned decades of film and television, but he remains forever linked to the star whose image he helped define.