It's hard to imagine a time when the image of Marilyn Monroe was not synonymous with glamour, but in 1949 the burgeoning starlet was just another struggling actress trying to make it in Hollywood.

In need of some cash, the 22-year-old model agreed to pose nude for photographer Tom Kelley for $50. The photos, which show Monroe against a red velvet background, would go on to make up the now-iconic "Golden Dreams" calendar and appear in the first issue of Playboy in 1953. 

Now, 21 never-before-seen photos from the original shoot have just been released and can be viewed this weekend at the Sarah Stocking Gallery, courtesy of Limited Runs. 

The fascinating exhibit also reveals how images were retouched in the days before Photoshop to adjust everything from lipstick and hair color to adding entire items of clothing. Titillating!  //  August 6-8, Sarah Stocking Gallery, 368 Jackson St (Jackson Square), limitedruns.com