A COLLECTION of rare Marilyn Monroe photographs has arrived at a Stockbridge art gallery.

For Courcoux & Courcoux Contemporary Art this is the second major coup following its exhibition of John Lennon's artwork just a few weeks ago.

Timeless Beauty features portraits of the Hollywood icon in a variety of poses and moods.

The photographs, mostly in black and white, are signed by the leading photographers of the time - George Barris, Bert Stern, Tom Kelley, Milton Green and Lazlo Willinger.

And the ones that are likely to generate most interest are those snapped by Pan Am airline steward Kashio Aoki, who took pictures of Monroe and Joe DiMaggio as they landed in Japan in February 1954.

Two weeks later, when the newlyweds were leaving, Aoki presented them with the developed photographs, which Monroe duly signed.

Spanning the three phases of Monroe's career, the collection includes the infamous Red Velvet series that features photographs taken by Tom Kelly in 1949.

These fully nude pictures of Monroe first appeared as a pin-up calendar and then in the 1952 debut issue of Playboy Magazine.

And there are rare prints from the Last Sitting series photographed by legendary sixties advertising and fashion photographer Bert Stern, six weeks before her death.

The prints, signed by Bert Stern, are in black and white and colour. Orig-inal works by George Barris, the last photographs taken of Monroe, and works by Lazlo Willinger, of her very first photographs, are all part of this spectacular exhibition.

The exhibition runs until 3 July.