Los Angeles

Prim Princess Grace has been something of a haunt of mine since girlhood and with a quick switch of plans our anniversary was spent at a place she once called home, the newly rennovated Hotel Bel-Air 

But something changed that night loaded with drink during a midnight swim through that thunderous storm. 

A better undertanding of Marylin occured. 

Then again during check out a crest fallen moment was spent flipping through this book, Three Legends: Norman Mailer / Bert Stern: Marilyn Monroe  

"Marilyn Monroe, who lived at Hotel Bel-Air on and off for more than a decade during her marriages to Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller. Only six weeks before she died in 1962, Hotel Bel-Air served as the location for the famed three-day Bert Stern photo shoot; he prepared for the event by putting plenty of Dom Pérignon 1953 vintage Champagne on ice and spraying suite No. 261 with Chanel No. 5. Vogue magazine published eight pages of the shoot the day after Monroe died." -The Hollywood History of Hotel Bel-Air LA Confidential Magazine

Yellow Calla & Painting By Artist Gary Lang, Interior Design of Bel-Air Hotel  Alexandra Champalimaud & David Rockwell

Obviously the book is breathtaking, as is The Bel-Air and ultimately her life. If a grand happened to be laying around asking to be spent surely it could be on this TASCHEN BOOK

************************************************************************

• Architectural Digest The Hotel Bel-Air's Second Act 
• Los Angeles Times Art review: Gary Lang at Ace Gallery Beverly Hills 
• TASCHEN Three Legends Monroe by Mailer & Stern 
• V & A Grace Kelly Photograph by Erwin Blumenfeld 1955
• David Atkinson Handmade Map of Bel-Air Hotel