In 1947, photographer Joseph Jasgur captured a series of iconic photographs of Marilyn Monroe (then still establishing her career) playing at the beach with her dog, a Cocker Spaniel named Ruffles.
Monroe had a lifelong love for animals, often finding comfort in her pets during the pressures of her career. Ruffles was one of her earliest companions, frequently appearing in candid early-career photo sessions. Jasgur was a significant figure in Monroe’s early career, taking some of the first professional “test shots” of her when she was still Norma Jeane Dougherty in 1946 before continuing to document her rise in 1947.
These photos are celebrated for showing a more private, grounded side of Monroe before she became a global phenomenon. While often identified as Zuma Beach in Malibu, some historians and archives suggest the 1947 session may have taken place along old Malibu Road with the Malibu Colony visible in the background.
For decades, Jasgur was involved in legal battles to regain the rights to these early negatives. Following his death in 2009, a bankruptcy court finally ordered the auction of his vast collection, including the Ruffles beach series, in 2011 to settle his estate.
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