Here’s a true taste of the lives of the rich and famous—inside legendary New York hotels in the second half of the 20th century. From Elia Kazan to Arthur Miller and Marlene Dietrich, see classic photos of celebrities in their element.
At the Pierre Hotel on Fifth Avenue, a 1958 crowd dances the night away at the Brazilian Nights Ball.
Inge Morath/Magnum Photos
The well-coiffed, German-born actress and singer Marlene Dietrich, clad in a boutonniere and bow tie, parties in New York City in 1959.
Elia Kazan, whom The New York Times once called “one of the most honored and influential directors in Broadway and Hollywood history,” reads the morning paper’s review of a show at the posh Plaza Hotel as Arthur Miller, Lauren Bacall, and friends read over his shoulder.
Dennis Stock/Magnum Photos
Italian photographer Umberto Menzinger Von Preussenthal and Shizo, a German model and singer, who lived together in the Chelsea Hotel’s Apartment 714 in May 1987. Here, the two show off their flamboyant décor and adorable dog.
Elliott Erwitt/Magnum Photos
The iconic Marilyn Monroe, in the Waldorf Astoria Ballroom before the filming of The Prince and the Showgirl, attends at a press conference with British actor, director, and producer Laurence Olivier in 1956.
Eve Arnold/Magnum Photos
Model Catherine Ashley, who lived in the Chelsea Hotel’s Apartment 917 in 1987, stands below “The Tree of Life,” a work of art produced by Eugenie Gershow in 1972. The piece depicts some local Chelsea artists. On the swing is Peter Brook, who was staging A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Arthur Clarke of 2001: A Space Odyssey; Arthur Miller; Virgil Thomson; and Moses Sawyer.
Elliott Erwitt/Magnum Photos
Legend Diana Ross reflects in her hotel room at the Apollo in 1965. Everything from the television to the voluminous hairstyle brings us back.
The Waldorf Astoria hosts guests Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco for their engagement party in 1956. The film star would soon get her prince—and leave Hollywood for good.
Elliott Erwitt/Magnum Photos
The play After the Fall gets the full rundown from British engineer Robert Whitehead, Arthur Miller, and Elia Kazan at the Chelsea Hotel in 1963.
Inge Morath/Magnum Photos
British Prime Minister Tony Blair takes a phone call in his suite at the Grand Hyatt in 1996, a year before the Oxford grad started at 10 Downing Street.
Peter Marlow/Magnum Photos
