Naked Madonna mistaken for Marilyn Monroe - (contains arty nudity).

[Ck]

An American couple and a purported Marilyn Monroe expert have been left red-faced after they mistook a nude picture of Madonna for one of the doomed 1950s starlet.

The shot depicts a woman wearing nothing but high heels and a handbag, with a cigarette dangling from her mouth.

Lawrence Nicastro, 73, of Las Vegas, said that he found a poor-quality poster-sized photo in his home which he thought was a rare nude photo of Monroe. He and his wife he then spent the next four months researching the photo.

Believing it to have been left at his service station in 1962 in New York City by a customer, he brought in Monroe expert Chris Harris.

Mr Harris confirmed it as a genuine and rare find, and scheduled a press conference.

At a sneak preview for a few privileged journalists, however, it was quietly pointed out that far from being an exciting discovery of hitherto unpublished material, it was in fact a shot of pop diva Madonna from her 1992 book Sex, which sold millions of copies and is the most successful coffee table book ever.

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The shot that caused the excitement...

[timey]

Is it work safe?

[Ck]

Yeah, it's from the Telegraph and the pictures are head shots only.

I've found the picture they're talking about though and I'm gonna edit the OP. I'll stick a warning on it.

[timey]

I just scrolled up and there it was!

BTW, I would have known that wasn't Marilyn Monroe. She's way too skinny. MM had curves.

[Ck]

That is true!

[Alpha]

What's she doing out in the middle of the road with nowt on?

[timey]

What's she doing out in the middle of the road with nowt on?

Shock factor for her book. I remember that book.

Not that I am much of a fan of Madonna's. She doesn't even look attractive in that pic.

[timey]

Bet those "experts" had red faces.

[Ernest Rants]

[timey]

That's more like it. Norma Jean in her red-haired days.