The sheer elegance of Old Hollywood legend Grace Kelly has followed her ever since she first embarked on her acting career in 1950 at just 20 years old. Hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Kelly was born into an influential family growing up in the East Falls neighborhood just outside the city. Kelly’s beauty and (literal) grace struck Hollywood, and she began as a model in small parts before gradually turning into a full-blown sensation. It wasn’t until 1955, when, at the Cannes Film Festival, Kelly transcended beyond just a Hollywood star and participated in a photo session with Prince Rainier III of Monaco at his palace. Kelly and the Prince fell in love, and just a year later, formally married, turning Kelly into Princess consort of Monaco. Let’s have a look back at some of the actress’ rare moments before she held her famous royal title.
1930
An early photo of Kelly sitting in her crib around just eight months old.
1938
Kelly, age nine, and her younger sister, Elizabeth, pose for a family portrait.
1947
A brunette Kelly poses alongside her family on Southhampton pier just years before she became a famous actress.
1948
The early actress cut her teeth in the modeling industry. Here, she poses in an advertisement for Old Gold cigarettes.
1949
A 19-year-old Kelly poses for a portrait session to be used in a painting.
1951
Kelly snaps a photo on a rock while on a hiking trip.
1952
Kelly poses for a photoshoot in a chiffon and silk gown against a bed of red tulle.
1952
Appearing in the film High Noon, Kelly wears an Old Western-style dress by costume designer Ann Peck.
1953
On the set of the 1953 film Mogambo, Kelly rides horseback in a strapless tank top fashioned from a silk scarf.
MICHAEL OCHS ARCHIVESGETTY IMAGES
1953
A series of film portraits taken of the actress during the filming of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window.
1953
Walking though the forest, Kelly leans against a tree barefoot for a photoshoot around her home.
1953
Grabbing a cup of coffee between scenes, Kelly’s off-duty look consisted of rolled trousers and an oversized coat.
1954
Kelly sits on the rail of a sailboat on Colombia’s Magdalena River while filming Green Fire.
1954
The actress chooses postcards to purchase from a carousel in Palm Springs, California.
1954
Kelly answers phones at Paramount Pictures in a still off-set from the 1954 film The Country Girl.
1954
On-set in Colombia, Kelly feeds a nearby donkey.
1954
Biking in Greece, Kelly stops to pose for a photo wearing a printed men’s style shirt as a swimsuit coverup.
KEYSTONE-FRANCE GETTY IMAGES
1955
Always with her Rolleiflex camera out, Kelly takes photos of the pier at the Cannes Film Festival.
1955
En garde! The actress learns to fence as part of her role in the 1955 film The Swan.
BOB KELLER GETTY IMAGES
1955
Walking along 81st street and Madison Avenue on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Kelly wears dark sunglasses and a mink coat while gripping a prayer book on her way home from Sunday services.
From CR Fashion Book
