Len Steckler was born on May 6, 1928, and died on August 11, 2016.

He was an American photographer, illustrator, and filmmaker.

He was known for the artistry over many famous ad campaigns, including Pepsi Cola’s “Refreshes Without Filling” illustrations in the 1950s, Noxzema’s “Take it off — Take it all off” television commercials in the early 1970s, and an ad featuring Joe Namath in Hanes pantyhose.

During 2010, Len received national attention for the release of a previously unknown series of photographs, entitled Marilyn Monroe: The Visit, which offered a candid glimpse of a 1961 encounter between Monroe and famed poet Carl Sandburg.

He started his artistic career with painting.

He was one of the youngest member of New York’s Society of Illustrators, he painted illustrations for short and serialized stories that appeared in leading magazines of the day. As photography gradually replaced illustration, however, Steckler segued to a full-time career as a photographer.

His major clients included Pepsi Cola, Max Factor, Revlon, and Helena Rubinstein, Steckler’s work was featured in magazines such as Ladies’ Home Journal,McCall’s, Playboy, and Look, and made the cover of publications such as Good Housekeeping (1962–66), The Saturday Evening Post (1962–66), Popular Photography (1961–68), and Camera (1968–71).

Len Steckler passed away at 88 years old