Marilyn Monroe smiles broadly for the cameras as she enjoys a night out on the town. (Photo/Agencies)

Marilyn Monroe smiles broadly for the cameras as she enjoys a night out on the town. (Photo/Agencies)

Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra (1963). (Photo/Agencies)

Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra (1963). (Photo/Agencies)

Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra (1963). (Photo/Agencies)

Vivian Leigh in Gone With the Wind (1939). (Photo/Agencies)

Vivian Leigh in Gone With the Wind. (Photo/Agencies)

One of the largest collections of old Hollywood photographs has been gone up for auction this weekend.

Guernsey's auction house in New York is holding a two day sale from April 6-7 to sell the Movie Star News Collection of three million photographs and negatives that capture the history of Tinseltown.

The pictures were captured by Irving Klaw, a Manhattan photographer who was the first to tap into the public's insatiable demand for movie photographing.

Mr Klaw, a candy shop owner by trade, branched into the photography business in 1939 and negotiated a deal with movie studios to capture scenes of famous faces on movie sets.

He captured the most celebrated figures from old Hollywood including Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Elizabeth Taylor, Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn and Paul Newman.

The collection of pictures of Marilyn Monroe includes more than 600 photographs of the screen siren.

(Agencies)