Inside the files of Life Magazine

A new book, "Life, 75 Years: The Very Best of Life," celebrates the work of photographers who made the legendary magazine the world's leading forum of photojournalism. The book not only contains some of the most famous images ever published, but also never-before-seen shots.

Included in the collection are the camera negatives from one of the magazine's most indelible images, the "V-J Day" kiss in Times Square. "It is rumored that 'The Kiss is such a perfect photograph [it] was set up, because it is so perfect," said Life Books' managing editor Robert Sullivan. "But the near frames show that it was spontaneous. [The photographer] was chasing this randy sailor, who was an excitable boy, and he got the one great image. The others are really good, but not perfect. A real-life moment."

Video: Life magazine celebrates 75 years of photos

Since 1936, the camera lens of Life Magazine witnessed virtually every major news event, from wars to space shots, to intimate scenes of politicians and Hollywood stars, including Gary Cooper - an actor of brute force and stoicism - pictured in a gentle moment with his daughter, Maria, in 1949.

Gary Cooper photographed on the ski slopes. "This kind of access is what you really don't get a lot of today," said Life Books' Sullivan. "The stars go on vacation today and they don't ask a magazine along."

The world's most glamorous cinema stars graced the pages of the magazine, including Sophia Loren, pictured on the set of the film "Marriage, Italian Style" (1964), captured by legendary cameraman Alfred Eisenstaedt.

Loren in lingerie made it onto the cover of the mag: "You can imagine when that cover hit the table in the dentist office or on grandma's table, and little Johnny sees this thing," said Life Books' Sullivan. "The letters poured in!" Letters of thanks, no doubt.

Sophia Loren on the set of "Marriage, Italian Style."

The camera kissed Sophia Loren so often; here she is kissed by an actual photographer.

Photographer Gjon Mili used light to dramatic effect, as in this series depicting artist Pablo Picasso "painting" with light, thanks to an open camera shutter and a pen light.

Picasso "paints."

A new book, "Life, 75 Years: The Very Best of Life," celebrates the work of photographers who made the legendary magazine the world's leading forum of photojournalism. The book not only contains some of the most famous images ever published, but also never-before-seen shots.

Video: Life magazine celebrates 75 years of photos