On the 100th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe’s birth, an auction featuring her personal items has already brought in thousands of dollars in bids, with a 1950s evening purse reaching an estimated $100,000. The sale, which began on Thursday, includes 185 items from the model and actress’s life, including an evening gown and her lip pomade. The auction is part of exhibitions and celebrations across the US this week honoring Monroe’s legacy.
The auction, held by Julien’s Auctions, features “countless never-before-seen photographs and slides of the star” as well as rare and hard-to-find images hidden for decades. The star, who rose to fame as a sex symbol in the 1950s, has continued to captivate the attention of Americans long after her passing. A separate auction included a Christian Dior skirt that Monroe wore on her honeymoon and a letter from her husband playwright Arthur Miller.
Marilyn Monroe Memorabilia
Some of the most intimate items in the collection include Monroe’s 1950s brassiere, which had “yellowed due to age” and was inherited by Monroe’s acting coach Paula Strasberg. The undergarment, estimated to be worth $1,000, had 15 bids, with the highest at $7,000. The auction also features several of Monroe’s personal make-up products, including lipsticks, blush, and eyeliner pencil.
The most expensive item is Monroe’s gold-toned 1950s cylindrical minaudiere purse, carrying her tiny hair comb, a tube of lipstick, eight Philip Morris cigarettes, and 1940s dimes. As of Thursday morning, the highest bid on the item was $70,000. Dozens of bids were placed on never-before-published images from Monroe’s photoshoots over the years, signed by famous photographers.
The public also bid $15,000 on the olive-green painted wood front gates to the only home Monroe ever owned in the ritzy Brentwood neighborhood. Monroe paid around $100 for the gates in 1962, according to the auction company.
A Lasting Legacy
The auction is a testament to Monroe’s enduring popularity, with fans continuing to celebrate her life and legacy 100 years after her birth. Earlier this week, over a thousand fans dressed as Monroe in her famous white-pleated dress in Palm Springs, California, to pose next to an iconic statue of her wearing the same outfit.
The sale of Monroe’s personal items serves as a reminder of her lasting impact on American culture, with her image and style continuing to inspire new generations of fans. As the auction comes to a close, it is clear that Marilyn Monroe’s legacy will continue to captivate audiences for years to come.
