Exceptional Marilyn Monroe Items at Julien's Auctions "Icons & Idols" Sale

There are some truly rare and exceptional items coming up for auction at the Julien's Auctions "Icons & Idols" sale on December 2.   An exciting array of Marilyn Monroe photos are hitting the auction block, as well as a cache of quality Monroe memorabilia, including several pieces from the now famous 1999 Christie's sale, The Personal Property of Marilyn Monroe.  Likely the most important item at this sale is the Cecil Beaton Triptych, gifted to Marilyn by Bus Stop director Joshua Logan, in which Marilyn posted her favorite photo of herself.  This is perhaps the highest priced item from the 1999 Christie's sale to return to auction.  The hammer price in 1999 was $145,500.00.  What will it sell for this time?

Another item of note is an early photograph of Monroe, signed by the screen legend with her original name, Norma Jeane, and her new movie star name, Marilyn Monroe.  I've never before seen an autographed photo of Marilyn signed with her given name AND her stage name.  This is sure to be an exciting item at the sale. Also included is Marilyn's costume from The Seven Year Itch, along with the harem costume Marilyn wore as she portrayed Theda Bara, and photographed by Richard Avedon.

To see all lots in this auction, visit Julien's Auctions here.

MARILYN MONROE CECIL BEATON TRIPTYCH
Estimate: $80,000 - $100,000

A three-panel sterling silver custom-made Cartier frame, gifted to Marilyn Monroe by Nedda and Joshua Logan. The center frame houses a black and white silver gelatin print of the portrait Cecil Beaton took of Monroe in 1956. This image is purported to be Monroe’s favorite image of herself. The portrait is mounted to board and signed on matte by Beaton. The center frame is engraved at the top “For Marilyn Monroe Miller” and at the bottom “Love Nedda and Joshua Logan.” Joshua Logan directed Monroe in her 1956 film Bus Stop. The left and right frames house a handwritten letter from Cecil Beaton describing Monroe. It reads in part, “But the real marvel is the paradox – somehow we know that this extraordinary performance is pure charade, a little girl’s caricature of Mae West. The puzzling truth is that Miss Monroe is a make-believe siren, unsophisticated as a Rhine maiden, innocent as a sleepwalker. She is an urchin pretending to be grown-up, having the time of her life in mother’s moth-eaten finery, tottering about in high-heeled shoes and sipping gingerale as though it were a champagne cocktail. There is an otherworldly, a winsome naiveté about the child’s eyes…” The portrait can be seen in images of Monroe’s living room, where it was housed from 1956 until the actress’ death in 1962. PROVENANCE Lot 22, “The Personal Property of Marilyn Monroe,” Christie’s, New York, Sale number 9216, October 27 & 28, 1999

MARILYN MONROE EARLY SIGNED PHOTOGRAPH 
Estimate: $10,000 - $20,000

An early black and white headshot of Marilyn Monroe inscribed to her then neighbor Phil Hooper. Inscription reads “To Phil Best Wishes Always Sincerely Marilyn Monroe (Norma Jeane).” Monroe and Hooper both lived at El Palaccio Apartments in West Hollywood. Monroe showed Hooper her photographs as they discussed their careers, and he asked her to sign a photograph for him. The image was signed at some time in 1947–48. Norma Jeane had begun using the name Marilyn Monroe in 1946 but did not change it officially until 10 years later. The photograph has remained in the possession of the Hooper family since the time of the signing. 10 by 8 inches

MARILYN MONROE SCREEN WORN COSTUME

Estimate: $80,000 - $100,000

A raw silk pink ensemble worn by Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch (20th Century Fox, 1955). The costume is composed of a three-quarter-length-sleeve top and tapered leg pants containing a costumer’s label that reads “Marilyn Monroe A-734” and a maker’s label that reads “designed by Jax.” Pants feature back zipper closure and shirt features deep V neckline with wing collar. Monroe can be seen wearing the ensemble with a matching belt, now absent, as she portrayed “The Girl” in the film. No size present.


MARILYN MONROE THEDA BARA CLEOPATRA COSTUME
Estimate:  $200,000 - $300,000

A harem costume worn by Marilyn Monroe for a 1958 photoshoot with Richard Avedon. Avedon dressed Monroe as five of Hollywood’s famed leading ladies. In this costume, Monroe dressed as Theda Bara in her role as Cleopatra. It is purported that this was part of Monroe’s campaign to play the role of the Egyptian queen in the film Cleopatra that eventually starred Elizabeth Taylor. The costume is comprised of a goldtone brassierewith snake motif cups, prong set costume gems and metal ring straps, and a skirt created by a series of scarves affixed to a gold lame bikini bottom. The accessories include a serpentine headdress with goldtone linked rings at each side, three pressed metal wristbands and armbands with arabesque designs, and a belt designed to be worn at the hip with goldtone bead, gen and paillette embellishments. Accompanied by one scarfnot affixed to skirt. PROVENANCE Lot 25 “The Personal Property of Marilyn Monroe,” Christie’s, New York, Sale number 9216, October 27 and 28, 1999

New Collection Piece Added: Marilyn Monroe's Personal Ivory Cotton Overcoat

I'm thrilled to announce the newest addition to the Marilyn Monroe Collection: Marilyn Monroe's personal ivory cotton overcoat, originating from the 1999 Christie's Sale, "The Personal Property of Marilyn Monroe." This coat is from Marilyn's personal wardrobe, with labels reading "Styled by Lawrence of London," and "Bergdorf Goodman on the Plaza, New York."

On June 28, 1961, Marilyn Monroe checked in to Polyclinic Hospital in New York City to have her gallbladder removed. This was the fifth time she had been in the hospital in just ten months. Joe DiMaggio kept her company throughout.

Marilyn wore this overcoat as she exited Polyclinic Hospital on July 11, 1961, following gallbladder surgery.

When Marilyn was discharged she was practically mobbed by well-wishers and photographers as she left. She later said, "It was scary. I felt for a few minutes as if they were just going to take pikes out of me. Actually it made me feel a little sick. I mean I appreciated the concern and their affection and all that, but - I don't know -it was a little like a nightmare. I wasn't sure I was going to get into the car safely and get away!"



Click here for a YouTube video of Marilyn exiting the hospital.

Marilyn Monroe Eternity Band will Sparkle at Auction Again

A platinum and diamond eternity band set with thirty-five baguette-cut diamonds, given to Marilyn Monroe by Joe DiMaggio after their 1954 wedding will hit the auction block this December. Profiles in History will be hosting the sale.

The wedding band sold initially in 1999 at the now famous Christie's auction, "The Personal Property of Marilyn Monroe." The hammer price in 1999 was $772,500.

Excitement is brewing as this is the first "high-ticket item" to come to auction again from the 1999 Christie's sale. The wedding band, I believe, was the second highest priced item in the sale, preceded only by the Jean Luis gown Marilyn wore when she sang Happy Birthday to President Kennedy. This gown fetched at whopping $1,267,500.00, which is still today the highest price ever paid for a personal gown. Of course it's now very well known that the highest price ever paid for a film costume was $5.6 million for the white Billy Travilla designed halter top worn by Monroe in The Seven Year Itch.

Interestingly, news reports about the ring being auctioned are stating that due the fact the ring is missing one of the diamonds it's expected to sell for less than it did at the 1999 Christie's auction. Well, the diamond was missing in 1999, and that didn't appear to have much effect on the sale of the ring at that time. Perhaps reporters are failing to recognize that buyers will be bidding on Marilyn Monroe's eternity band, and the fact that it's missing one of the diamonds will have no impact on the hammer price.

The big question is, will it sell for more than it did in 1999? If recent auctions of Marilyn Monroe items are any indication, (Marilyn Monroe Dress Breaks Record at Auction), this ring will very likely sell for seven-figures.

Marilyn Monroe Dress Breaks Record at Auction, and Darren Julien Comments

Yesterday marked Julien's Auctions annual entertainment memorabilia sale. The auction was conducted at their new location in Beverly Hills, and prices for Marilyn Monroe memorabilia reached new heights. Of particular note, a Marilyn Monroe owned cocktail dress, estimated at $30,000 to $40,000, sold for an astounding $348,000. This is undoubtedly the highest price paid for a Monroe dress at auction since the now world famous 1999 Christie's sale, "The Personal Property of Marilyn Monroe."


Lot Description: A black crepe cocktail dress with deep v-neck and low cut back, with pouf hemline. Interior label reads “front” to identify the front of the dress. Monroe wore this dress to a 1958 party at The Beverly Hills Hotel and is pictured on the cover of the book Marilyn Monroe: From Beginning to End by Michael Ventura. No size present.

Incredibly, the original sale price for this dress in 1999 was $23,000. The 1999 pre-sale estimate was $10,000 to $15,000.

There were also other items of note. A two-piece Pucci ensemble sold for $48,000. The pre-sale auction estimate was $6,000 to $8,000. While only a fraction of the cost of the cocktail dress, this is an astounding amount of money for a Marilyn Monroe outfit considering there is no known photograph of Marilyn wearing the ensemble. Even more astounding, I saw this two-piece Pucci outfit sell at auction several years ago for a mere $800. Finally, this Pucci outfit was formerly owned by Robert Otto, and was one of the few authentic Marilyn Monroe owned items displayed on the Queen Mary as part of the now infamous Monroe exhibit in 2006.

Lot Description: A two-piece silk jersey in seafoam green, boatneck, sleeveless shirt with elastic waist together with matching knee-length skirt. Each of the pieces have both Emilio Pucci and Saks Fifth Avenue labels. This Pucci outfit sold originally at the 1999 sale for $9,775.

Finally, a swimsuit with a Marilyn Monroe label from an unknown MGM film sold for an astonishing $84,000. Again, an astounding sum of money considering there are no known photos of Marilyn wearing this item. The original estimate was $6,000.00 to $8,000.00.

Lot Description: A Marilyn Monroe costume swimsuit from an unknown production. Swimsuit is dark blue with light blue ribbon across bust. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer tag reads "M. Monroe 36," additionally stamped MGM under bust lining.

So why are prices for Marilyn Monroe memorabilia items soaring? I had a chance to chat with Darren Julien today, President & CEO of Julien's Auctions. We discussed yesterday's events, in particular the Marilyn Monroe pieces selling for astronomical prices. My questions and his answers are provided below:

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MMC: "Darren, in your opinion, why are Marilyn items selling for more and more money each year?"

Darren Julien Response: "Marilyn Monroe has a global fan and collector base. It is becoming more and more difficult to obtain items with solid provenance from her life and career. The demand for her items are increasing while authentic items are becoming more difficult to find and make available to the public at auction. In addition, investors have started to buy Marilyn Monroe as a way to diversify their portfolio, and this even further increases the demand for her items. She is a safer investment than stocks or bonds."

MMC: "What was the draw to the itmes that sold for so much beyond the estimate; The swimsuit, the Pucci ensemble, and the black cocktail dress?

Darren Julien Response: "This is a very difficult question to answer because I think it really depends on the demand for each item and who is bidding. For example, we had three people who wanted the black cocktail dress. When the auction started they all felt that they were going to get it, and they had already emotionally committed themselves to buying it. That's why they were willing to go much higher than the estimate, or any values they'd pre-determined that they would pay for the dress. I think this was likely the case also with the Pucci outfit and the swimsuit."

MMC: "Were there any Marilyn lots yesterday that shocked you? For example, the price they sold for, either low or high?"

Darren Julien Response: "I was shocked by all of them. Even her books that sold several years ago for $500 to $800 went for $3,000 to $5,000 yesterday. It just goes to show you that everyone loves Marilyn Monroe.

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There are a few other auctions this summer with Marilyn Monroe items up for grabs, most significantly the Debbie Reynolds film costume collection auction next month. Marilyn Monroe has always been one of the most famous women in the world, with Monroe collectibles often selling for prices far greater than estimates. The Jean Luis dress Marilyn wore when she sang "Happy Birthday" to President John F. Kennedy in 1962 still holds the record for the most expensive dress ever sold at auction. This might be the most important auction year since 1999, determining just how much money fans, collectors, and now investors, will spend to personally own a piece of her magic. If yesterday's auction at Julien's was any indication, we'll likely see more Monroe pieces reach new heights.