An auction of Marilyn Monroe memorabilia made £1.86 million (roughly $2.5 million) on what would have been the icon’s 100th birthday.
Drawn from the estate of her close friends Norman and Hedda Rosten, the June 1 sale featured personal items, letters and keepsakes offering a rare glimpse into Monroe’s private life.
Leading the sale was a Christian Dior suit worn during her 1954 honeymoon with Joe DiMaggio, which achieved £334,665 (roughly $449,493.58), a record for a non-performance-worn Monroe garment.
Another highlight was a pair of triple-hoop pendant earrings worn by the actress in September 1954 when she arrived at New York’s Idlewild Airport to begin work on The Seven Year Itch.
They sold for £288,009 (roughly $386,816.25).
An intimate eight-page handwritten letter from playwright Arthur Miller to Monroe realized £46,481 (roughly $62,452.57).
Written as the couple’s marriage neared its end, the deeply personal correspondence revealed Miller’s struggle to preserve their relationship and offered an unfiltered look at one of the most famous marriages of the 20th century.
Three letters from Dr. Ralph Greenson, Monroe’s psychiatrist, also sold for £46,481 (roughly $62,452.57).
The correspondence included an emotional account written just 11 days after Monroe’s death in which Greenson recounted the events leading up to her final day and its aftermath.
Other highlights included a rhinestone bracelet at £83,666 (roughly $112,419.49), a Fabergé clock at £74,370 (roughly $99,932.46), and a personal telephone book at £55,778 (roughly $74,950.01).
Joe Maddalena, Executive Vice President of Dallas-based Heritage Auctions, said, “The timing of this auction made the results especially meaningful.
“One hundred years after Marilyn Monroe’s birth, collectors responded with extraordinary enthusiasm to objects that reveal the woman behind the legend.”
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