In my fourth post about the online event at Julien’s Auctions, ‘Happy 99th Birthday, Marilyn!‘ – with bids closing on Thursday, June 12 – I’m looking at Monroe-inspired art and memorabilia. (You can read all my posts here.)
But first, an original colour transparency showing Marilyn at the Golden Globes in March 1962, when she won the Henrietta award as ‘World Film Favourite – Female.’
SOLD for $2,600
This cardboard countertop display for ‘Monroe Scent,’ a range of air fresheners, was produced in 1954, with artwork evoking Marilyn’s How to Marry a Millionaire era. Although the smallprint mentions a ‘Monroe Mfg. Co.,’ Marilyn never endorsed this product – and may not even have known of its existence.
SOLD for $520
A vintage 1950s rhinestone bracelet designed in a wave-like pattern, hallmarked ‘Kramer of N.Y.’; bought in the 1990s by the current owner at Sid Cahuenga’s One of a Kind Tinsel Town Treasures at Disney World in Florida. Sold with a 1953 photo by John Florea, showing Marilyn posing with rhinestone jewellery. Once again, however, the product has no real connection to Marilyn.
SOLD for $910
The March 1968 issue of Avant Garde, a short-lived art journal, featuring photographer Bert Stern’s ‘psychedelicised’ images of Marilyn.
SOLD for $260
A 1970s era silver-tone record on the RCA label for ‘I’m Gonna File My Claim,’ a song from River of No Return. Mounted below is a plaque reading ‘Presented to Simon House Music to Commemorate the Sale of Over 50,000 Copies’ – likely presented to an executive to hang on an office wall. In fact, the song had sold 75,000 copies in the first three weeks of its initial release during the summer of 1954.
SOLD for $650
Sold separately, four 1980s posters from the 1958 ‘Fabled Enchantresses’ series for LIFE magazine, signed by photographer Richard Avedon, with Marilyn portraying vaudeville star Lillian Russell ($455); silent screen siren Theda Bara ($780); the ‘It Girl,’ Clara Bow ($780); and blonde bombshell Jean Harlow ($910.)
Poster promoting the 32-cent stamp issued by the United States Postal Service (USPS) in 1995, based on Gene Kornman’s 1953 portrait of Marilyn wearing a gold lamé dress. Made in association with the Roger Richman Agency, then the licensing arm for Marilyn’s estate. Accompanied by two photos taken as the design was unveiled, showing Anna Strasberg, inheritor of the estate, with the US Postmaster General.
SOLD for $455
To commemorate the unveiling of the Marilyn Monroe stamp on June 1, 1995 – which would have been her 69th birthday – the USPS collaborated with artists, branches around the country, foreign countries, philatelists, Universal Studios, and the Planet Hollywood restaurant chain.
At top: an envelope displaying the official Marilyn Monroe 32-cent stamp; specially postmarked ‘Hotel Del Coronado Station … Filming location of Some Like It Hot‘; with a limited edition print of a caricature depicting Marilyn, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon as created by Al Hirschfeld.
SOLD for $355
At bottom: two more envelopes, the first displaying the official stamp; specially postmarked ‘First Day of Issue at Universal Studios, Hollywood’, with a Hirschfeld caricature depicting Marilyn’s ‘subway grate scene’ from The Seven Year Itch. The second envelope is similar but with Hirschfeld’s image of Marilyn in Some Like It Hot.
SOLD for $355
‘Pin-Up to American Icon’, a 1998 limited edition print signed by artist William Davies, depicting Marilyn’s Hollywood Star among four different vignettes from her early modelling days to leading lady of Niagara and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and her 1962 Vogue shoot with Bert Stern. One of several greyscale works by Davies also published in Roger G. Taylor’s book, Marilyn In Art.
SOLD for $325
Sold separately, two dolls depicting Marilyn in her gold lamé dress from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: at left, a 1990s ‘Portrait Doll’ from Franklin Mint ($325); and at right, ‘Blonde Ambition’ – from a 2008 collection celebrating 50 years of Barbie ($520.) This auction also features several more dolls and figurines, inspired by Marilyn’s photo shoots with Philippe Halsman and Milton Greene; costumes from The Seven Year Itch and Some Like It Hot; her green beaded gown from the 1962 Golden Globes; and the Happy Birthday Mr President dress.
A hardback catalogue for The Personal Property of Marilyn Monroe, the 1999 Christie’s auction from her estate.
SOLD for $585
A group of five first editions of Fragments, the 2010 anthology of Marilyn’s letters, notes and poetry in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.
SOLD for $260
And finally, ‘A New Wrinkle‘ – Marilyn’s 1949 nude calendar pose for Tom Kelley, in an oversize print signed by the photographer’s son and archivist, Tom Kelley Jr., in 2021.
SOLD for $3,900
The Marilyn Report 