A signed print by Al Hirschfeld, longtime caricaturist for the New York Times, sold for $6,400 yesterday, making it the top-selling item among around 40 Marilyn-related lots in the Hollywood Legends event at Julien’s Auctions. You can read all my posts on this sale – with updated totals – here.
Hirschfeld’s artwork was originally created for the release of Some Like It Hot in 1959. Another of his Monroe-inspired illustrations, focusing on The Misfits (1961), is currently featured in a New York retrospective, Al Hirschfeld: Strokes of Genius, at Helicline Fine Art. (The gallery is located at a private space and can be viewed by appointment.)
Meanwhile, an original copy of Playboy‘s first issue was featured alongside hundreds more as part of a 47-volume, bound collection including nearly every edition of the world’s most famous men’s magazine, which fetched $7,680.
Perhaps surprisingly, two Joseff of Hollywood costume jewellery pieces worn by Marilyn (on camera) both failed to meet their reserves, and a rare home movie shot during filming of The Misfits in Nevada also went unsold.
And finally, in what is becoming a festive tradition, the online showcase Merry Merry Marilyn III – featuring documents, photographs, etc. among 135 lots – is now open at Julien’s, with bids closing on January 6, 2026 (spot the typo below…)
The Marilyn Report 