Iconic Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe’s personal items, including make-up, gowns, and rare photographs, have gone on auction to mark the 100th anniversary of her birth.
The auction, organised by Julien’s Auctions, began on Thursday and features 185 items from the late star’s life. Highlights include a 1950s evening purse estimated at $100,000, evening gowns, lip pomade, and never-before-seen photographs and slides.
Rare Items and Personal Belongings
Julien’s Auctions said the sale includes items “personally owned, touched, and used” by Monroe, including pieces from her Brentwood residence in Los Angeles. Among the top bids was a gold-toned 1950s cylindrical minaudiere purse containing Monroe’s hair comb, lipstick, cigarettes, and coins. As of Thursday morning, the highest bid was $70,000.
Other intimate items include a 1950s brassiere once inherited by Monroe’s acting coach, Paula Strasberg. The item, originally estimated at $1,000, received 15 bids, with the highest at $7,000.
The auction also showcases Monroe’s personal make-up products such as lipsticks, blush, and eyeliner pencils, which continue to inspire fans and beauty enthusiasts online.
Fans Celebrate Monroe’s Legacy
Monroe, born Norma Jeane Mortenson on June 1, 1926, rose to fame in the 1950s and remains one of the most enduring Hollywood icons. She starred in classics such as Some Like It Hot and Niagara before her death in 1962.
Across the United States, fans have celebrated her centenary. In Palm Springs, California, more than a thousand fans dressed in Monroe’s famous white-pleated dress to pose next to a statue replicating the iconic outfit.
Other Notable Auction Lots
A Christian Dior skirt worn by Monroe on her honeymoon and a letter from her husband, playwright Arthur Miller, were included in a separate auction by Heritage Auctions.
Never-before-published images from her photoshoots, signed by renowned photographers Allan Grant and Milton Greene, attracted multiple bids. The front gates of Monroe’s only owned home in Brentwood also drew attention, with a bid of $15,000; Monroe had originally paid about $100 for them in 1962.
