A collection of personal artefacts belonging to Marilyn Monroe, including her trademark make-up and iconic gowns, is being auctioned in London this week. The sale, timed to coincide with what would have been her 100th birthday year, has drawn fierce bidding from British collectors seeking to preserve a piece of Hollywood’s cultural legacy.
The auction house, Christie’s, has curated over 200 lots spanning Monroe’s career from the early 1950s to her final film, “The Misfits”. Highlights include a custom-blended lipstick from Max Factor used in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” and the white halter dress from “The Seven Year Itch”, though the latter is a replica. The original dress sold for $4.6 million in 2011.
Bidding has exceeded pre-sale estimates by 30% according to Christie’s, with private collectors from the United Kingdom dominating the early lots. “This is about owning a fragment of a myth,” said Dr. Eleanor Walsh, a cultural historian at the University of Cambridge. “Monroe’s image was manufactured as much as it was natural, and these objects represent the intersection of artistry and commerce.”
Monroe’s estate, which oversees her intellectual property, has authorised the sale. Proceeds will go to several charities, including the Actors Fund and the Motion Picture & Television Fund.
The auction continues through the weekend. Online bidding remains open, but the premium for authenticity remains high. As one collector put it, “She was the last star of the analogue age. These aren’t props; they’re relics.”
