Rare personal items belonging to Marilyn Monroe, including jewellery, letters, handwritten notes and artwork, are set to be auctioned in June as part of a sale marking what would have been her 100th birthday.
The sale, organised by Heritage Auctions, will feature items from the estate of poets Norman and Hedda Rosten, who were close friends and confidants of Monroe. Public bidding opens on June 1.
Among the items included in the auction are pieces of jewellery, wardrobe items, private letters, handwritten notes, paintings and poetry dating from 1955 to 1962.
Brian Chanes, senior director of Hollywood and entertainment at Heritage Auctions, described Monroe as an enduring cultural figure during a preview of the collection on May 8.
“Marilyn is just an icon,” he said. “People love and adore Marilyn to this day.”
Born Norma Jeane Mortenson in Los Angeles in 1926, Monroe rose to international fame as an actress, singer and model, becoming one of Hollywood’s most recognisable figures before her death in 1962.
According to the auction house, several of the documents have never previously been seen publicly and provide insight into Monroe’s personal struggles, relationships and reflections on life and mortality.
“It’s really special because this isn’t material that’s been bought and sold over the decades,” Chanes said. “This is something that’s a discovery.”
The collection also includes correspondence from Monroe’s former husband, playwright Arthur Miller, as well as a previously unseen letter written by her psychiatrist about the events leading up to her death.
One of the most emotional items in the auction comes from the period when Monroe was filming ‘Some Like It Hot’. Writing on stationery from the Hotel del Coronado, Monroe reportedly expressed feelings of distress as production difficulties mounted.
“Right before she was about to overdose and they had to halt filming, she wrote, ‘I feel like I’m drowning’,” Chanes said.
He added that Monroe had drawn a stick figure submerged in water alongside the note, reflecting the emotional struggles she faced throughout her career.
