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Marilyn Monroe costume necklace sells in Vegas for $63,000
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Photo by Jay B. Siegel
A sizable collection of vintage accessories, garments, household goods and other memorabilia relating to Marilyn Monroe was sold by Julien’s Auctions at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, June 27, 2009. The personal property once belonging to Monroe was consigned either by owners who purchased the memorabilia through prior sales at Christie's or Julien’s auction houses, or the woman who bought the starlet’s home after she died. Many of the goods were sold along with photographs depicting the items decorating her home or of Monroe actually wearing the garments or accessories.
Among the well-documented accessories sold was a necklace made of glass stones in hues of brown, yellow, and gray on gold chain entwined with knot work. It was accompanied by a framed postcard and poster featuring photos taken by Sam Shaw of Monroe wearing the necklace. Although many of the stones on the necklace had become detached and there were breaks in knot work, the lot still exceeded the pre-auction estimate of $4,000-6,000 to sell for $63,000 including buyer’s premium.
Photo by Jay B. Siegel
The auction also featured a red handbag given by Marilyn Monroe to Tommy Noonan’s fiancée. The red silk purse made with silk “feathers” and silk lining, is stamped with the monogram “MM” on an interior pocket. The clasp made of silvertone metal is decorated with rhinestone clusters. The handbag originally came from the collection of Noonan, who appeared with Monroe in the film “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” During a visit to the set Noonan’s fiancée met Monroe, according to the lot description provided by Julien’s Auctions. The two women who shared the same birthday got along so well, Monroe reportedly gifted the bag to the future Mrs. Noonan when she admired it. The purse was sold with a reprinted lobby card for "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" (20th Century Fox, 1953), for $10,240 including buyer’s premium.
Photo by Jay B. Siegel
A cotton leopard print scarf, perhaps the one worn by Marilyn Monroe during her 1954 honeymoon in Japan with Joe DiMaggio, was also featured in the auction. It was accompanied by a reprinted photograph of Monroe with DiMaggio wearing a scarf similar the one sold, but there was no firm determination that the accessory in the photo and the scarf being sold were one and the same. This item was previously sold in the 'Property From the Estate of Marilyn Monroe' auction conducted by Julien's on June 5, 2005. It exceeded the pre-auction estimate of $3,000-4,000 bringing in $8,320 including buyer’s premium.
A black velvet hat once owned and worn by Monroe also sold for $4,480 and a fox fur stole was auctioned for $69,000. Monroe’s accessories were part of a larger celebrity-related auction including memorabilia from Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Cher and a number of other legendary names in Hollywood and the music industry.
Visit www.juliensauctions.com to see the entire catalog from this sale.
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