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Published November 25, 2016 at 504 × 728 in

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62 years ago today. 🎂 🎶 🎤 ✨ There wil

62 years ago today. 🎂 🎶 🎤 ✨

There will only ever be one. Constantly replicated, never duplicated.

May 19, 1962

#marilynmonroe

62 years ago today, Marilyn rehearsed “Happy Bir

62 years ago today, Marilyn rehearsed “Happy Birthday Mr. President” wearing a pair of white Ferragamo high heels, very possibly the same pair that today is part of my MM collection. In honor of that event, here are her shoes, up close and personal.

These shoes are originally from the first estate sale at Christie’s New York in 1999, “The Personal Property of Marilyn Monroe.” The pair were part of lot 292, which also included a beige beret and Marilyn’s jewel patterned Pucci blouse, seen in photos taken by George Barris in 1962.

Marilyn discovered Ferragamo after relocating from Hollywood to New York. She shopped at the Ferragamo store on Park Avenue, and she ordered shoes in multiples, paying $39.99-$49.99 for each pair. According to the Ferragamo website, “Her preferred styles were the Filetia and Viatica pumps, and although they both featured vertiginous four-inch stiletto heels, they were never uncomfortable because Ferragamo had patented a special heel for her, half wood, half steel. He also had a shoe form/model for Marilyn’s shoe orders, as he did with many other celebrities as well.

Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to acquire several personal clothing items, including her green Pucci blouse, her evening cape worn to the East of Eden premiere, her 1958 maternity dress, her favorite black wool suit with fur collar, and even her white fox furs. This, however, is the very first pair of Marilyn’s shoes added to the collection.

And in case you’re wondering…the answer is no. Both heels are intact as made. One heel has not been shaved to make it shorter than the other, which has often been reported as being the reason behind Marilyn’s famous walk. Her walk was her own. In fact, she was quoted in Modern Screen magazine in 1954, saying, “I’ve been walking since I was six months old, and I haven’t had a lesson yet. It comes naturally to me.”

#marilynmonroe

On this day, May 18, 1962, Marilyn Monroe attended

On this day, May 18, 1962, Marilyn Monroe attended rehearsals for President Kennedy’s birthday gala, where she rehearsed her now famous rendition of “Happy Birthday Mr. President.”

She wore her lime green Pucci blouse, which is now part of the Marilyn Monroe Collection. She also wore white Ferragamo high heels, possibly the same pair that is also part of my collection.

FACT: Did you know she planned to sing it that way? Some say she was high, drunk, lost, out of breath the night she sang for President Kennedy. The truth is Marilyn had practiced and perfected her version of “Happy Birthday” for weeks leading up to her actual performance at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 1962. The last photo in this post shows Marilyn rehearsing and her actual performance, and you can see the exact same hand gestures and body movements when comparing the rehearsal to the performance. She knew what she was doing (hence the dress) and today this remains an iconic blending of Hollywood and American politics. The importance and significance this historic event has never been replicated, although Marilyn’s rendition of the song is regularly copied.

#marilynmonroe

Wait for it! In Her Shoes: Marilyn and Maf, 444 E

Wait for it!

In Her Shoes: Marilyn and Maf, 444 East 57th Street, New York City

My January trip to New York offered seemingly countless “In Her 👠” locations. In this Reel, I’m inside the lobby of Marilyn’s New York apartment building. In June of 1961, Marilyn was photographed by Monroe Six members while she held her beloved dog Maf in her lobby. I’ve always loved this rarely seen photo of Marilyn and Maf. There aren’t many photos of them together, and this one is in brilliant color. Marilyn looks beautiful with tousled hair and little if any makeup, and very radiant.

The bond between a person and their animal companion is often meaningful and very strong. I hope Maf brought Marilyn moments of joy and laughter, and made her smile during the short time they were together. In certain clips I own of the Meryman interview from 1962, Maf can be heard barking in the background. It’s been nearly six weeks since I lost my Milo, a Shih Tzu I rescued in 2010. I can still feel him though. I know he’s with me. He’s come to me in my dreams, which has helped to ease the pain of his loss.

After she died, Frank Sinatra’s secretary Gloria Lovell took Maf. And, it was actually Sinatra who gifted Maf to Marilyn. “Maf” is short for “Mafia,” a play on Frank’s connection Italian organized crime.

I still have more shots from my New York trip, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you never miss a post.

#marilynmonroe

Two years ago now… The most expensive dress ever

Two years ago now… The most expensive dress ever sold at auction was destroyed for an eight minute red carpet walk. Considering its cultural and historic significance, that gown should never have been worn by anyone, ever. Now it is forever tarnished. 😭

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#metgala

I was visited recently by a curator from a major m

I was visited recently by a curator from a major museum in Europe on the topic of a Marilyn Monroe exhibit in the near future. I displayed a few choice items for her, and thought I’d take a moment to share some footage. Shown here are the following:

Marilyn’s personal lime green Pucci blouse and matching Pucci belt. This is the blouse Marilyn was wearing in the last ever photos that were taken of her when she was at the CalNeva Lodge the weekend of July 28 and 29, 1962.

Marilyn’s personal wool suit and fur collar. She wore this outfit extensively throughout 1955 and 1956. The suite was custom made for her. There are still many stands of her blonde hair attached to the wool.

Marilyn Monroe’s signature “Elsie Marina” pearl-encrusted mermaid gown from The Prince and the Showgirl, filmed in the UK and released in 1957.

Marilyn’s personal day dress, worn as a maternity gown during her final pregnancy in 1958. This was the period of time in which she was filming Some Like It Hot.

Also shown is an original print of Marilyn by Milton Greene. This print was gifted to my from Joshua Greene, Milton’s son.

Here’s to good luck for this exhibit! More details to come.

#marilynmonroe

Happy May Day. ☀️ 🌸 Marilyn by Sit Cecil

Happy May Day. ☀️ 🌸

Marilyn by Sit Cecil Beaton, 1956

#marilynmonroe

I’m often asked about autographs and authenticit

I’m often asked about autographs and authenticity. Here are four examples of genuine Marilyn Monroe signatures from my collection. Contrary to popular belief, she didn’t always use red ink, and she wasn’t left-handed. ✍️ #marilynmonroe

I’ve always loved these photos of Marilyn prepar

I’ve always loved these photos of Marilyn preparing for the world premiere of How to Marry a Millionaire on November 4, 1953.

According to author Maurice Zolotow, her furs that night were the first that she’d ever owned, and they were the only thing she wore that night that actually belonged to her (aside from undergarments). Today, the white fox muff is part of my personal collection. 🤗

From the book “Marilyn Monroe” by Zolotow:

“I want to be all platinum and white tonight,” Marilyn explained, as anxious as a girl getting ready for her first prom… Gladys (Rasmussen) gave Marilyn a straight permanent. Then she bleached and tinted her hair and set it. Marilyn was wearing it long that night, shoulder length. Gladys painted her fingernails and toenails with platinum polish. Her slippers, her evening dress, her long white gloves arrived from wardrobe, together with two wardrobe women. A messenger boy delivered a box with diamond earrings. Her furs had come that morning. The furs were her own. The first furs she had ever owned. Except for the white fox fur stole and muff, and her panties, everything she wore belonged to the studio. The hair, the nails, a good deal of the face were also the studio’s. They were hers and they were not hers, just as the woman on the screen was she and not she.
#marilynmonroe

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