Marilyn Monroe’s Personal Irving Trust Company Checkbook

This original Irving Trust Company checkbook was personally owned and used by Marilyn Monroe and remains preserved in its original black plastic folding case. Embossed with the seal of Irving Trust Company of New York, the checkbook contains Marilyn’s handwritten financial register.

The checkbook includes a single recorded entry. Dated February 1, with no year specified, Marilyn recorded a payment of $45.00 to “P. Porter” for “Hair & Transportation.” This is the only entry in the checkbook.

“P. Porter” refers to Pearl Porterfield, often known professionally as Pearl Porter, the hair colorist responsible for Marilyn Monroe’s signature platinum blonde hair. Porterfield had previously served as the hair colorist for Jean Harlow, Hollywood’s original blonde bombshell and one of Marilyn Monroe’s earliest and most important influences.

Porterfield played a critical role in maintaining Marilyn’s carefully controlled hair color. To achieve Marilyn’s distinctive platinum shade, often described as “pillowcase white,” Porterfield used a combination of Sparkling Silver bleach, 20 volume peroxide, and a specialized silver platinum rinse. This process required ongoing maintenance. Marilyn reportedly visited Porterfield regularly for root touch ups approximately every three weeks to preserve the consistency of her appearance.

Porterfield continued working with Marilyn into the final years of her life and is credited with maintaining Marilyn’s platinum hair color during the production of Something’s Got to Give in 1962.

This checkbook entry documents Marilyn’s direct payment to the individual responsible for one of the most recognizable elements of her public image. Marilyn’s platinum blonde hair was central to her identity as a screen figure, and maintaining that appearance required specialized professional care.

Drawn on Marilyn Monroe’s personal Irving Trust Company account at 57th Street and Madison Avenue in New York, this checkbook reflects Marilyn’s financial independence during the Monroe Productions era, when she was managing her own affairs.

The survival of this checkbook, containing Marilyn’s handwritten entry, provides direct documentation of her personal financial activity and her relationship with one of the key professionals responsible for maintaining her iconic appearance.