THE PERSONAL PROPERTY OF MARILYN MONROE
The Historic Auction of Marilyn Monroe’s Estate
Christie's New York
New York – Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 October 1999
In October of 1999, Anna Strasberg sourced Christie’s, the renowned auction company, to sell the bulk of Marilyn Monroe’s estate. The auction, which occurred over two days, was labeled “The Sale of The Century,” garnering over $13 million with the sale of nearly 576 lots. Items sold included Marilyn’s clothing, furs and shoes, furniture from her home, film scripts, jewelry, kitchen items, books from her library, cosmetics, awards, and many other items from her private life. Of note, the dress Marilyn Monroe wore to sing Happy Birthday to President John F. Kennedy on May 19, 1962, sold at this auction for nearly $1.3 million, and still today holds the record for being the most expensive dress ever sold at auction, a record formerly held by one of Princess Diana’s gowns.
Click the links below to explore items from the landmark 1999 Christie’s auction that are preserved within The Marilyn Monroe Collection.
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