From jewelry to private letters, Marilyn Monroe’s hidden world heads to auction

Actress Marilyn Monroe is shown on the set of her last movie, "Something's Got To Give," in Los Angeles in this April 1962, file photo. (AP Photo)

Memorabilia belonging to late model and movie star Marilyn Monroe is heading to the auction block, offering a rare glimpse into the private world of one of Hollywood’s most enduring legends. Items up for sale include pieces from her wardrobe, jewelry, letters, handwritten notes, paintings, and poetry.

“Marilyn is just an icon,” said Brian Chanes, senior director of Hollywood and entertainment at Heritage Auctions, during a preview of the collection on Friday. “People love and adore Marilyn to this day.”

Born Norma Jeane Mortenson in Los Angeles in 1926, Monroe became a renowned actress, model, singer and sex symbol known for her blonde hair and hourglass body. She died in 1962.

Sale to coincide with birthday

Heritage Auctions is opening bidding to the public on items from the estate of poets Norman and Hedda Rosten, close friends and confidants of Monroe. The sale, which happens June 1, coincides with what would have been the star’s 100th birthday and features personal belongings dating from 1955 to 1962.

Among the most striking offerings are documents never seen publicly, shedding light on Monroe’s inner life. The papers explore her romantic relationships, fears surrounding a lost pregnancy, and her reflections on 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.”

From costume jewelry Monroe wore to artwork she once held in her hands, the collection offers buyers intimate access to her personal world. The auction also includes correspondence from her ex-husband, playwright Arthur Miller, revealing the emotional complexities of their marriage, as well as an unseen letter from Monroe’s psychiatrist describing the day leading up to her death.

Chanes highlighted one particularly emotional piece from the period when Monroe was filming “Some Like It Hot.” Writing on stationery from the Hotel del Coronado, she pleaded for help as her struggles threatened to derail production.

“Right before she was about to overdose and they had to halt filming, she wrote, ‘I feel like I’m drowning,’” Chanes recalled.

“You can feel the anguish in her writing,” he added, noting that Monroe sketched a stick figure submerged in water on the same stationery, begging for help — an image that highlighted the mental health struggles she faced throughout her career.

Reporting by Matt Silverstein and Danielle BroadwayEditing by Rod Nickel