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The Marilyn Monroe memorabilia collection of wealthy Jersey resident David Gainsborough Roberts – the largest in private hands in the world – goes under the hammer this weekend.
The three-day auction – which includes items from various other collections – is being billed as a “once in a lifetime Marilyn Monroe auction” and “the most talked about auction for many decades to come.” It is divided into five sessions, the first of which took place early this morning (British time).
The sale at leading US auction house, Julien’s, in Los Angles – is expected to net millions of dollars.
David – a self-confessed obsessive of anything to do with fifties screen goddess Marilyn Monroe – has spent a lifetime building up his collection, but says the time is right to sell. After his death he’s leaving his fortune to various island charities including the Jersey Heritage Trust.
Monroe, who made her name in the 1950s playing the role of a “dumb blonde” in a string of movies, is still regarded as one the most popular sex symbols of all time. Despite her fame, she lived a tragic life: was married three times, including to US baseball legend Joe DiMaggio, and playwright Arthur Miller; and died aged 36 in mysterious circumstances from an alleged drugs overdose in 1962, which many have tried to link with US president John F Kennedy and his brother, the Attorney-General, Robert.
According to the auction house’s website, highlights from David’s collection include a sheer black beaded and sequined dress worn in Some Like it Hot; an elaborate embellished stage gown from There’s No Business Like Show Business; a pink linen halter wiggle dress for the 1953 thriller Niagara; a green satin one-piece with black sequins and gold fringe dress from Bus Stop; and a lilac satin leotard featured in a Life magazine shoot in 1958. Additional film pieces include costumes from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Let’s Make Love, along with a pair of rhinestone earrings worn by Monroe in How To Marry A Millionaire and a pair of sequin embellished opera gloves from the Rachmaninoff scene of The Seven Year Itch. In all David has 69 lots in the sale.
The auction has already received worldwide coverage with the American press predicting collectors paying record amounts. What has particularly drawn their attention is the sale of the dress worn by Marilyn when she emerged from a model cake to sing Happy Birthday Mr President to JFK. Although not owned by David it’s also in the auction and some insiders have predicted it could sell for as much as US$3m.
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