Icons of Hollywood 12/2011 - Photos rares de Norma Jeane
lot n°716: Marilyn Monroe (Norma Jeane) original family photograph
age 2, with her later notation on verso
From the personal effects of a relative of Marilyn Monroe (nee Norma Jeane Mortensen/ Baker) to the owner of the image archive “Silver Screen” (now deceased), to the current owner, an original gelatin-silver 3¾” x 4¾” family snapshot of toddler Norma Jeane at the beach. She is playing with another toddler she calls “Donna” in the pencil notation attributed to Norma Jeane herself, “gidy up horsy” at the beach, Donna & me I’m the horse”; comparisons were carefully made to other writing from her teen years, and this is a confident match, so she could have made this notation anytime before leaving home at age 16.
Estimate: $800 - $1 200
lot n°717: Marilyn Monroe unique collection
of 16+ personally owned family photographs and negatives
of Marilyn Monroe and her Mother.
A unique archive of 16+ original 2 ½ x 4 ¼ in. to 3 ½ in. x 4 ½ in. personal family photographs and negatives of Marilyn Monroe with her mother Gladys Pearl Baker (née Monroe) and presumably grandmother, as well as other family members and friends spanning toddler age through to adolescence. Her mother Gladys is pictured in several with a woman who is likely her best friend, Grace McKee, the woman that went on to become her guardian and ward of state. Marilyn is pictured in several as a toddler, as a teenager holding a baby on a bench, standing with Chico Marx on stage, as a young swimsuit model etc. Includes additional copy prints and negatives made from original photographs (originals not present). Approx. 30 items total. An incredible glimpse into Marilyn’s early family life and unique opportunity to acquire a rich trove of original material.
Estimate: $2 000 - $3 000
lot n°718: Marilyn Monroe (Norma Jeane) original photobooth
snapshot self-portrait, Ca. 1940
From the personal effects of a relative of Marilyn Monroe (nee Norma Jeane Mortensen/ Baker) to the owner of the image archive “Silver Screen” (now deceased), to the current owner, a 1 ½” x 1 ¼“ self-generated “photobooth” self-portrait, cut out of the original multi-shot strip by a teenage Norma Jeane and given to a family member. We have not heard of the survival of other such photos generated by[Marilyn] herself, though of course at least a few must have been generated at the time, so it is conceivable for this to be a unique artifact in the pantheon of Marilyn Monroe’s history. In any case, it is unique for this particular shot, as the photobooth technology only creates a single print of each exposure. Side margins are intact, and this particular image was trimmed out of the middle of a multi-shot strip, so no upper or lower margin is present; else, surprisingly Fine for such a small ephemeral object.
Estimate: $800 - $1 200