15/12/2011, PROFILES IN HISTORY: Icons of Hollywood: Lots Partie 1 Norma Jeane

 Enchères  "Icons of Hollywood"
des 15 & 16 décembre 2011
- 49 lots avec Marilyn Monroe -
- Partie 1 : Norma Jeane

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15/12/2011, PROFILES IN HISTORY: Icons of Hollywood: Vente et Catalogue

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lot n°694: 18-year-old Marilyn Monroe amazing autograph letter signed
18-year-old Marilyn Monroe amazing autograph letter signed - MONROE, MARILYN. Amazing Autograph Letter Signed “Norma Jeane”, Four pages, blue-lined Octavo sheets, dated June 15, 1944. Penned at the top, and stricken-through, is the address “14668 Parthenia St, Van Nuys” (curiously, she never lived at that address). Written to Grace Goddard, Norma Jeane’s legal guardian and ‘mother’ figure during the tumultuous years of her youth. Norma Jeane — just 18 years of age — pens (in full):

“Dearest Grace,
I was so happy to hear from you. I was so thrilled to read your letter and learn of all that you have been doing lately. [Grace had recently moved to West Virginia]
I will send you your picture very s[h]ortly now, I’m going down Saturday to find out more about it. Also will send you lots of snapshoots at the same time I send you the picture. I found out that a 10² x 12² (that was the size you wanted wasn’t it?) cost exactly $5.00.
Jimmie has been gone for seven weeks and the first word I received from him was the day before my birthday. He sent a cable night letter by Western Union saying ‘Darling, on you birthday, I send you a whole world of love’. I was simply thrilled to death to hear from him.
I have never really written and told you of Jimmies and my married life together. Of course I know that if it hadn’t been for you we might not have ever been married and I know I owe you a lot for that fact alone, besides countless others. That is why I feel that I should let you know about us. I love Jimmie just more than anyone (in a differn’t way I suppose than anyone) and I know I shall never be happy with anyone else as long as I live, and I know he feels the same towards me. So you see we are really very happy together that is of course, when we can be together. We both miss each other terribly. We will be married two years June 19th. And we really have had quite a happy life together.
I am working 10 hrs. a day at Radioplane Co., at Metropolitain Airport. I am saving almost everything I earn (to help pay for our future home after the war.) The work isn’t easy at all for I am on my feet all day and walking quite a bit.
I was all set to get a Civil Service job with the Army, all my papers filled out and everything set to go, and then I found out I would be working with all Army fellows. I was over there one day, there are just too many wolves to be working with, there are enough of those at Radioplane Co. with out a whole army full of them. The Personal [Personnel] Officer said that he would hire me but that he wouldn’t advice it for my own sake, so I am back at Radioplane Co. & pretty contented.
Well I guess that is about all for now.
With much love,
Norma Jeane”

Summer of 1944 was a fateful time for young Norma Jeane Dougherty. Circa 1943-44, she landed her first job at Radioplane Co. (a defense contractor in Burbank, California), through the influence of her mother-in-law, Ethel. Her husband, Jim, had recently joined the U.S. Merchant Marine and shipped off to war just “seven weeks” previously.
Although she here thanks Grace for the instrumental role she played in organizing and consenting to her marriage, it is known that she later harbored feelings of resentment towards Grace for taking off to West Virginia (in effect, abandoning Norma Jeane), and believed that her “surrogate mother” had arranged the marriage as a convenient way to get rid of her. Despite Norma Jeane gushing over her love for her husband, her marriage was soon to unravel. Just a few months later, Norma Jeane met a man who would vault her to stardom: Army photographer David Conover. Conover had been tasked by his commanding officer (who was, interestingly enough, actor and future President Ronald Reagan) to photograph women factory workers who were helping with the war effort. Making the rounds at Radioplane he was naturally drawn to Norma Jeane, who, along with her stunning beauty and bubbly personality, seemed to have a certain “aura” around the camera.
She soon appeared on the cover of Yank magazine, and the die was cast. Heeding the advice of Conover and Grace, she obtained a divorce from Dougherty (September 13, 1946), and began one of the most famous careers in Hollywood.
A wonderful letter, showing how Norma Jeane viewed her world and her future with Jim Dougherty just two years into their marriage — though her life would soon change forever. Numerous corrections throughout, and page one exhibits original ink-blot. Overall, in excellent condition.
Estimate: $40 000 - $60 000
   

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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
  

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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
 
   
 
 

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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
 

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Comments

[ginie]

je savais que cette photo ferait plaisir !
Moi aussi j'étais étonnée quand je l'ai vu, et je pense qu'il existe encore pleins de raretés dans des fonds de tiroirs !
Le site Profiles in history a inversé les descriptions des lots 716 et 718. Je les ai remis dans le bon ordre.
Pour le lot 717, il est indiqué qu'il y a 16 photos, or le site, comme le catalogue, n'en présente que 11 (dont un doublon des deux 1ères). Il est notifié dans la description que Norma Jeane "standing with Chico Marx on stage, as a young swimsuit model": je pense qu'il s'agit là encore de photos inédites. Je ne pense pas que ce soit Marilyn et Groucho sur le tournage de Love Happy, mais ptre une photo de Norma Jeane ado qui aurait été voir un spectacle des frères Marx et aurait prise en photo ?! Cela m'intrigue !!
Jme demande aussi qui est le bébé ?
Jvous conseille, pour tous les amoureux du cinéma de l'âge d'or Hollywoodien, d'aller faire un tour sur le site, il y a de superbes clichés d'autres stars (Louise Brooks, James Dean, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, Steve McQueen, Ingrid Bergman, Bardot, Claudia Cardinale, Liz Taylor, Tony Curtis, Farrah Fawcett etc...)

[Elodie]

Ces photos sont super !
Comme l'a dit Emma c'est tellement excitant de découvrir de nouvelles photos =)

[Emma]

le lot 716 est tout simplement génial ! une photo inédite , j'adore ! Merci Ginie , c'est tellement bien de voir des photos inédites encore de nos jours ,à chaque fois et surprise et émerveillée comme une gamine lol !