The Marilyn Monroe Collection

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One of the world’s leading private Marilyn Monroe archives. Preservation • Exhibitions • Research
👠 In Her Shoes

The official fan page for the Marilyn Monroe Collection, the world’s largest private collection of Monroe’s personal property & archives.

10/15/2026

Hundreds of people photographed Marilyn Monroe that day. But one devoted fan may have been the only person to capture her in color. 🎞️

On July 11, 1961, an estimated 500 people gathered outside New York’s Polyclinic Hospital to see Marilyn leave following emergency gallbladder surgery.

Among them was Frieda Hull, a member of the legendary “Monroe Six,” a small group of devoted fans who regularly photographed Marilyn. She knew them by name and considered them more than just fans.

While nearly all published photographs from that day are in black and white, Hull captured Marilyn in vivid color.

Shown in this Reel is a scan of an original Ektachrome slide from Hull’s archives, now part of the Marilyn Monroe Collection.

Escorted by two security guards, Marilyn wears a green Emilio Pucci dress with an ivory-colored coat draped over her shoulders. Although the dress sometimes appears orange in color reproductions, contemporary newspaper reports confirm it was green.

And that beautiful coat? It’s also part of the Marilyn Monroe Collection! Acquired from Christie’s historic 1999 auction, The Personal Property of Marilyn Monroe, it’s one of the collection’s most treasured artifacts.

Today, the collection also preserves dozens of original Polaroids and color slides taken by Hull and fellow Monroe Six member Jimmy Collins.

A rare glimpse of Marilyn, just as she appeared on a summer day in 1961. 💚

10/14/2026

Did you know Marilyn Monroe regularly monitored what the press was saying about her? She even paid a professional clipping service to track newspaper and magazine articles in which she was mentioned.

Here’s a fascinating piece of Marilyn history from 1957, featuring an exceptionally rare photograph of Marilyn preparing for the New York premiere of The Prince and the Showgirl at Radio City Music Hall on June 13, 1957.

Marilyn is pictured with Russell V. Downing (left), president of Radio City Music Hall, and Robert Taplinger, vice president of Warner Bros. The three were meeting to discuss plans for the premiere of Marilyn’s latest film, in which she starred alongside Sir Laurence Olivier.

The photograph and accompanying article appeared in the May 18, 1957, issue of Motion Picture Herald.

But here’s what makes this particular piece of Marilyn history so interesting.

Notice the red wax pencil outlining the photograph and caption? That’s the work of the clipping service Marilyn employed to monitor her press coverage. Articles mentioning Marilyn were collected and highlighted so she could easily see what was being written about her.

Marilyn saved these clippings, and this very page was part of her personal archive.

Today, it’s part of The Marilyn Monroe Collection, along with several hundred other original newspaper and magazine clippings that once belonged to Marilyn herself.

I find it fascinating that Marilyn was so attentive to how she was portrayed in the press. And there’s something particularly special about owning the very articles that were collected for her nearly 70 years ago.

A glimpse into Marilyn’s life beyond the cameras, and how closely she followed her own public image. ❤️

10/12/2026

Part of The Marilyn Monroe Collection: Marilyn’s personal wool sweater.

Marilyn owned three of these sweaters: one in white, one in black, and this one in beige.🤍🖤🤎

The bottom photo shows Marilyn’s sweater on display at the Bendigo Art Gallery in Bendigo, Australia, during the 2016 exhibition Bendigo Art Gallery’s Marilyn Monroe.

Over the years, pieces from The Marilyn Monroe Collection have been exhibited around the world, including Los Angeles, San Diego, New York, London, Paris, Florence, Prague, and Bendigo, Australia. More exhibitions are currently being planned for 2027. The Marilyn exhibit at the Academy Museum in LA runs through February. It’s been an incredible privilege to share Marilyn’s personal belongings with fans across the globe over the past 25 years. ❤️

Which Marilyn do you love most: glamorous Marilyn or casual Marilyn? 🥰

10/08/2026

The juxtaposition of Marilyn Monroe. Photographed by Richard Avedon, 1958.

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10/07/2026

Marilyn, England, 1956. 🇬🇧

Through the lens of Milton H. Greene. 📸
MHG GALLERY

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10/06/2026

“I want to grow old without facelifts. I want to have the courage to be loyal to the face I have made.”

-Marilyn Monroe

W. J. Weatherby, Conversations with Marilyn, 1961. Photos by Allan Grant, July, 1962.

10/02/2026

We all know that Marilyn loved her ch*****ne! 🍾

Part of the Marilyn Monroe Collection: Two receipts from the Liquor Department at Jurgensen’s Grocery Store dated January and February of 1960, both showing purchases for Piper-Heidsieck Ch*****ne ch*****ne. In January, she bought 12 splits of ch*****ne, and in February she bought 48 splits! The ch*****ne was delivered to Marilyn at the Beverly Hills Hotel, which is where she was staying while filming Let’s Make Love at that time.

These two receipts were featured in a Piper-Heidsieck advertising campaign in 2024.

09/29/2026

White fox fur affixed to a white sweater, worn by Marilyn Monroe in the film The Misfits. This was Marilyn Monroe’s final completed film, released on February 1, 1961. This is an example of Marilyn wearing her personal clothing items in her films as the fur and sweater were part of her personal wardrobe. The white fox fur is part of the Marilyn Monroe Collection. It first sold at Christie’s in 1999. I added it to my collection in 2006.

09/25/2026

Flashback: In Her Shoes 👠 | New York, January 2024

📍Marilyn “incognito” at the corner of Lexington Avenue and East 93rd.

In this photo, Marilyn had likely just visited psychiatrist Dr. Margaret Hohenberg, (who was recommended by Milton Greene). Several of the buildings look exactly the same as they did over 70 years ago when this photo of her was taken. I found the spot and am standing on that same corner. The church you see behind her is the Immanuel Lutheran Church. It still stands today. ⛪️

This was the last location I photographed during my 2024 New York trip. The weather was turning colder, and the snow was starting to fall. I had to return to take more shots here because after looking at the photos in the cab on the way back to my hotel, I realized I was one block off. So, back I went to get it right.

🎶 The Sound of Silence…

I’ve wondered in the past if the “noise” associated with what it may have felt like to “be Marilyn Monroe” was perhaps overwhelming at times for Norma Jeane. In her moments of solitude, like this one, did she crave the silence? As she walks alone on the cold streets of New York in this photo, the song “The Sound of Silence” just seems to “fit.”

09/23/2026

FLASHBACK | ALL THINGS MARILYN

A look back at the pop-up exhibition I presented at the Los Angeles Public Library as part of the All Things Marilyn Podcast event and the celebrations surrounding Marilyn Monroe’s centenary year.

The event also brought the All Things Marilyn podcast to a live audience, with special guests marilynslostphotos who are the authors of MARILYN | The Lost Photographs | The Last Interview. Together, we explored Marilyn’s life, legacy, and history through conversation, rare material, and original artifacts.

Among the pieces from The Marilyn Monroe Collection on display was this personal maternity dress, worn by Marilyn during her 1958 pregnancy while filming Some Like It Hot.

The red cotton button-front dress features a whimsical pattern of roosters and chickens and can be seen in photographs of Marilyn from this period, including images with Arthur Miller.

The dress was originally sold at Christie’s landmark 1999 auction, The Personal Property of Marilyn Monroe, and today remains preserved as part of The Marilyn Monroe Collection.

It was a wonderful opportunity to bring together the podcast, Marilyn’s history, and original pieces from her personal wardrobe as part of the celebrations marking her 100th birthday.

You can hear my cohost LA Woman Tours and me on All Things Marilyn wherever you listen to podcasts.

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