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Permalink Reply by Eddy on February 20, 2023 at 11:11am

Here's one that Heritage Auctions sold several years ago:

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Permalink Reply by a pug called eva on February 20, 2023 at 9:50pm

Thanks Etienne, well you can't get much closer than that, even down to the type of glossy 8" x 10" and the inscription. In both cases the signature is pretty convincing (Heritage example more so) so maybe the OP example is OK. Here is my in-person example from 1956:

I'm just not used to seeing such massive (lettering size) and loose (form of lettering) inscriptions.

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Permalink Reply by Pauline Berry on February 28, 2023 at 1:22am

How marvellous Eva!

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on February 20, 2023 at 11:15pm

I'd do more research before you bid. This could be fine but Genuine Marilyn Monroe-signed 8x10 glossies are rarer than mattes as far as I know. The one you posted from IAA, the one Etienne posted from HA, and this one from HA are all glossy 8x10s signed with a similar pen, at similar handwriting quality, and with the same inscription beside the person it's to:

"To Rick, It's a pleasure to work with you, Marilyn S. Monroe"

"To Madge, It's a pleasure to work with you, Marilyn S. Monroe"

"To Dan, It's a pleasure to work with you, Marilyn S. Monroe"

Be careful.

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Permalink Reply by a pug called eva on February 20, 2023 at 11:28pm

That's interesting Steve. They do look suspiciously similar.

I know that Marilyn normally signed excellent quality double-weight matte photos for friends. I have one of those, which would be fantastic if it wasn't trimmed and the contrast was far, far better.

I would never consider paying even IAA's lower estimate so there is no danger of me bidding in this case. 

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Permalink Reply by a pug called eva on February 25, 2023 at 5:26am

Here is a link to mine:

https://live.autographmagazine.com/forum/topics/marilyn-monroe-doub...

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Permalink Reply by Eddy on February 21, 2023 at 7:20am

That's a very nice piece you have, eva!   

Seeing the photo that Steve added and having all three of these similar pieces before us is very interesting.  I wonder if there are more like these three out there.

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Permalink Reply by a pug called eva on February 25, 2023 at 3:37am

Thanks Etienne. Here's the full story behind the piece I posted in case you missed it back in 2017:

https://live.autographmagazine.com/forum/topics/marilyn-monroe-a-pr...

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Permalink Reply by Pauline Berry on February 28, 2023 at 1:21am

This seems really good.

The photo is rare, it's an alternative to an often used one, from the same photo shoot, this particular one I haven't seen before.

I can't find anything wrong with this signing at all. I guess it's been in someone's collection all this time? 

They have this one as well, wild, messy but looks good. I don't understand why there is no estimate on it. Signed at Mocambo Nightclub

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Permalink Reply by a pug called eva on February 28, 2023 at 1:54am

Thanks Pauline,

I thought I might have been a bit over-cautious on the OP item, especially after having had a look at an example in your excellent blog post.

The Heritage item Steve posted a link to above (on 20 February) uses exactly the same photo as the OP. I guess Marilyn must have signed a stack of photos for people who'd worked with her on a particular movie. Presumably they weren't close friends so she used normal glossy publicity photos and a standard greeting.

That Mocambo Nightclub example is really wild. I think the estimate is EUR 3,000 - 4,0000 (at the end of the lot description), which seems pretty low for a signed photo, even one as wild as this.

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Permalink Reply by a pug called eva on March 15, 2023 at 3:22am

The OP example sold yesterday for EUR 15,000, excluding premiums. This was EUR 5,000 under the lower estimate.

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