Marilyn Monroe Centennial Auction Surpasses $2.5 Million, Sets Multiple World Records at Heritage

Marilyn Monroe Collection from the Estate of Norman and Hedda Rosten delivered record prices for Monroe clothing and screen-worn jewelry during landmark June 1 sale DOWNLOAD DIGITAL PRESS KIT DALLAS, Texas (June 2, 2026) — On what would have been Marilyn Monroe’s 100th birthday, collectors around the world celebrated the enduring appeal of Hollywood's most iconic star during Heritage Auctions’ June 1 The Marilyn Monroe Collection from the Estate of Norman and Hedda Rosten Hollywood/Entertainment Signature® Auction, which realized just over $2.5 million and established multiple world records. The landmark auction offered one of the most intimate collections of Monroe artifacts ever brought to market, drawn from the estate of Norman and Hedda Rosten, two of the actress’s closest friends and confidants during the final years of her life. The sale featured deeply personal wardrobe pieces, jewelry, correspondence, photographs and keepsakes that illuminated Monroe’s private world beyond the spotlight. “The timing of this auction made the results especially meaningful,” said Joe Maddalena, Heritage’s Executive Vice President. “One hundred years after Marilyn Monroe’s birth, collectors responded with extraordinary enthusiasm to objects that reveal the woman behind the legend. The sale produced multiple world records, underscoring the enduring fascination with Monroe and the rarity of fresh-to-market material of this caliber.” Leading the auction at $450,000 was an elegant Christian Dior two-piece wool ensemble Monroe wore while departing for her honeymoon with Joe DiMaggio in January 1954. The black Dior-for-Saks Fifth Avenue skirt suit was photographed extensively as Monroe and DiMaggio left San Francisco for Japan just days after their celebrated wedding. The result established a new world record for a non-performance-worn Marilyn Monroe garment. Another record followed when Monroe’s personal triple-hoop pendant earrings realized $387,500. The earrings were worn by the actress on Sept. 10, 1954, when she arrived at New York’s Idlewild Airport to begin work on The Seven Year Itch. Captured in newsreel footage as Monroe flashed her trademark smile and blew a kiss to photographers, the earrings established a new world record for screen-worn Marilyn Monroe jewelry. “The auction established new world records for a non-performance-worn Marilyn Monroe garment and for screen-worn Marilyn Monroe jewelry, demonstrating the extraordinary demand for historically significant Monroe artifacts with impeccable provenance,” says Maddalena. “Collectors recognized that opportunities to acquire personal items directly connected to Monroe’s daily life and closest relationships are becoming increasingly rare.” Additional highlights included Monroe’s rhinestone bracelet worn to the wrap party for The Seven Year Itch, which realized $112,500, and a Fabergé pearl-set enamel table clock from Monroe's New York apartment that sold for $100,000. The clock carried a particularly personal story: Monroe later gifted it to Patricia Rosten after the young girl admired it during a visit. Among Monroe’s wardrobe pieces, a gray cashmere butterfly cardigan from her personal collection sold for $93,750. The sweater appears in a 1956 photograph taken while Monroe and Hedda Rosten were spending time together in England during production of The Prince and the Showgirl. Collectors also competed aggressively for documents that offered rare glimpses into Monroe’s inner circle. Her personal telephone book, containing contact information for luminaries including Joe DiMaggio, Arthur Miller, Frank Sinatra, Montgomery Clift, George Cukor and many others, realized $75,000. A monumental trio of letters from Monroe’s psychiatrist, Dr. Ralph Greenson, sold for $62,500. The correspondence included an emotional account written just 11 days after Monroe's death in which Greenson recounted the events leading up to her final day and its aftermath. Equally compelling was an extraordinarily intimate eight-page handwritten letter from playwright Arthur Miller to Monroe, which also realized $62,500. Written as the couple’s marriage neared its end, the deeply personal letter revealed Miller’s struggle to preserve their relationship and offered an unfiltered look at one of the most famous marriages of the 20th century. Another standout was a personal perfume and jewelry box presented to Monroe with an elaborate inscription celebrating her as the “World’s Most Beautiful Girl,” which sold for $52,500. The collection’s remarkable provenance traced directly to Norman and Hedda Rosten, who forged a close friendship with Monroe beginning in the mid-1950s. Their relationship endured through some of the most consequential years of Monroe’s life, preserving an archive that revealed her generosity, vulnerability, intellect and enduring loyalty to friends. “We are deeply grateful for the extraordinary response to this auction from Marilyn fans across the globe,” said the consignor. “Congratulations to Heritage Auctions for orchestrating such a remarkable event, connecting collectors who truly value her artistic legacy. This experience has been incredibly meaningful for the Rosten family.” The results demonstrate that, a century after her birth, Marilyn Monroe remains not only a cultural icon but also one of the most compelling figures in entertainment history. For collectors, the opportunity to acquire artifacts preserved by those who knew her best proved irresistible, resulting in a landmark auction worthy of the enduring legacy it celebrated. Complete results can be found here. Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world's largest collectibles auctioneer. Heritage maintains offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Heritage also enjoys the highest Online traffic and dollar volume of any auction house on earth (source: SimilarWeb and Hiscox Report). The Internet's most popular auction-house website, HA.com, has more than 1,750,000 registered bidder-members and searchable free archives of 6,000,000 past auction records with prices realized, descriptions and enlargeable photos. Reproduction rights routinely granted to media for photo credit. For breaking stories, follow us: HA.com/Facebook and HA.com/Twitter . Link to this release or view prior press releases . Hi-Res images available: Christina Rees, Public Relations Specialist 214-409-1341 or Christina Rees@HA.com