Peak season notice: Shipping for this category may take 21–28 business days after cleared payment. Thanks for your patience.
Marilyn Monroe Partial Early Handwritten Love Letter to Arthur Miller Using His Codename, "George"....
Description
"After I see you I spend days in longing..."
Marilyn Monroe Writes Dreamily to Her New Lover, Arthur Miller.
Marilyn Monroe Partial Early Handwritten Love Letter to Arthur
Miller Using His Codename, "George". New York, [New York],
undated ca. 1955. Vintage original one-page partial handwritten
letter on 7.25" x 10.5" Waldorf Astoria letterhead. Written by
Marilyn Monroe to her new lover, Arthur Miller, using her codename
for him, "George".Marilyn writes, "George Dear, Don't overwork - keep well and why don't you think of me sometimes. I wish I could give you something that would serve as a reminder but upon looking I find nothing detachable. After I see you I spend days in longing - not unhappily so. You see, before I knew you, as now - I was always asking myself - am I still alive - why don't I feel anything? That is - nothing excepting fear or pain and anything else that took place in me I had to make up - and I knew..."
This intimate, tantalizing, yet partial letter was written to Arthur Miller using his codename, George, and can likely be dated to 1955, when Monroe spent most of the year in residence on the 27th floor of the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Her use of the codename for Miller may be attributed to the couple's desire for privacy at the beginning of their relationship, which began at the beginning of 1955, several months after Marilyn's widely-publicized divorce from Joe DiMaggio. This letter from the nascent stages of their relationship contains the wide-eyed, dreamy weightlessness of a woman newly in love. Though only the opening lines of this early love letter remain, it is clear that Marilyn's relationship with Miller has awakened a profound sense of happiness and longing, feelings previously buried in her unhappiness, with the promise of a bright future in the distance.
There is a faint pencil annotation at the top right of the letter, written later in Norman Rosten's hand, which reads, "George was secret name she called Arthur! N.R." This partial letter is accompanied by an additional partial single page on identical Waldorf Astoria letterhead, likely abandoned in favor of the current first page, reading, "George Dear - My love - I love you". Both pages are handwritten and unsigned in Monroe's distinctive, swooping cursive, in black ink and pencil. Exhibits signs of age and wear including paper toning, foxing, slight corner bumps, and crease lines from prior folding. Comes with a COA from Heritage Auctions. From the Estate of Norman and Hedda Rosten.
Heritage Auctions provides detailed information when available but strongly encourages in-person inspection. Condition statements and photographs are offered as general guidance only, not as complete representations of facts, and do not constitute a warranty or assumption of liability by Heritage. Framed artworks are not examined outside their frames, and additional details from Heritage may be unavailable; therefore, the condition of unexamined works is not guaranteed. Heritage is not responsible for damage to frames, glazing, original boxes, display materials, or for works that have shifted within the frame. All lots are sold "AS IS" in accordance with our Terms & Conditions of Auction.
Auction Info
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
25% of the successful bid (minimum $49) per lot.
This lot is in: 1 -
Signature® Floor Session (Live Floor, Live Phone, Mail, Fax, Internet, and Heritage Live):
(Lots 89001-89101) - 11:00 AM Central Time, Monday, June 1, 2026.
[Proxy bidding ends ten minutes prior to the session start time. Live Proxy bidding on Heritage Live now starts within 2 hours of when the auction opens for proxy bidding and continues through the live session.]
Exhibition Viewing Times, Title Page, Floor Session and License Information
Additional Location Info:
Heritage Auctions - Dallas
2801 W. Airport Freeway
Dallas, TX 75261
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms