BEL AIR—An online auction that ends on Thursday, May 28 showcases several Marilyn Monroe photos and has projected to make at least $9,000.
Monroe, an actress and model who gained a reputation as being a sex symbol during the 1950s and 1960s, played a role in the changing views towards sexuality in cinema.
Her body type was the inspiration behind the animation of Walt Disney’s Tinkerbell in “Peter Pan.”
Several of Monroe’s candid photos are being auctioned off through an online portal run by Nate D. Sanders Auctions based in Maryland.
Most of the photos were taken by photographer Andre de Dienes, who worked closely with Monroe during her career and took photos of her when she went by her birth name Norma Jeane Dougherty in 1945.
Dienes’ work of Monroe depicted a timeline of her fame as she started acting. For auction are two photos done at the Bel Air Hotel after “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” premiered in 1953.
All bidding has a minimum of $1,000. One item has already gained traction with a $4,000 bid: a topless photo of Monroe taken by Earl Moran with the signature of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner.
Monroe’s photo was used as Hefner’s inaugural “Sweetheart of the Month” in 1953 and is what started his legacy with Playboy.
The photo comes with a letter of authenticity. The auction ends at 5 p.m. PST on May 28.
