Marilyn Monroe was one of the most photographed women of our time before her death in 1962, but surprisingly, it wasn’t a rare photo of her lovely face that fetched nearly $26,000 at auction recently; it was a photo of her skull.
That’s right, a batch of medical records belonging to the bombshell sold for $25,600 at a Julien’s auction, and they included X-rays of her face as well as entries from her psychoanalyst from their sessions. The records detail an ectopic pregnancy Monroe suffered when she was married to Arthur Miller, a dissolving chin implant, and a hairline fracture on her nose, which she said she received after a fall.
While many might be opposed to owning such personal items, Julien’s executive director Martin Nolan says that they are a piece of history and, because the records predate any laws against public viewing, it’s perfectly legal to sell them.
“Keep in mind, this is pop-culture history,” Nolan said. “[Marilyn’s] date back to the 1950s. Today there are laws preventing the release of such information, but this is prior to that law. Even though X-rays are not tangible like a musical instrument or clothing, it’s part of the story of Marilyn that people are buying. There is such a demand for her worldwide even though it is 50 years since she passed away. Honestly, I could have an auction every day for Marilyn Monroe and the items would be sought after.”
Monroe has been in the headlines quite a bit lately; it was announced earlier this month that she’ll be the newest face of Chanel No. 5, and will appear in never-before-seen footage for the scent’s ads.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
