Letters Are Highlight of Marilyn Monroe Collection

Auction catalog

On Dec. 5, Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills, Calif., will auction off a collection known as the "Lost Archives of Marilyn Monroe." It includes a variety of items, including photographs, clothing, documents and other personal items. What may be the highlight of the collection are love letters sent to the actress by two of her husbands, Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller.

Monroe died in 1962 and, according to an Associated Press article, willed the items to Lee Strasberg, her mentor and acting coach. He gave the collection to a friend he trusted would take proper care. The family of that friend is putting the items up for auction.

(Photo courtesy of the Julien's Auctions press release)

Julien's Auctions reports that the "letters from DiMaggio written to Monroe proclaiming his undying love after their separation and Miller’s brilliantly written love letters to Monroe during their courtship and marriage are so personal, so emotional and so captivating that one can’t help but think of how deeply Monroe was loved throughout her lifetime by these two men." In the letters, Miller expresses his love and encourages a despairing Monroe. A letter from  DiMaggio, written just after Monroe revealed in a press conference that the pair was getting a divorce, asks Monroe to come back to him.

Also present are handwritten letters Monroe never sent, including a response intended for Miller.

In the AP article, the auction house's owner estimates that the collection could bring as much as $1 million. For details about bidding, visit the website JuliensAuctions.com.