Based on a recent report published by Reuters, a rare collection of Marilyn Monroe photos was auctioned in Poland on Thursday. The special event was held at the Desa Unicum house in Warsaw where 238 pictures created by fashion photographer Milton H. Green were offered for sale.
Milton H. Greene was one of the most famous photographers of the 20th Century. His collections feature pictures of some of the most loved celebrities, including Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly. The “Some Like It Hot” star was, however, Milton’s favorite model, which is why he often asked her to pose for him.
An auction house in Poland chose 238 pictures out of Greene’s vast collection and put them up for sale on Thursday during a special event. The first picture that was sold was a black-and-white photo of a reclining Marilyn Monroe wearing black stockings. The bidder agreed to pay $16,000 in exchange of the artistic photo.
Monroe’s works were the most appreciated among bidders. Someone paid $20,000 for her ballerina picture, whereas a photo of her lying in bed was bought with $8,500. Most of these pictures were made between 1953 and 1957 when Greene worked as Monroe’s advisor and business partner.
There were other celebrity pictures included in the auctioned collection, as well. Equally famous photos of Audrey Hepburn, Marlene Dietrich, Liza Minnelli and Grace Kelly were highly requested among bidders. The most successful picture, however, was the one illustrating Nelly Nyad in white veil. The item was sold for $14,000.
Experts initially estimated that the auctioned collection will gather around $680,000, but bidders were willing to pay a lot more due to Cary Grant, Frank Sinatra, Paul Newman, Alfred Hitchcock and Marlon Brando’s portraits. In the end, the house cashed in $750,000, a lot more than they expected.
The auctioned pictures belonged to a Chicago businessman Dino Matingas, who was forced to give the collection to the Polish authorities in the mid-1990s. The raised money will be directed to the Polish government.
