15 July 2011
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News story of the month: Monroe dress sells for $4.6 million (15-Jul-11)
One of the largest collections of Hollywood costumes and props in the world has gone under the hammer in the first of two sales organised by US auctioneers, Profiles in History. ...
One of the largest collections of Hollywood costumes and props in the world has gone under the hammer in the first of two sales organised by US auctioneers, Profiles in History.
The huge collection, which has been compiled by screen legend Debbie Reynolds (co-star of ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ and mother of Carrie Fisher) over a period of more than 50 years, includes probably the most famous costume in screen history, Marilyn Monroe’s ‘subway’ dress from ‘The Seven-Year Itch’. It sold for US$4.6 million (£2.8 million), before premiums, shattering its pre-sale estimate of US$1-2 million (pictured top right).
The Debbie Reynolds Collection has been hailed as the most significant sale of Hollywood costumes and props since the liquidation of the MGM and FOX studios in the 1970s. At the time of the sale, the entire collection contained over 3,500 costumes, 20,000 original photographs, several thousand original movie posters, original costume sketches and hundreds of key props from film history.
The second part of the sale, also organised by Profiles in History, will take place in December 2011.
PICTURED: Judy Garland’s ‘Dorothy’ original blue and white gingham test dress from 'The Wizard of Oz', which sold for $910,000 (£563, 000).