Marilyn Monroe Collection

Marilyn Monroe's Personal White Fox Fur Muff

A fantastic white fox fur muff with white satin lining, worn by Marilyn Monroe to the world premieres of "How To Marry A Millionaire," and other various events. When it came to the premiere, the grand party or the big event, Marilyn had a sure sense of her own image, and dressed as she believed a film star should. This meant long white kid gloves, waterfall earrings of rhinestone and pearls, and the ultimate allure of white or black fur. Furs were for evening and for being a star.

The world premiere of "How To Marry A Millionaire"

November 14, 1953

From "Marilyn Monroe" by Maurice Zolotow:

"I want to be all platinum and white tonight," Marilyn explained, as anxious as a girl getting ready for her first prom... Gladys (Rasmussen) gave Marilyn a straight permanent. Then she bleached and tinted her hair and set it. Marilyn was wearing it long that night, shoulder length. Gladys painted her fingernails and toenails with platinum polish.

Her slippers, her evening dress, her long white gloves arrived from wardrobe, together with two wardrobe women. A messenger boy delivered a box with diamond earrings. Her furs had come that morning. The furs were her own. The first furs she had ever owned. Except for the white fox fur stole and muff, and her panties, everything she wore belonged to the studio. The hair, the nails, a good deal of the face were also the studio's. They were hers and they were not hers, just as the woman on the screen was she and not she.

Unchastened by Joan Crawford's pronouncements, Marilyn had chosen a dress made of white lace lined with flesh-colored crepe de Chine and embroidered with thousands of sequins. It had a high waist, and it curved under her breasts revealingly. A long white velvet train trailed from a gold belt. The long gloves were drawn up the length of her arms. The stole was placed around her shoulders. She put her right hand into the muff and with her left she carried the train as she walked outside to a waiting studio limousine.

Los Angeles Herald-Examiner Charity Event at the Shrine Auditorium December 4, 1953

Marilyn wore this white fox muff, with matching stole, together with a beautiful silver evening gown designed by William "Billy" Travilla.

The photo below shows an officer from the New York City Police Department's 17th Precinct inventorying Marilyn's personal items from her East 57th apartment shortly after her death in 1962. The police department's 'PD-NYC / 17' medallion remains intact inside of this muff.

Related Collection Pieces / Links:

-Marilyn Monroe's Personal Script "How To Marry A Millionaire"

-Marilyn Monroe's White Fox Fur Cuffs, Worn to the Premiere of "The 5,000 Fingers Of Dr. T."

-Marilyn Monroe's Personal Mink Collar

-Marilyn Monroe's Personal Baum Marten Collar

Provenance:
Initial: Christie's New York: The Personal Property of Marilyn Monroe, October 27-28, 1999. Click here to buy your copy of the Christie's auction catalog for the sale of Marilyn Monroe's personal items.

Secondary: Christie's New York: Film and Entertainment Auction, June 22, 2006