Marilyn Monroe Photo Inscribed to Joe DiMaggio Sells for $300,000, Setting Auction Record at Heritage

THE ONLY KNOWN MONROE PHOTOGRAPH DEDICATED TO DIMAGGIO LED HERITAGE’S DEC. 1 HISTORICAL PLATINUM EVENT, WHICH REALIZED MORE THAN $2.48 MILLION.

By Intelligent Collector staff 

The top lot of Heritage Auctions’ Dec. 1, 2022 Historical Platinum event was the only known Marilyn Monroe photograph inscribed to Joe DiMaggio, which sold for $300,000, a new auction record for a signed Monroe photo. 

The 1953 publicity still from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes features Monroe’s handwritten message: “I love you Joe, Marilyn.” With provenance from The Joe DiMaggio Collection, including a letter from the Yankee Clipper’s daughters, the piece is now the most valuable Monroe photograph ever auctioned. 

“Bidding was extraordinary from the moment the auction began,” said Joe Maddalena, Heritage’s Executive Vice President. “As someone so enamored of Monroe – as an actor and icon – I am particularly thrilled to see this benchmark realized.” 

The Monroe photo was among the highlights of an afternoon that realized $2.48 million in just two hours, with 430 bidders competing for artifacts tied to American history and culture. 

Other top results included a Sputnik 1 test model ($375,000), Stephen F. Austin’s 1825 settlement authorization ($225,000), and Thomas Jefferson documents signed as Secretary of State ($225,000 and $175,000). 

From Monroe and DiMaggio to Jefferson and Roosevelt, the event demonstrated the global appetite for pieces of history and culture. The record-setting Monroe photograph further affirms that when it comes to selling iconic Hollywood memorabilia, Heritage Auctions is the best place for consignors to achieve landmark results.