Iconic Costume/Wardrobe
Marilyn Monroe 'Happy Birthday, Mr. President' dress (1962)
While technically a film/wardrobe piece, the cultural intersection with JFK assassination iconography places it among the most-cited entertainment memorabilia sales of the 21st century.
- Sale price
- $4.81M
- USD · hammer + buyer's premium
- Sale date
- November 17, 2016
- Venue
- Julien's Auctions
- Authentication
- Bob Mackie / Jean Louis design attribution; multi-source provenance.
Provenance
Worn by Monroe at Madison Square Garden, May 19, 1962, while singing 'Happy Birthday, Mr. President' to JFK.
Condition
Hand-beaded silk gauze, original pearls, original sequin work — pristine for its age.
Editorial note
While technically a film/wardrobe piece, the cultural intersection with JFK assassination iconography places it among the most-cited entertainment memorabilia sales of the 21st century.
Sources cited
Julien's Auctions Icons & Idols November 2016
auction house
BBC: 'Monroe Happy Birthday dress sells for $4.8M'
trade press
Reported figures reflect publicly-cited hammer + buyer's premium as of source date. May differ slightly from auction-house internal records. Educational reference, not appraisal.
Comparable comps
Similar items in the Field Index.
Curated by the editors as relevant comparable sales — same category, same era, or same authentication tier. Useful for triangulating value when no single comp answers the question.
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