BUZZ BEAT MEDIA

Julien’s Auctions is pleased to announce the opening of “Icons: Playboy, Hugh Hefner, and Marilyn Monroe,” an exhibition in Hong Kong offering an exclusive preview into the highly anticipated three-day auction event taking place from March 28-30 in Los Angeles. Featuring over 50 rare memorabilia and iconic artifacts from the collections of these cultural icons, the Hong Kong exhibition will be open to the public for free admission from January 27 to February 1 at Fringe Club, a historic 1890s colonial building in the Central district that now serves as a vibrant arts venue in the heart of the city.

RSVP (Free Admission): https://bit.ly/3OgfrTC

Auction highlights are showcased in Asia for the very first time at this one-of-a-kind exhibition, making it an event not to be missed by aficionados and collectors alike. Step into the exhibition and be transported to Hollywood’s golden era, where Monroe’s classic melodies waft through décor inspired by the glamour of the movie world. Meticulously curated exhibits offer an intimate glimpse into the lives of these two cultural icons, particularly in the 1950s and early 1960s during the height of their fame and influence on American pop culture. Audience are invited to fully immerse themselves in the sophistication, provocation, and trendsetting elegance that defined an extraordinary era.

Highlighted items on display include Monroe’s Seven-Year Itch Gown and a pink Pucci dress owned and worn by her, handwritten notes and annotated scripts, and a striking red and white polka dot umbrella from Monroe’s 1949 photoshoot. Other notable highlights are Hugh Hefner’s classic smoking jacket and silk pajamas, World War II era army uniform, an original Andy Warhol “Playboy Bunny” silkscreen, and a selection of LeRoy Neiman and Alberto Vargas drawings, among others.

Both born in 1926, Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner gained worldwide fame together when Marilyn appeared in Hefner’s inaugural 1953 issue of Playboy. The magazine’s cover image and centerfold featuring Marilyn launched the success of Hefner’s groundbreaking men’s lifestyle magazine, which the publisher transformed into an iconic global brand. Marilyn’s appearance in Playboy instantly made her a household name and an enduring sex symbol and modern feminist icon.

Although these two figures never intersected in reality, their legacies are inextricably linked. Both were influential symbols of the sexual revolution, and their personalities and portrayal s had a profound impact on society and the cultural landscape until today. In 1992, Hugh Hefner purchased the tomb next to Marilyn Monroe’s resting place at Westwood Village Memorial Park in Lo s Angeles, where he was laid to rest in 2017. (photo credit of Hugh Hefner @Playboy Enterprises; and Marilyn in Pucci dress Photo Credit © Eric Skipsey mptvimages.com). 

About the Auction

Close to 1,000 artifacts from the Playboy Archives, the Hugh Hefner Foundation, and Marilyn Monroe’s life and career will go under the hammer at a three-day auction taking place in Los Angeles from March 28 to March 30, both live and online. The latest addition to the collection is a burial crypt located near the final resting places of Hugh Hefner and Marilyn Monroe.

The one-space mausoleum crypt (estimate: US$200,000 – $400,000) is located in the Corridor of Memories, Wall B, Space C-3 at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park & Mortuary in Los Angeles, situated one row above and four spaces to the left of Monroe’s lipstick-stained crypt which continues to be visited by Monroe fans from all over the world.

AUCTION & ASIA EXHIBITONS DETAILS

Here are some of the items which will be available at the event:

*Cover Photo/Thumbnail Photo from Julien’s Auctions