Original Monroe Image Sells at Auction

Original Monroe Image Sells at Auction

An original 1953 image of Marilyn Monroe, taken by Frank Powolny, sold last November for $11,505. Estimate: $7,555-$10,577. Listed at Christie's London, this numbered gelatin silver print was from the collection of James Danziger, and was acquired from a New York photographica fair in the 1980s.

Powolny was head photographer at 20th Century Fox for over 40 years. During his tenure as a portrait and set photographer, he shot dozens of famous faces, including Shirley Temple, Betty Grable, Humphrey Bogart and, of course, Marilyn Monroe. Original prints of this image are extremely rare.

This image, originally a publicity portrait for Monroe's 1953 thriller Niagara, was famously appropriated by Andy Warhol for his 1960s silkscreens.