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 "Man's Supreme
Inheritance" by
F.
Matthias Alexander.
Photographed with Marilyn while in her Doheny
Drive apartment.
This item provides an intimate look
into the intellectual mind of Marilyn Monroe, with numerous
annotated passages throughout the first 157 pages of the book.
"...in both instances all depends
on the point of view, we cannot be surprised that the mere promise
to reform is usually futile, and we must furthermore realise that a
changed point of view is the royal road to reformation."
Marilyn's bookmark from Pickwick Book
Shop, which can be seen inside of this book when photographed with
Marilyn is still on page 157. There are no
markings or annotations after this bookmark. An additional
bookmark still marks page 95.
Photos of Marilyn were
taken while she lived at Apartment 3, 882 North Doheny
Drive, Beverly Hills, CA. Marilyn lived on North Doheny
Drive in 1953-54 and again in 1961-62. Marilyn moved out of
the Beverly Hills Hotel in to this apartment in '53. She moved
in her belongings, which included her
baby grand piano, her
paintings and, of course her books. Marilyn lived here until
her 1954 marriage to Joe DiMaggio. She returned in 1961, after
moving back to Los Angeles from New York.
On her doorbell, she
used the name of Marjorie Stengel, hoping to deter fans and
reporters. It was during this timeframe that Eunice Murray,
Marilyn's last housekeeper, came to work for her. Eunice
worked here until Marilyn bought her last home on Fifth Helena
Drive.
The library of
Marilyn Monroe contained over 400 books on a variety of subjects, reflecting
both her intelligence and her wide-ranging interests. No surprise to those
familiar with Monroe, they were the books of a well-read and inquiring
mind. Works of Literature, Art, Drama, Biography, Poetry, Politics,
History, Theology, Philosophy, and Psychology covered the walls in her
library. Among the First Editions was her own copy of The Beat Generation
classic On the Road by Jack Kerouac, Ralph Ellison's The Invisible
Man and William Styron's This House on Fire. From Tolstoy to
Twain, many other classic works of literature were represented, including
her copies of The Great Gatsby, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland,
James Joyce's Dubliners, Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, and
The Fall by Camus. Her library also contained books on gardening,
her Bibles, and children's books, including her own copy of The Little
Engine That Could which was possibly marked with her own childish
scrawl.
All items in
Monroe's library were in original bindings (mostly cloth or wrappers), and
good condition. The books comprising Marilyn Monroe's reading library
contained her pencil marks, notations, and inserted book marks or slips.
All volumes sold
at the 1999 Christie's auction contained a posthumous bookplate identifying
them as coming from Marilyn Monroe's library. Books from Monroe's library
were sold to benefit Literacy Partners.
Provenance: 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.
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