Want to own a piece of history? You can now that the former license of legendary Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe is going up for sale. The original “State of Connecticut Motor Vehicle Operator’s License” signed by Monroe was issued on July 8, 1958, and features Monroe’s personal information, including her name, Marilyn Monroe Miller, as she was married to renowned playwright Arthur Miller when the document was issued. It also has her address, height, birth date and operator number. Monroe’s cursive signature appears at the bottom in blue ballpoint pen.
It was issued when the couple, who tied the knot in 1956, were living in a farmhouse on Tophet Road in Roxbury, Connecticut. They lived in the house until 1961 and were divorced after a brief five-year union but during that time, the couple collaborated on a handful of projects including the 1961 film The Misfits, for which Miller wrote the screenplay. It ended up being the last film Monroe starred in before her untimely death in 1962.
Before her marriage to Miller, Monroe was linked to New York Yankees star Joe DiMaggio in one of the most high-profile romances of the time. They were married in 1954 and split after just nine months together; however, the pair remained close until her death.
The driver’s license is a rare glimpse into Monroe’s personal effects and is an opportunity to own a real Tinseltown artifact from one of the most iconic actresses in history. It is being offered as part of RR Auction’s Fine Autographs and Artifacts featuring Major Figures of Science and Technology, which ends on May 10th. The headlining lot of the auction is a handwritten “The Essence of the Theory of Relativity” manuscript from Albert Einstein, expected to go for over $350,000.
In other historic auction news, two of Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona watches are going on sale with Sotheby’s in June.
