Gentlemen prefer blondes - but will auctiongoers?
Two locks of Marilyn Monroe's hair, among a trove of memorabilia from the estate of an ardent fan-turned-friend, are going on the auction block in the fall and could sell for as much as $8,000.
The hair is from the estate of Frieda Hull, who obtained the locks from the actress' hairdresser.
Julien's Auctions is offering the items on Nov. 19-20 in Los Angeles. They're among selections from the auction that will be exhibited aboard the Queen Mary 2 during its weeklong crossing from New York to Southampton, England, beginning Aug. 9.
The locks of hair, contained in an ultraviolet-protected case, are in a single lot, with a presale estimate of $6,000 to $8,000. Hull asked Monroe's hairdresser for them before Monroe died in 1962, and Monroe gave the OK, Julien's said.
The auction house said that the two women had a long-lasting friendship, and that Hull had remarkable access to Monroe's personal and professional life.
The buyer will receive authentication papers from the Hull estate and the auction house.
The auction also will feature other Monroe memorabilia from the estate of Actors Studio artistic director Lee Strasberg and from David Gainsborough-Roberts, a British collector believed to own the largest private collection of the star's costumes.
The items range from $3,000 to $600,000. They include a sheer black beaded and sequined dress from the movie "Some Like it Hot" and a pink linen halter dress from the thriller "Niagara." Other artifacts include a large collection of photos of Monroe at the 1955 premiere of "East of Eden."
Monroe would have turned 90 last month.
Hair from other celebrities has gone up for auction previously, including Elvis Presley's and David Bowie's.
