Jump directly to the content
All News

Never-before-seen photos of Marilyn Monroe taken by fan go up for auction

By MARYSE FARAG
9th February 2016, 3:22 pm
Updated: 6th April 2016, 1:21 pm

NEVER-before-seen photos of Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe taken by a
superfan in the 1950s are going up for auction.

A rare collection of was taken by devoted fan James Collins in the 1950s, a member of
Monroe Six, – a group of superfans who followed the actress around New York.

Members of the group were such avid fans that Marilyn ended up learning their
names and gave them special access to her life.

James, 78, is now selling the photos and is expected to make more than
£17,000.

Pic: HeritageAuctions/BNPS A photo of James Collins as a teenager in 1955 standing at a typewriter that was set up outside of a shop on an NYC street. He had just typed "Marilyn Monroe is a beautiful girl and the photo, taken by Michael Rouger, ran in Life Magazine in 1955. A trove of rare and never-seen-before snapshots of Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe have emerged for sale from the collection of a superfan who spent years following the star. The collection of 183 pictures of the pin up were all taken around New York in the mid-1950s by superfan James Collins, a teenager who was a member of the 'Monroe 6'. The youngsters were such avid fans Monroe ended up knowing them all by name and allowed them special access to her to take countless photos and signed numerous autographs. Collins is now auctioning the 183 photos in 18 lots through Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas.
BNPS
12

He said: “I just used any box camera I had, nothing fancy because I
couldn’t afford an expensive camera.

“We knew where she lived and her hairdresser was a friend of ours so he
would tell us when she was going to an event and where she would be.

“Afterwards we would run to the drugstore to get our snapshots developed
in multiples so that all of us could have all the shots we had taken of her.

“We wanted nothing from her except the opportunity to take her picture or
to get her autograph – and often she would sign on the very photographs we
had just taken of her the day before.

“I kept them in a little satchel, but after she died I put it in my
closet and left it for years.”

ic: HeritageAuctions/BNPS A rare group of black and white images of Marilyn Monroe. A trove of rare and never-seen-before snapshots of Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe have emerged for sale from the collection of a superfan who spent years following the star. The collection of 183 pictures of the pin up were all taken around New York in the mid-1950s by superfan James Collins, a teenager who was a member of the 'Monroe 6'. The youngsters were such avid fans Monroe ended up knowing them all by name and allowed them special access to her to take countless photos and signed numerous autographs. Collins is now auctioning the 183 photos in 18 lots through Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas.
BNPS
12

Pic: HeritageAuctions/BNPS A rare group of black and white images of Marilyn Monroe at various public events including seven with her then-husband, Arthur Millerin. A trove of rare and never-seen-before snapshots of Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe have emerged for sale from the collection of a superfan who spent years following the star. The collection of 183 pictures of the pin up were all taken around New York in the mid-1950s by superfan James Collins, a teenager who was a member of the 'Monroe 6'. The youngsters were such avid fans Monroe ended up knowing them all by name and allowed them special access to her to take countless photos and signed numerous autographs. Collins is now auctioning the 183 photos in 18 lots through Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas.
BNPS
12

Pic: HeritageAuctions/BNPS A rare group of black and white images of Marilyn Monroe, circa 1955-1956. A trove of rare and never-seen-before snapshots of Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe have emerged for sale from the collection of a superfan who spent years following the star. The collection of 183 pictures of the pin up were all taken around New York in the mid-1950s by superfan James Collins, a teenager who was a member of the 'Monroe 6'. The youngsters were such avid fans Monroe ended up knowing them all by name and allowed them special access to her to take countless photos and signed numerous autographs. Collins is now auctioning the 183 photos in 18 lots through Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas.
BNPS
12

Pic: HeritageAuctions/BNPS A previous seen before image of Marilyn Monroe wearing her famous 'white dress' as she leaves the St. Regis hotel in New York City is also in the sale. A trove of rare and never-seen-before snapshots of Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe have emerged for sale from the collection of a superfan who spent years following the star. The collection of 183 pictures of the pin up were all taken around New York in the mid-1950s by superfan James Collins, a teenager who was a member of the 'Monroe 6'. The youngsters were such avid fans Monroe ended up knowing them all by name and allowed them special access to her to take countless photos and signed numerous autographs. Collins is now auctioning the 183 photos in 18 lots through Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas.
BNPS
12

Pic: HeritageAuctions/BNPS A rare group of black and white images of Marilyn Monroe in 1955, as she sits in the lobby of The Hotel 14 in NYC. A trove of rare and never-seen-before snapshots of Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe have emerged for sale from the collection of a superfan who spent years following the star. The collection of 183 pictures of the pin up were all taken around New York in the mid-1950s by superfan James Collins, a teenager who was a member of the 'Monroe 6'. The youngsters were such avid fans Monroe ended up knowing them all by name and allowed them special access to her to take countless photos and signed numerous autographs. Collins is now auctioning the 183 photos in 18 lots through Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas.
BNPS
12

Pic: HeritageAuctions/BNPS A rare group of black and white images of Marilyn Monroe in 1955, as she sits in the lobby of the Gladstone Hotel. A trove of rare and never-seen-before snapshots of Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe have emerged for sale from the collection of a superfan who spent years following the star. The collection of 183 pictures of the pin up were all taken around New York in the mid-1950s by superfan James Collins, a teenager who was a member of the 'Monroe 6'. The youngsters were such avid fans Monroe ended up knowing them all by name and allowed them special access to her to take countless photos and signed numerous autographs. Collins is now auctioning the 183 photos in 18 lots through Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas.
BNPS
12

Pic: HeritageAuctions/BNPS Signed photo of Marilyn Monroe, circa 1955. A trove of rare and never-seen-before snapshots of Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe have emerged for sale from the collection of a superfan who spent years following the star. The collection of 183 pictures of the pin up were all taken around New York in the mid-1950s by superfan James Collins, a teenager who was a member of the 'Monroe 6'. The youngsters were such avid fans Monroe ended up knowing them all by name and allowed them special access to her to take countless photos and signed numerous autographs. Collins is now auctioning the 183 photos in 18 lots through Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas.
BNPS
12

He captured the icon at film premieres, coming out of hotels and snapped her
with husbands Arthur Miller and Joe DiMaggio.

Some of the pics feature the sex symbol in her famous white dress from the
1955 film The Seven Year Itch – which was one of the biggest box office
successes of her career.

There are even photos signed by Marilyn herself in the remarkable collection.

Pic: HeritageAuctions/BNPS Signed photo of Marilyn Monroe, from 1955. A trove of rare and never-seen-before snapshots of Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe have emerged for sale from the collection of a superfan who spent years following the star. The collection of 183 pictures of the pin up were all taken around New York in the mid-1950s by superfan James Collins, a teenager who was a member of the 'Monroe 6'. The youngsters were such avid fans Monroe ended up knowing them all by name and allowed them special access to her to take countless photos and signed numerous autographs. Collins is now auctioning the 183 photos in 18 lots through Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas.
BNPS
12

Pic: HeritageAuctions/BNPS A rare group of black and white images of Marilyn Monroe. A trove of rare and never-seen-before snapshots of Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe have emerged for sale from the collection of a superfan who spent years following the star. The collection of 183 pictures of the pin up were all taken around New York in the mid-1950s by superfan James Collins, a teenager who was a member of the 'Monroe 6'. The youngsters were such avid fans Monroe ended up knowing them all by name and allowed them special access to her to take countless photos and signed numerous autographs. Collins is now auctioning the 183 photos in 18 lots through Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas.
BNPS
12

Pic: HeritageAuctions/BNPS Signed photo of Marilyn Monroe, circa 1955. A trove of rare and never-seen-before snapshots of Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe have emerged for sale from the collection of a superfan who spent years following the star. The collection of 183 pictures of the pin up were all taken around New York in the mid-1950s by superfan James Collins, a teenager who was a member of the 'Monroe 6'. The youngsters were such avid fans Monroe ended up knowing them all by name and allowed them special access to her to take countless photos and signed numerous autographs. Collins is now auctioning the 183 photos in 18 lots through Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas.
BNPS
12

Pic: HeritageAuctions/BNPS Signed photo of Marilyn Monroe, from 1955, standing next to her business partner Milton Greene. A trove of rare and never-seen-before snapshots of Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe have emerged for sale from the collection of a superfan who spent years following the star. The collection of 183 pictures of the pin up were all taken around New York in the mid-1950s by superfan James Collins, a teenager who was a member of the 'Monroe 6'. The youngsters were such avid fans Monroe ended up knowing them all by name and allowed them special access to her to take countless photos and signed numerous autographs. Collins is now auctioning the 183 photos in 18 lots through Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas.`
BNPS
12

One black and white picture is expected to fetch around £1,400 showing the
star looking glamorous in a white evening gown and fur coat in 1955.

The old and tatty picture, which is 10 inches by 8 inches, is signed in blue
ballpoint pen “To Jim, Love & Kisses, Marilyn Monroe”.

Taken between 1955 and 1956, the photos show her in both casual clothing and
cocktail attire.

James added: “They’re all candid photos, they show the two sides of her.
By day she was this sweet, lovely girl and at night she became the movie
star.

“But I never took them thinking they would be worth anything.

“I am ready to let others have my original 1950s-era snapshots of the
movie star.”

The collection of photographs will be sold on February 20 at Heritage Auctions
in Dallas, Texas.