Winter Auction 2015 closing February 7
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/8/2015
In 1954, Hollywood icon and sex symbol Marilyn Monroe made her only trip to Korea to entertain the troops as the Korean conflict was drawing to a close during its armistice period. She performed 10 shows in four days in front of an estimated 100,000 plus soldiers and marines.
These seven negatives were taken by a US Army photographer Gratton “Gene” Coffman on February 17, 1954 and each have been individually marked. They are labeled: “C-77 M. Monroe at Air Strip 17 Feb 54”, “C-78 M. Monroe – Front view on stage 17 Feb. 1954”, C-79 M. Monroe at Airstrip 17 Feb 54”. “C-80 M. Monroe in Helicopter 17 Feb 54”, “C-82 Marilyn Monroe w/Col Risley at air Strip 17 Feb. 1954”, “C-83 M. Monroe on Stage 17 Feb 54” and “C-84 M. Monroe on Stage 17 Feb 1954”. Gratton passed away in March of 2003. The photos depict Monroe on stage and in or near various military vehicles and transports. These seven original negatives of this kind are rare and they come with a letter from Gratton E. Coffman that in part states “I relinquish all my rights to these photographs.”