VIDEO: Marilyn Monroe's 'Happy birthday, Mr President' dress to go on display at Newbridge Silverware
Iconic garment to go under the hammer in Los Angeles
The glittering column dress worn by movie star Marilyn Monroe as she sang a sultry 'Happy Birthday' to her rumoured lover President John F. Kennedy will go on display at Newbridge Silverware's Museum of Style Icons next month.
Monroe gave her famous performance at Madison Square Gardens in May 1962 to mark JFK's 45th birthday.
The dress is being sold by auctioneers Julien's Auctions of Beverly Hills in November. Julien's has a long relationship with Newbridge Silverware and often hosts European exhibitions of its memorabilia at the Kildare showrooms.
The skin-tight, sheer, flesh-coloured dress, sparkling with 2,500 handstitched crystals, was so tight fitting that the actress wore nothing underneath. She had to be sewn into it at the last minute.
The performance came just three months before Monroe's untimely death.
Irishman Martin Nolan, Executive Director at Julien's Auctions, said “This dress, this story, this momentous occasion represents a defining moment in history. This auction will remind the world why Marilyn Monroe remains an icon.”
“We are delighted to work with Julien’s Auctions to bring this special garment to our museum and to have been selected as the only place in Europe where you can view this garment before auction,” said William Doyle, CEO of Newbridge Silveware.
“This is one of the most iconic items to arrive at MOSI in recent years. This is not simply a beautiful dress, it is a piece of history and represents one of the most iconic moments of the 20th century. Everything about this dress was designed to grab the spotlight and the fact that we are still talking about it over 60 years shows how significant it is.”
This Marilyn garment will be on display from Saturday, October 29 to Sunday, November 6. Entry to the museum, located above the Newbridge Silverware showrooms, is free.
Video content via Newbridge Silverware/Youtube