SubscribeMarilyn Monroe collector’s plate at auction
Every now and then, I find packed among a $2 lot of glassware some interesting souvenir or collector’s plates. The ones inscribed with lovely scenes that are meant for display, not for food.
I’ve picked up plates of churches, banks, flowers, decorated Christmas trees. A state of Connecticut plate; a Canton, Ohio, church plate; a 1966 calendar plate; a Fleurs de Minuit plate and an Old Hitchcock Chair Factory (Mass.) plate. Even familiar ones: Norman Rockwell and The Wizard of Oz.
The best was the Marilyn Monroe collector’s plate called “The Seven Year Itch.” It bears a picture of Marilyn in a white dress against a brilliant red background. It’s a picture of Marilyn in that infamous scene of her standing over a subway grate, her dress flying high above her knees. The picture on this plate, however, isn’t as risqué as the photo taken that day in 1954 during the actual shooting of the movie.
The plate is the first in a series of 12 in the Marilyn Monroe Collection of scenes from her most famous movies. The designs in this limited-edition collection are based on original artwork by artist Chris Notarile and authorized by the actress’ estate. This first set of the series was produced in 1990 with 150 plates. My plate number is #8547E.
The plate sells from $35 to $225 on the web.
The infamous scene depicted on the plate was shot about 1 a. m. on Sept. 15, 1954, at Lexington Avenue and 52nd Street in New York, according to my Google research. It had to be re-shot in the studio because there were so many whistles and so much noise from spectators (men, no doubt) when Marilyn’s dress flew wild.
In the final version for the movie, her dress did not come up above her knees. Her husband at the time, Joe DiMaggio, was embarrassed by her display on street (the flyaway dress revealed Marilyn’s white panties), and it is said that the incident led to the breakup of their marriage.
Plates are among the many products based on Marilyn, her movies and her life. There are dolls, prints, postcards, dinnerware and personal items.
I’m not sure how popular plate-collecting is these days, but the practice has been around for a long time. Since the 1800s, beginning in Europe and finding its way into the United States in the mid-1900s, according to my Google research. The designs commemorated special occasions or lovely scenes, and were produced by such companies as Bing and Grondahl, Royal Copenhagen and later Lalique. In 1973, the Bradford Exchange was formed and made the most of plate-collecting in this country. The Franklin Mint produces its share of plates, too.
One of the plates in my lot was made by a company named Homer Laughlin China, which I had never heard of since I don’t collect plates. In my research, I learned that this Ohio company created the brightly colored dinnerware called Fiestaware, along with other patterns.
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I started going to auctions to fuel my love for African American art – but at a bargain. I love the old masters: Lois Mailou Jones, Jacob Lawrence, Hughie Lee-Smith. I wanted to find their works and discover other veteran artists whose works may have been hiding in an attic or basement, and forgotten.
