Marilyn Monroe exhibition comes to Sydney

Marilyn: The Woman Behind the Icon is a collection of over 200 personal items, filmic memorabilia and artefacts representing the life of one of the most iconic women who ever lived – Marilyn Monroe. 

The exhibition is being held in the spacious and historic Lower Town Hall and has been entirely compiled and curated from the private archive of German collector and Monroe devotee, Ted Stampfer. 

“It is not easy to explain why I am fascinated by Marilyn. I saw her movies How to Marry a Millionaire and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes when I was nine years old and I was captivated by her beauty and attitude. Of course, I was too young to know why she eventually touched me emotionally,” Sampfer said in an interview with #59 Magazine.

“Over the years, as I learned more and more about the real person behind the Hollywood façade, she touched me more and more and gained my full respect. Today, I think it is a combination of everything: her feminine beauty, her talent, her voice, her career combined with a tragic private life. Marilyn was exceptional and remains so to this day.”

Stampfer began his collection in the 1980s with a handful of rare items, and it has grown substantially since then.  

Among the incredible treasures are handwritten notes, letters, scripts, items of clothing made famous through photographs and films. Stampfer has curated as a narrative of Monroe’s life, from her childhood, through her rise to superstardom, to her the tragedy of her decline and infamous last hours. 

Marilyn: The Woman Behind The Icon is a rare and very special insight into Norma Jeane Mortenson/Baker, a beautiful, talented young women who went to Hollywood, changed her name to Marilyn Monroe, and became a legend. 

July 1 – September 24

Lower Town Hall, Sydney Town Hall, cnr George and Druitt St

www.marilynexhibition.com.au/