One of Monroe's last photos could set price record

The Last Sitting by Bert Stern, one of the last photographs taken of Marilyn Monroe, just six weeks before her death at the age of 36, is estimated to break the record $63,000 US mark set in 1994 for a photo of the late actress, according to Christie's auction house.

On its website, Christie's estimated that the 1962 photo will sell for between $100,000 US to $150,000 US when it is auctioned for sale this week in New York.

It is part of the collection of New York collectors Leon and Michaela Constantiner, which includes more than 100 images of Monroe, estimated to bring up to a total of $1.1 million US. The collection will be offered for sale in three sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The record estimate for The Last Sitting comes despite the beleaguered economy and plummeting art prices.

"Marilyn Monroe is one of the most iconic figures in the history of American culture of the past 100 years," Josh Holdeman, head of Christie's 20th century art, told the Associated Press.

Christie's website said that The Last Sitting was planned to run as part of an eight-page feature article on Monroe in the September 1962 issue of Vogue. The magazine was just about to go to press "when news came through of her tragic death. The text was changed and it ran as memorial tribute."

Other Monroe photos in the collection include Tom Kelley's 1949 nude, which appeared in Playboy's debut issue as the magazine's first Sweetheart of the Month. Christie's estimates it will bring between $10,000 US and $15,000 US.

The photos in the collection chronicle Monroe's short life, from obscurity as Norma Jean Baker to the height of her fame as a Hollywood sex symbol. A portrait, taken on Long Island by Andre de Dienes, shows Monroe as a fresh-faced, enthusiastic girl next door with long, curly hair. It is estimated to sell for between $3,000 US and $5,000 US.

The celebrated image by Garry Winogrand of Monroe standing over a subway vent, her skirt billowing up, will also go on the block. It carries an estimate of $10,000 US to $15,000 US.

The Constantiner collection also includes photos of Andy Warhol, and nude photos of Kate Moss, Charlotte Rampling and Nastassja Kinski.