The white dress is coming to De Nieuwe Kerk

Amsterdam – June 1, 2016

Today, on what would have been Marilyn Monroe’s ninetieth birthday, De Nieuwe Kerk Amsterdam took time to remember the star. Jazz singer Paul van Kessel sang as tribute artist Memory Monroe made her appearance on Dam Square in an original 1962 Cadillac Fleetwood. She was greeted with coffee and cake by Cathelijne Broers, director of De Nieuwe Kerk, who revealed that The Dress, Monroe’s iconic white dress will be on display at the exhibition 90 Years Miss Monroe: Reflecting on a Female Icon. It was designed in 1955 by William Travilla. He made only two identical exemplars. Marilyn wore one of these for the famous scene in the film The Seven Year Itch. The other one, called The Dress, was used on tour. Guest curator Ted Stampfer was able to arrange that The Dress will be brought to De Nieuwe Kerk especially for the exhibition. It is one of the highlights of the exhibition, which features more than 250 of Marilyn’s personal items.

The exhibition on Marilyn’s life and legacy includes numerous items from her house on 5th Helena Drive in Brentwood, California. After Monroe’s death, her belongings were put into storage by her heirs, and were left untouched for decades. The auctioning of her belongings began 37 years later at Christie’s in New York, and continued at a number of other auction houses. A large number of the items were purchased by collector Ted Stampfer. The personal items from Stampfer’s collection, including famous items of clothing, accessories and personal documents, will be displayed alongside photos and film clips to create a unique and intimate impression of what the star was like both on-camera and off. The exhibition is open to visitors from 1 October 2016 till 5 February 2017.

Cathelijne Broers: ‘It’ s rather remarkable that we’re able to display an exemplar of the famous dress, as it’s made from a delicate material and is more than 50 years old. Still, an exhibition on the life of Marilyn Monroe just wouldn’t be complete without this iconic piece. We will make sure the dress is given pride of place in the exhibition.’