Tuesday, September 20, 2005

JFK Dirty Laundry For Sale

The watch Marilyn Monroe gave to President Kennedy the night she famously sang "Happy Birthday Mr. President" will go on the auction block in October. The inscription on the back reads, "Jack, With love as always from Marilyn May 29th, 1962."

To be sure, that's an incredible conversation piece to own, but wait! There's more! Check out the case the watch came in.

Loosely placed in the bottom of the case is a circular paper disk with a red hand-colored border with black-printing, with a poem titled "A HEARTFELT PLEA ON YOUR BIRTHDAY" and ending "Let me love or let me die!"
Yeah, I can see the watch going for a couple million dollars. Think it will ever make an appearance at the Kennedy Library?

According to U.S. News & World Report's Washington Whispers section for September 19, 2005,
Auctioneer Bill Panagopulos , president of Alexander Autographs, calls it "undoubtedly the most controversial presidential relic ever offered." To call the watch a scandal is an understatement. Panagopulos says that after first confirming the history of the watch, family members of the JFK aide who kept relics like the outfit Jackie wore the day Kennedy was murdered have clammed up.

[...]

The live and online auction slated for October 15-16 at alexautographs.com looks to be a mother lode of JFK dirty laundry. Also on the block: letters from Kennedy filled with sexual innuendo and competitive talk about dating, catty remarks about unattractive women, and an uncharacteristic four-letter word.
Understatement indeed. You can see photos of the watch and other JFK artifacts soon to be on the auction block at Alexander Autographs.