Hollywood voyeurism at the Marilyn Monroe exhibition

Marilyn: The Exhibition’ is a rare showing of 250 of the actress’s most intimate possessions at an incongruous venue near London Bridge Station .

There has never been anything like this before in Britain ; it provides the kind of thrill that international fans can’t get from reading online auction listings or taking Hollywood pilgrimages on Google Street View .

Monroe was surrounded by people who tried to take advantage of her and often succeeded, from studio bosses to possessive acting teachers. Rather than rewrite their stories, it might be more appropriate to think of Marilyn et al as Homeric heroines , controlled from above by a vengeful pantheon and pelted with tragic parallels. “Marilyn: The Exhibition” is on show at Arches London Bridge until 23 February 2025 .