People

Back in June of 1962, Cosmopolitan assigned the photographer George Barris to capture Marilyn Monroe around Los Angeles, which he obligingly did over the course of several weeks—and, by the looks of it, over the course of more than several martinis. The resulting 150 photos, which stretched from beaches where Monroe writhed around in a bikini in seaweed to the Hollywood Hills where she wore heels to climb a chain-link fence, felt celebratory—until a few weeks later, when Monroe unexpectedly passed away at age 36, making the Barris sessions her final photo shoot. Fifty-five years later, though, the largely unpublished photos are finally seeing the light of day thanks to an auction this week on Paddle8 that’s gathered 70 other pieces of Marilyn memorabilia—including even her eighth-grade school group photo, signed with Marilyn’s birth name, Norma Jean Baker. Judging by the going rate for her “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” dress, which recently reigned in nearly five million dollars, the items are set to make a fortune—but more importantly, they also memorialize Marilyn at her most alive—and her most bombshell blonde, ocean spray and sand be damned. Take a look back, here.