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This authentic, original 1955 Marilyn Monroe "Golden Dreams calendar features the legendary 1949 "Red Velvet" photoshoot by photographer Tom Kelley. This is the image that helped launch Marilyn into superstardom.
Unlike the common reproductions or chopped-up single pages floating around, this piece is 100% genuine vintage and features the entire, complete 12-monthcalendar pad still fully attached to the original decorative mat board base!
Why This Piece is Special
- Complete Calendar Pad: Flawless typographic detail featuring period-correct moon phase indicators and built-in holidays like "Lincoln" on febuary12 and "Easter" on April 10.
- 100% Authentic: Features the original "Litho in U.S.A." factory marking right beneath the grid line.
- Provenance & Patina: The back of the mat board shows wonderful, natural amber edge toning. You can even see the gorgeous "oil ghosting" on the underside of the pages and the backing board where the mid-century printing inks have slowly off-gassed over the last 70+ years - a detail counterfeiters simply cannot fake.
Why the Lingerie was AddedThis is an original 1955 calendar, but the lingerie was not present in the 1949 calendar. When Marillyn posed for the photo, she was completely nude against a red velvet background. This version featuring the black lingerie was an overprint process.
In the 50s, many states and municipalities had strict obscenity laws that banned the mailing or public display of fully nude pin-ups. Also, calendar companies like the John Baumgarth Co. wanted to sell these calendars to conservative retail businesses (like auto repair shops and gas stations....) to hand out to regular customers.
To bypass censorship and make the calendar "family-friendly" for public walls, printers used a precise lithographic overlay to mask her body with a black negligee. Both the uncensored nude version and this masked lingerie version were sold concurrently in 1954/55.
Please view all photos as they are part of the description. Measurements are in photos.Ships quickly from smoke-free home.
