Marilyn Monroe’s signature

Marilyn Monroe’s signature slants forward, loops through its capitals and begins with a long, rising stroke before the first letter. It belongs to a woman who signed three different names in ten years. Watch it being drawn below, then read how auctions treat her autographs.

The stroke order in this animation is our own reconstruction. Signature via Wikimedia Commons, vectorised by Signature Generator (Public domain, source).

Shape

A forward slant, a big looped capital "M" for each name and a long rising stroke that leads into the first letter.

Where it appears

Studio contracts, photos, letters and an ID card. In June 1953 she also pressed her hands, feet and signature into wet cement outside Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.

Rhythm

Flowing and continuous, with the pen lifted only a few times.

Legibility

Medium. The capitals are clear, and the letters in between shrink to small waves.

Three names in ten years

Born Norma Jeane Mortenson in 1926, she signed her first studio contract in 1946 as "Norma Jeane Dougherty", using the surname from her first marriage. The name "Marilyn Monroe" was chosen that summer when she signed with 20th Century-Fox: the executive Ben Lyon picked "Marilyn", and "Monroe" was her mother’s family name. In 1954 she signed a Department of Defense ID card as "Norma Jean DiMaggio". She changed her name legally to Marilyn Monroe on 23 February 1956.

Prices at auction

Her autographs sell well, especially when they are tied to a real moment of her life. RR Auction sold more than 30 Monroe items in 2022. The top result was that 1954 Department of Defense ID card at $37,500. A signed film still from "River of No Return" reached $20,660 and her first studio contract with 20th Century-Fox sold for $8,250. Items at this level are normally sealed in a certified holder by PSA, an authentication service, before they are sold.

The signature in the wild

Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell kneeling to write in wet cement at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in 1953 — Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell writing in the wet cement at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, 1953. Los Angeles Times. CC BY 4.0. Source

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Her name in wet cement

In June 1953, while promoting "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", Monroe and her co-star Jane Russell pressed their hand and footprints into the forecourt of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Photographs from the day, taken by the Los Angeles Times, show them kneeling beside the slab and writing in the wet cement. It is a rare case where her signature was made on a surface the public can still visit, rather than on paper.

What you can learn from it

Monroe’s signature shows how a name can be a piece of design. Her stage name was invented, yet the loops and slant she gave it were hers, and it became one of the most recognised signatures in the world. You can do the same with your own: pick a slant and a way of making your capital letters and stay with them. A Professional Signature designed by us gives you a polished starting point, and the practice sheet helps you make it flow.

Sources

Editorial content. We are not affiliated with the people shown. We do not create copies of other people’s signatures, and signing someone else’s name is forgery.