Marilyn: The Exhibition @ Arches London Bridge [Review]

An impressive sneak peek behind the curtain at the life of a legend….

Tucked away in the Arches London Bridge, a stone’s throw from London Bridge station, you can find the brand-new Marilyn exhibit, and we were invited along for an early look and a great night out, to see what they had on offer. Open now, the exhibition promises a one-of-a kind, rare and unprecedented glimpse into the private life of Hollywood’s luminary starlet, Marilyn Monroe. What you get is exactly that – a deep dive tour of Monroe’s life in its entirety, including plenty of memorabilia – love letters, scripts, her makeup collection and naturally, all the outfits for which she was renowned.

Boasting the world’s largest collection of Marilyn’s historical objects – an incredible 250 in total – it even offers the chance to purchase additional Monroe merchandise in an extensively-packed gift shop complete with a photo booth to snap a paparazzi-style picture of your own. The range of items on display is especially unique, given that most of Monroe’s personal belongings were locked away for nearly 40 years before being scattered across the world at auction houses like Julien’s in Los Angeles and Christie’s in New York. For decades, these pieces of her life have been disjointed, spread across continents in private collections, so to see them all together again feels like stitching back the threads of her story – a rare chance to rediscover the human behind the Hollywood legend.

There are certain celebrities throughout the ages that attain an iconic status and become more myth than person. A handful of them die tragically young which only cements that status further, since the mysteries around their lives can never truly be answered – case in point, Amy Winehouse and James Dean – but others live on, like Dolly Parton or Cher. They become so enmeshed in an idea of themselves that they end up almost a cartoon character, recognisable by silhouette, and it’s easy to forget that there’s a real person there. None more so than Monroe who, for many, has always been this mythical creature of a bygone Hollywood era – the breathy voice, the white dress blown by the wind (which the exhibit replicated with a model), or a seductive smile framed by that unmistakable platinum hair. She’s the stuff of legend, a character we all know from afar who ultimately has become such a stalwart component of pop culture that she’s lost what made her human in the first place.

This exhibition skilfully disrupts that image. Walking past her handwritten notes or a pair of well-worn shoes, there’s an emotional intimacy that cuts through the glamour. You’re reminded that she had insecurities, dreams, heartbreaks, and those quiet, everyday moments that don’t make it into the movies. In among the numerous outfits and red-carpet photos are glimmers of a life that was a perpetual struggle. In one display case you’ll find a Phenergan prescription (in this case for insomnia), signed by Monroe’s doctor one day before her death. Elsewhere is a breakdown of the budget for Some Like It Hot, with a discreet but obvious addition – “Loss Due to Monroe Illness” midway down the list of expenditures. The exhibit doesn’t shy away from her life’s contradictions – it’s all there, hanging between the satin robes.

Marilyn The Exhibition is a testament to the exhibit that it reminds us with figures like Monroe, you only ever see a fraction of the whole, and manages to chip away at that image, to give you a sneak peek behind the curtain at the life of a legend.