ANOTHER OUTING FOR MARILYN'S SUIT

A RARE swimsuit worn by Marilyn Monroe will today be the centrepiece at a major exhibition.

The stunning black costume, plus wrap and sequinned bathing cap, will go on show at the National Railway Museum in York, as part of a major exhibition being held over the Easter holidays.

The Wish You Were Here display will show the 1954 costume, which the Hollywood star used to promote one of her first successful films, alongside another of her famous swimming outfits - a revealing bikini worn in her last film, The Misfits.

The two swimsuits, on loan from the private collector David Gainsborough Roberts until September, will feature in a section of the exhibition looking at holiday pursuits.

The museum's display development manager Belinda Morris said: "Over the years 'ever-shrinking' bathing suits have caused quite a stir and sometimes even a scandal, but nowhere has the swimsuit enjoyed a higher profile than Hollywood.

"Wish You Were Here tells the story of railways and holidays, explaining how the birth of the rail network in Britain brought travel to the masses for the first time, and paved the way for an explosion in seaside holidays and package tours.

"To enjoy their holidays, people needed the right kind of clothes and so a whole new leisurewear industry also grew out of the rapidly expanding travel trade."

The exhibition will show visitors how holidays were planned, how people trav-elled and what they got up to once they reached their destination.

Dozens of colourful posters from the National Collection, archive photographs and rare film footage will be displayed alongside a host of holiday memorabilia.

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Evening Standard (London), Apr 9, 2001