LONDON.- Christie‘s announced full details of the Pop Culture sale which will take place on 20 June 2014. Comprising 144 lots, the auction will offer costumes, props, photographs, original artwork, instruments and personal items. Featuring items previously worn, owned or played by rock, pop and Hollywood royalty the selection on offer provides collectors spanning several generations the opportunity to acquire a piece of memorabilia associated with their celebrity idols. Highlights include: a rare page of lyrics in John Lennon‘s hand; (estimate: £100,000-150,000); a lace empire line day dress by Helen Rose, made for Grace Kelly as Princess Alexandra in the 1956 M.G.M. film The Swan, (estimate: £30,000-50,000) and the drum kit used by Tony McCarroll, the original drummer in legendary British band Oasis, (estimate: £12,000 – 15,000). All items on offer will be available to view on exhibition at Christie‘s Old Brompton Road galleries in South Kensington, London, from 14 to 19 June 2014. Estimates range from £800 to £150,000.
CECIL B. DEMILLE (1881-1959)
As 2014 marks the 100 year anniversary of Cecil B. DeMille‘s first feature film, The Squaw Man (1914), Christie's is proud to present a collection of concept artworks, sketches and costume accessories with estimates ranging from £800 - £15,000. They pay homage to the career of Hollywood‘s greatest showman, the king of epic film, CECIL B. DEMILLE. Best known for his mastery of the spectacle, this collection reveals a glimpse ‗behind the scenes‘ of a DeMille production, enabling us to see how the great storyteller immersed himself completely in each project with meticulous attention to detail and historical accuracy.
A magnificent gilt-metal falcon chest-plate (estimate: £10,000 -15,000) was made for Yul Brynner as Rameses II in the 1956 Oscar-winning film, The Ten Commandments. Further highlights include a watercolour and pencil costume sketch by Travis Banton of Claudette Colbert as Cleopatra in the 1934 Paramount film, directed by DeMille, (estimate: £10,000 -15,000)
1930s – 1940s
Published in 1936, Margaret Mitchell‘s, GONE WITH THE WIND is a classic captivating story which has been adapted many times for stage and screen. A 1938 first edition which was personally used by Ona Munson who played Belle Watling in the 1939 M.G.M film (estimate: £5,000-7,000) will be offered in the sale. The majority of references to Belle Watling underlined in red pencil with the flyleaf signed by many of the cast and crew including the director Victor Fleming. Further Gone with the Wind memorabilia includes a collapsible top hat worn by Clark Gable as Rhett Butler (estimate: £2,000 – 3,000).
1950s
Few names are as equated with style as GRACE KELLY. The Oscar-winning actress was one of the most beautiful women in the world and celebrated for her classic ladylike look. Her style so timeless and influential continues to inspire everything from museum exhibitions to movies, magazines, books, and, of course, fashion. One of the highlights in the Pop Culture sale is a lace empire line day dress by Helen Rose, made for Grace Kelly as Princess Alexandra in the 1956 M.G.M. film The Swan, (estimate: £30,000-50,000) originally set in 1915, the costumes brought about the return of the empire silhouette—a high waistline and straight semi-slim skirt. Reports circulated from the set that she ―looked like an angel‖ so MGM shared publicity photos including one that showed Grace and Helen looking at a sketch from The Swan.
1960s
Among a wide selection of THE BEATLES memorabilia is a a rare page of lyrics in John Lennon‘s hand; (estimate: £100,000-150,000) for Being For The Beneft of Mr. Kite!, released on the 1967 Beatles album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The inspiration for the song came from an old circus poster that John Lennon purchased in an antique shop whilst filming the promotional video for Strawberry Fields Forever in Sevenoaks, Kent in January, 1967.
From the collection of John Hill comes a plectrum scratched with the initials J.L which was used by John Lennon during the Beatles‘ performance at the A.B.C. Theatre, Hull, 16 October, 1964 (estimate: £2,000 – 3,000) and a microphone used by the Beatles circa early 1960s (estimate: £5,000 -7,000). Reslo microphones such as this example were used predominantly at the Cavern Club in the early 1960s and it appears that the Reslo was the band‘s preferred microphone for live appearances in the early days. The vendor attended the Beatles concert and following the show, struck up a conversation with one of the band‘s technicians. The vendor was keen to start his own band so the technician with whom he was speaking gave him the microphone.
A rare page of notes in Paul McCartney‘s hand for the recording of the Beatles song Hey Jude, from July-August, 1968 is expected to fetch between £50,000 and 70,000. Hey Jude was conceived by Paul McCartney in June, 1968 whilst out for a drive and was originally intended as ―Hey Jules‖, a song written to comfort John Lennon‘s son, Julian, in the aftermath of his parents‘ divorce. Hey Jude was released in August 1968 as the first single on the newly formed Apple label and became one of the most successful Beatles songs ever. Hey Jude became the biggest selling debut release for a record label ever, selling an estimated eight million copies worldwide and topping the charts in eleven countries. The Beatles spent two days at Abbey Road Studios recording Hey Jude on 29 and 30 July, 1968 before recording a master track at Trident Studios on 31 July. Recording notes very rarely appear on the market.
1970s & 80s
A pair of tortoiseshell folding Persol sunglasses owned by STEVE MCQUEEN circa 1970s are a further highlight of the sale (estimate:£15,000-25,000). Persol folding sunglasses were a favourite of Steve McQueen‘s. He can be seen wearing a similar pair during the filming of The Thomas Crown Affair in 1968 and was photographed by friend and photographer, William Claxton, wearing Persol glasses on numerous occasions.
The sale features important props from the 20th Century Fox/Lucasflm STAR WARS trilogy including a collection of Imperial Stormtrooper costume components (estimate: £20,000 – 30,000) and a prototype Imperial Stormtrooper‘s helmet made for the 1977 production Star Wars: A New Hope (estimate: £3,000 – 5,000).
In 1978 ANDY WARHOL attended the opening of a shoe shop Ananena on Koenigsallee in Dusseldorf, Germany and made an opening speech explaining that before he was an artist, he was a shoe illustrator. This pair of white leather ballerina pumps were the only shoes he signed that evening (estimate: £2,000 – 3,000).
1990’s
The drum kit used by Tony McCarroll, the original drummer in legendary British band OASIS, is one of the highlights in the sale (estimate: £12,000 – 15,000). The drum kit was used on the band‘s first album Definitely Maybe which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Tony McCarroll was the first drummer with Oasis, playing and recording with the band from its inception as ―Rain‖ in 1990 until April, 1995. This drumkit was purchased early in the history of the band from Johnny Roadhouse in Manchester and McCarroll then played it throughout his career with Oasis.
2000 - NOW
Pop legend MICHAEL JACKSON is represented in the sale by a black fedora hat by Shannon Phillips Collection worn at the Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special at Madison Square Garden, New York on September 7 and September 10, 2001. Labelled with grosgrain ribbon hat band, printed in gold on the inner head band Michael Jackson, signed and inscribed on the underside of the brim Love Michael Jackson and accompanied by a document concerning the provenance from David Gest (estimate:£3,000-5,000).
A Prada gown worn by MICHELLE DOCKERY to the 2013 Emmy Awards will be offered at auction, with all proceeds benefitting Oxfam. The gown has been donated by the Downton Abbey star to raise funds for the Syria Crisis; (estimate: £3,000-5,000).
JULIA ROBERTS was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1990 for her role in Pretty Woman. Roberts attended the ceremony with Kiefer Sutherland and wore this Richard Tyler full length silk crepe evening dress (estimate: £4,000 – 6,000).
A key prop from the 2006 Columbia Pictures film THE DA VINCI CODE is a further highlight in the sale. This working ‗cryptex‘ is central to the elaborate plot of The Da Vinci Code (estimate: £12,000 – 18,000). The film centres around the secrets of the Priory of Sion, guardians of the bloodline of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene. Follwing the murder of her grandfather in the Louvre, Audrey Tatou as Sophie Neveu and Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon follow the cryptic messages he left behind. The clue found on the cryptex leads them to Sir Isaac Newton‘s tomb at Westminster Abbey in London, where Langdon solves the password code - ‗apple‘ - releasing the papyrus from the cryptex. The ‗cryptex‘ was skilfully hand-crafted by UK based prop makers Dick George Associates under the creative direction of Allan Cameron and Giles Masters. All elements had to physically work exactly as described in Dan Brown‘s novel. Approximately 17 were made for the production. According to Dick George, three were used in the film, while the others were gifted to directors, producers and key members of the production.
