Christies Pop Culture Auction #5446 Coming June 20th

Pop Culture at Christie’s South Kensington in June

Complete catalog available online at www.christies.com

South Kensington, London – Christie’s is pleased to announce 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.

Overview

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,).

 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 illustrated left)for Being For The Beneft ofMr. 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.

1970s & 80s 

The sale features important props from the 20^th Century Fox/Lucasflm STAR WARS trilogy including a collection of Imperial Stormtrooper costume components (estimate: £20,000 – 30,000, illustrated right) and a prototype Imperial Stormtrooper’s helmet made for the 1977 production Star Wars: A New Hope (estimate: £3,000 – 5,000).

 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: 30^th 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).

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).