Auction PR Publicity Announcements News and Information
Auction PR Publicity Announcements News and Information

Bonhams London Entertainment Memorabilia Sale

Bonhams has unveiled a stellar list of lots for its forthcoming Entertainment Memorabilia Sale, to be held in Knightsbridge on Tuesday 16 June.

One of the headline attractions is a rare poster from the iconic Sex Pistols concert held in Manchester’s Lesser Free Trade Hall on 20 July 1976. An intimate gig – there were less than 50 people in the audience – it has since gone down in musical history, with many of the performers going on to make top pop careers. Among those in the line-up on the night were Morrissey (The Smiths), two members of Joy Division and Mark E Smith of The Fall. The concert also marked the first public performance of the Sex Pistols’ infamous track Anarchy in the UK, and the start of renowned label Factory Records. The poster is estimated at £4,000-5,000.

Other musical memorabilia highlights include a pair of barber’s chairs, used by the Beatles on 25 March 1963 for a celebrated photo- shoot around Liverpool with Dezo Hoffman. One of the chairs, original fixtures from Horne Brothers’ famous Liverpudlian barbershop, is distinctive for its lack of a headrest. It was in this chair that Paul McCartney was photographed having his hair cut in the Beatles’ ‘moptop’ style. The two chairs together are expected to achieve £6,000-10,000 at auction. Meanwhile other items belonging to the Beatles are included in the sale, among them John Lennon’s typewriter and a pair of his Kef hi-fi speakers from Tittenhurst Park – given by Lennon to the estate’s handyman when he moved to New York. A sale of £2,000-2,500 is estimated for each lot.

Music aside, there are high profile lots from both the big and small screen included in the sale. In particular, a pair of Persol sunglasses belonging to Hollywood legend Steve McQueen, accompanied by a still of him wearing similar shades during filming of The Thomas Crown Affair. With McQueen acknowledged as one of Hollywood’s all-time greats, it is little wonder that this lot is estimated at £15,000-17,000. No less distinctive is the Home Guard cap worn by Arthur Lowe as Captain Mainwaring in the enduring BBC TV series Dad’s Army – estimated at between £800-1000.

Other gems from the world of comedy include a series of scripts from The Goon Show (expected to achieve between £400-800) and a sign for Slough Trading Estate autographed by its most notable residents, the team from Ricky Gervais’ The Office –valued at £600-900.

Stephanie Connell, Entertainment Memorabilia Specialist at Bonhams, comments: “This sale is an absolute `must see’ for fans and collectors of Entertainment Memorabilia. It offers a unique opportunity to bid for important objects from television, radio, film and popular music ranging from Dracula to Dr. Who, Laurence Olivier to The Office, and Marilyn Monroe to Mick Jagger.”

http://www.bonhams.com/entertainment