Freddie Mercury’s red velvet cloak
Estimate: £4,000-6,000
Marc Bolan’s Gibson Guitar
Estimate: £30,000-50,000
© Keith Morris
THE BEATLES, THE ROLLING STONES, THE WHO AND A FEW ARCTICMONKEYS AT CHRISTIE’S SOUTH KENSINGTON
Pop Memorabilia – Christie’s South Kensington – Thursday 26 April 2007, 2pm
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South Kensington – Christie’s sale of Pop Memorabilia on Thursday 26 April 2007 promises a tantalising line-up of exciting memorabilia from the stars of the pop and rock worlds. The sale features guitars, stage costumes, drum-kits, letters, concert-related ephemera, photographs and personal items from the legends of the 1950s and 1960s, right through to today’s stars. Featuring some 300 lots, estimates start from around £200.
Highlights Include:
Marc Bolan – A 1970 Gibson Flying V electric guitar, used extensively by Marc Bolan in the 1970s, most notably on Top Of The Pops in 1972, performing his hit single Get It On (estimate: £30,000 – £50,000).
David Bowie – An elaborate stage costume worn by David Bowie for his last performance as Ziggy Stardust in The 1980 Floor Show at The Marquee Club in London, November 1973 (Estimate: £4,000-6,000).
John Lennon:
• An LP Wedding Album, 1969, signed and inscribed to the parents of James Hanratty, one of the last men to be hung in the UK at Bedford Prison on 4th April, 1962. John Lennon and Yoko Ono actively supported Hanratty’s family in their campaign to have the case re-examined (estimate: £3,000-5,000).
• A rare self-portrait caricature of John Lennon and Yoko Ono sitting cross-legged on a cloud, with John next to a guitar, the drawing on Bag One Productions headed memo paper addressed to NME Readers !, 1969 (estimate: £5,000-7,000).
The Beatles – The sale includes a collection of correspondence to Len Wood of EMI (Len Wood was instrumental in signing The Beatles, and rose to become Chairman of EMI) from various members of the Beatles including:
• Previously undocumented material detailing John Lennon’s suggestions for track listings on the Beatles EPs, issued by Capitol Records in Mexico between 1971 and
1972. This correspondence is important because for a long time Lennon’s involvement was a rumour that nobody believed. This correspondence proves that not only did he compile the records, but sheds new light on the fact that he was getting involved with something so (comparatively) trivial, at a time when he was claiming in public to have no interest in The Beatles or their legacy (estimate: £10,000-15,000).
• A letter from George Harrison to Len Wood dated 24th February 1964, thanking him for the gift of a television set for his 21st birthday…..”it gives the best picture I have seen, Ta!” (estimate: £1,000-1,500).
• A somewhat bitter postcard sent by George Harrison to Len Wood years later querying the royalties EMI has made out of various Harrison compositions (estimate: £700-900).
Freddie Mercury – A flamboyant costume worn on stage by Freddie Mercury during Queen’s 1986 European Tour, comprising a long cloak of imitation scarlet velvet trimmed with imitation ermine, decorated with cut-out gold-coloured paper to simulate embroidery (estimate: £4,000-6,000).
Elvis Presley – A pair of tan-coloured jeans made for Elvis Presley in the 1960 Twentieth Century Fox Western film Flaming Star. Andy Warhol used an image from this film for his iconic series of portraits of Elvis Presley, 1962-1964 (estimate: £1,500-2,500).
The Arctic Monkeys – Seven fancy dress costumes worn by The Arctic Monkeys to receive their Brit Awards for Best British Band and Best British Album on 14 February 2007. The costumes comprise Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow from the film The Wizard of Oz and the Policeman, Sailor and Native American Indian from the band The Village People. The Brit Awards were held at Earls Court in London but the band were unable to appear at the ceremony so received their awards via video link from Sheffield (estimate: £600-800).
Other highlights include a collection of Keith Moon’s clothing owned by the Moon Family, estimates range from £800 to £2,000; a leather jacket worn by Keith Richards, circa 1972 (estimate: £2,000 – £3,000) and a range of autographs from Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley, to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Who with estimates starting at £600.
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