Popular Culture
Popular Culture, a new auction category at Christie's, will feature iconic 20th and 21st century material from the worlds of film, rock and roll, celebrity, entertainment and sport. Auctions in this category take place twice a year in London at our South Kensington saleroom.
Entertainment memorabilia is a diverse category that ranges from film props and costumes worn by Hollywood icons, vintage guitars and handwritten lyrics by music legends, to animation art and film posters. Such items have contributed to the delight of generations, and helped build a worldwide collectors' market. In the last two decades, Christie's has sold memorabilia ranging from Bette Davis' Academy Award for Jezebel to John Lennon's hand-written lyrics for I Am The Walrus.
Christie's holds the world auction record of $312,000 for a film script with the sale of Marlon Brando's annotated script for The Godfather (2004). Christie's sale of the Personal Property of Marilyn Monroe in 1999 totaled more than $13 million and set a world auction record of $1,267,500 for Monroe's dress that she wore singing "Happy Birthday" to President John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden, New York, in 1962. In 2004, Christie's also achieved a world auction record of $959,500 for Eric Clapton's composite Fender Stratocaster 'Blackie'.
Please contact any of the specialists below if you are interested in a complimentary market valuation or wish to discuss the inclusion of your property in one of our sales next year.
Upcoming Sales from this department
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Nov 2010 25 2pm
SALE 5570|London, South Kensington
|Sale InformationPopular Culture: Film and Entertainment Memorabilia
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Dec 2010 1 2pm
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May 2011 4 2pm
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Jun 2011 14 2pm
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Jun 2011 15 2pm
Department Contact Info
Specialist Profiles
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London, South Kensington
Neil RobertsDepartment Head
London, South Kensington Contacts
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Rachel Reilly
Specialist, Vintage Film Posters
rreilly@christies.com Tel: +44 (0)20 7752 3280
General Inquiries
Tel: +44 (0)20 7752 3123
New York Contacts
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Laura Armstrong
General Inquiries learmstrong@christies.com Tel: +1 212 636 2434
Exceptional Prices
The Beatles
The legendary hand-painted bass drumskin as pictured on the front cover of the Beatles’ ground-breaking 1967, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Price realized: £541,250
July 2008, London, South Kensington
The legendary hand-painted bass drumskin as pictured on the front cover of the Beatles’ ground-breaking 1967, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Price realized: £541,250
July 2008, London, South Kensington
King Kong
Original armature for the largest of the character models used in the classic stop-animation feature film King Kong, 1933
Price realized: £121,250
November 2009, London, South Kensington
View eCatalogue
Original armature for the largest of the character models used in the classic stop-animation feature film King Kong, 1933
Price realized: £121,250
November 2009, London, South Kensington
View eCatalogue
Brian Jones
A Harmony Stratotone guitar owned by Jones and played on stage with the Rolling Stones, circa 1963
Price realized: £79,250
July 2009, London, South Kensington
A Harmony Stratotone guitar owned by Jones and played on stage with the Rolling Stones, circa 1963
Price realized: £79,250
July 2009, London, South Kensington
John Lennon
Rare hand drawn placard signed and inscribed by Lennon L’Amour Et La Paix during the Montreal Bed-In for Peace, 1969
Price realized: £73,250
July 2009, London, South Kensington
Rare hand drawn placard signed and inscribed by Lennon L’Amour Et La Paix during the Montreal Bed-In for Peace, 1969
Price realized: £73,250
July 2009, London, South Kensington
Howard Hughes' The Outlaw
Six-sheet poster set, 1943
Price realized: £52,875
March 2003, London, South Kensington
Six-sheet poster set, 1943
Price realized: £52,875
March 2003, London, South Kensington
Eric Clapton's 'Blackie'
A composite Fender Stratocaster, circa 1956-57
Price realized: $959,500
June 2004, New York
World auction record for any guitar
A composite Fender Stratocaster, circa 1956-57
Price realized: $959,500
June 2004, New York
World auction record for any guitar
Marilyn Monroe
"The Happy Birthday Mr. President" dress, worn at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 1962
Price realized: $1,267,500
October 1999, New York
World auction record for an article of clothing
"The Happy Birthday Mr. President" dress, worn at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 1962
Price realized: $1,267,500
October 1999, New York
World auction record for an article of clothing
Star Trek
Miniature of the Starship Enterprise-D from Star Trek: The Next Generation
Price realized: $576,000
October 2006, New York
World auction record for a piece of science fiction memorabilia
Miniature of the Starship Enterprise-D from Star Trek: The Next Generation
Price realized: $576,000
October 2006, New York
World auction record for a piece of science fiction memorabilia
James Bond
1965 Aston Martin DB5 from 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye
Price realized: £157,750
February 2001, London, South Kensington
1965 Aston Martin DB5 from 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye
Price realized: £157,750
February 2001, London, South Kensington
Audrey Hepburn
An evening gown of black Italian satin designed by Hubert de Givenchy for Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's
Price realized: £467,200
December 2006, London, South Kensington
World auction record for a dress made for a movie
An evening gown of black Italian satin designed by Hubert de Givenchy for Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's
Price realized: £467,200
December 2006, London, South Kensington
World auction record for a dress made for a movie
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando's working script for The Godfather, 1972
Price realized: $312,800
June 2005, New York
Marlon Brando's working script for The Godfather, 1972
Price realized: $312,800
June 2005, New York
John Lennon
A rare and important set of lyrics in John Lennon's hand for Give Peace a Chance, 1969
Price realized: £421,250
July 2008, London, South Kensington
A rare and important set of lyrics in John Lennon's hand for Give Peace a Chance, 1969
Price realized: £421,250
July 2008, London, South Kensington
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