From Bono to Dylan, Marilyn Monroe to The Terminator, Christie’s Pop Culture auction at South Kensington, London on December 16 has it covered. The sale celebrates some of the greatest names in 20th century cinema and the music legends of today. It features hand written lyrics, costumes, film scripts and instruments including a custom prototype Gretsch Irish Falcon electric guitar made for Bono and signed by all four members of U2. Bono commissioned Gretsch to build ten of these guitars for U2’s 2001 elevation tour. There is an elaborate harem costume worn by Marilyn Monroe in a photo shoot with Richard Avedon in which she portrayed legendary screen seductresses Lillian Russell, Jean Harlow, Marlene Dietrich, Clara Bow and Theda Bara. It featured in Life Magazine on December 22, 1958. The catalogue for the sale is online. Here is a small selection:
U2/Bono – A circa 2002 custom prototype Gretsch Irish Falcon hollow body electric guitar (£120,000-180,000). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2014
Terminator 2: Judgement Day, 1991/Arnold Schwarzenegger (£18,000-25,000). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2014
An elaborate harem costume worn by Marilyn Monroe as Theda Bara in her role as Cleopatra (£300,000-500,000). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2014
Bob Dylan
Untitled (Sara), 1968 (£50,000-70,000). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2014