Sotheby’s just announced that its first-ever Popular Culture auction will open online on August 29. An exhibition of the sale’s star-studded film and music offerings—from a piano used by Amy Winehouse to a drawing John Lennon made on acid—will open to the public at Sotheby’s London on September 9. The news formally codifies Sotheby’s longstanding interest in collectibles.
Really, Sotheby’s is no pop culture newbie. In 2019, the house hosted not one but two Star Wars sales. In 2020, they presented a hip-hop auction of ephemera from the Notorious B.I.G., Salt-N-Pepa, Questlove, and more. But, it wasn’t until this January that Sotheby’s hired Katherine Schofield as their first Head of Rock, Pop & Film, Popular Culture, UK and EMEA. Schofield’s biography says she’s “amongst only a handful who have specialized in this growing field from the start of their career.”
“As of this year Sotheby’s has a dedicated team of Popular Culture experts based in London to curate specialist sales in this evolving category,” Schofield elaborated via email.
Prince’s ‘blackburst’ VOX HDC-77. Courtesy of Sotheby’s
This “inaugural” sale was inspired by the startling sums that Freddie Mercury’s personal effects achieved last fall. Prince’s stage-played and filmed VOX HDC-77 semi-hollow electric guitar, favored throughout his 3RDEYEGIRL era of the 2010s, leads the occasion—with an estimate of £200,000 to £300,000. A Steinway Grand piano that Abbey Road Studios bought in 1973 trails close behind, with an estimate of £150,000 to £200,000. Pink Floyd, Lady Gaga, and Amy Winehouse all recorded on its keys.
“Following the sale of the famous Abbey Road Mk IV recording console in 2017, a contemporary of this grand piano from Abbey Road, we have seen huge appetite for equipment from these famed studios,” Schofield considers in today’s press release. “It’s fascinating to see how long this Steinway was used in Studio 3 and featured on recordings by a wide range of artists.”
Abbey Road Studios’ storied Steinway Grand piano. Courtesy of Sotheby’s
A cache of film artifacts will also hit the block, for charity. Ballet slippers from The Red Shoes (1948), and a gladiator costume seen in the trailer for Sir Ridley Scott’s forthcoming Gladiator II will benefit the Film and Television Charity, marking their centenary. The production company behind the James Bond series is contributing two Omega watches (together estimated at £40,000 – £60,000) from the 50th anniversary of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) to benefit BAFTA.
The armor from Sir Ridley Scott’s forthcoming Gladiator II. Courtesy of Sotheby’s
But, music’s the real star. A number of lots honor British pop band Oasis, on the 30th anniversary of their record-breaking album Definitely Maybe. The Epiphone Les Paul Standard guitar lead singer Noel Gallagher used in the music video and on the cover of the album’s hit single “Supersonic” might gavel at £60,000 to £80,000—and the 1980 Gibson Flying V Guitar (previously owned by the Smiths’ Johnny Marr) he used on “Cigarettes and Alcohol” could fetch £20,000 – £30,000, the same range expected of his stage-played Epiphone EA-250.
Relics from John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s 1969 ‘Bed-in For Peace’ protest in Amsterdam emphasize how art and music spur wider popular culture. A collection featuring a handwritten letter from Lennon, a completed questionnaire, and signed protest materials could sell for £70,000 to £90,000. The colorful drawing on hotel stationary that Lennon likely created on acid two years prior might fetch £15,000 – £20,000.
John Lennon’s acid-induced drawing. Courtesy of Sotheby’s
“This category of collecting started in the 1990s and has seen [steady] growth since then,” Schofield mused over email. “Pop Culture artefacts are becoming more mainstream as a new generation of collectors resonate with rare and important one-of-a-kind items. If they can buy into a favourite film or a musical moment that they were part of, such as their first stadium concert or the first band they bought a record for. The collecting experience becomes so much more personal and emotive.”