Latest news with #Sanddunes
BBC News
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Barry Humphries' Dame Edna's glasses auctioned for £37,800
A pair of Barry Humphries' Dame Edna Everage glasses have sold at auction for more than 25 times their estimated glasses - which were expected to go for between £1,000 and £1,500 - sold for £37,800, according to Christie's auction died in 2023 of complications from hip surgery, aged 89. A state memorial was held at the Sydney Opera House in his Edna, his most famous creation, became a hit in the UK in the 1970s and was known for her signature sunglasses. Other items auctioned included a gown worn by Humphries as Dame Edna at the Royal Variety Show in 2013, which was sold for £21, with Dame Edna's glasses and outfits, Humphries' personal collection sale included most expensive item sold was Charles Conder's painting Sand dunes, Ambleteuse which sold for £239, collection included books and manuscripts, including a first edition copy of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, inscribed by the author to his publisher, which fetched £138, sale, which realised a total of £4,627,224, including buyer's premium, took place over nine hours."These fantastic results are a testament to Barry's unique vision and lifelong passion for collecting," said Benedict Winter of Christie's not the first pair of famous spectacles to fetch a high price at auction this Robbie Williams revealed he cried "happy, childlike tears" after making the winning bid for comedy legend Eric Morecambe's glasses and pipe at auction last month.
Reuters
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Barry Humphries' personal items, including Dame Edna props, head to auction
LONDON, Feb 7 (Reuters) - From Dame Edna Everage's outlandish dresses and snazzy spectacles to paintings and books, items from the personal collection of late Australian comedian Barry Humphries head to auction next week in a sale estimated at up to around $5 million. A household name in Britain and Australia, Humphries, who died in 2023 aged 89, was best known for his persona Dame Edna Everage, an instantly recognisable character with lilac hair, curly or diamante glasses and zany frocks. Humphries' other well known characters was drunk and coarse diplomat Les Patterson and the elderly, rambling Sandy Stone. As well as Dame Edna's glasses and outfits, the February 13 "Barry Humphries: The Personal Collection" sale includes a variety of artwork, lead by Charles Conder's painting "Sand dunes, Ambleteuse" with an estimate of 200,000 pounds - 300,000 pounds. Also on offer are plenty of books, including a first edition copy of "The Importance of Being Earnest" signed by Oscar Wilde to his publisher. It has an estimate of 100,000 - 150,000 pounds. "Barry Humphries was obviously best known for his comedic personas but behind that was a really passionate, intelligent and curious man," Benedict Winter, associate director, private & iconic collections at Christie's London, told Reuters. The total sale was estimated at 2 million - 4 million pounds ($2.49 million - $4.98 million). "He was a passionate art collector who collected throughout his life, and this auction is around 240 lots of works of art and books that he lived with, he loved and he really cherished.' Proceeds from the sale of some Dame Edna items will go to Britain's Royal Variety Charity, which helps those who have worked in the entertainment industry. A pre-sale exhibition is open to the public at Christie's London showrooms from Friday until February 12. ($1 = 0.8035 pounds)
