Collectors of movie memorabilia should be excited this week. Pieces from the collection of Richard Attenborough, the much-loved actor, director and brother of David, are coming up for sale on Wednesday (21st October) at Bonhams.
‘Movie memorabilia is huge for collectors at the moment,’ Jon Baddeley, managing director of Bonhams Knightsbright, tell us. ‘We’re drawn by the movie-star allure and the mystique of Hollywood.’
Richard Attenborough’s collection comprises 479 lots of memorabilia and personal pieces from the films he worked on including posters for 1963’s The Great Escape, in which Attenborough played Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett, photographs of him with Ben Kingsley on the set of Gandhi which he directed in the 1980s, and original storyboards from A Bridge Too Far, another he directed that came out in 1977.
‘Richard Attenborough was a much-loved public figure and admired the world over as an actor and director,’ says Jon. ‘If he was a hero of yours or you’re in the British film world, you may well be tempted to bid on something that he owned. In sales like this provenance is everything.’
Lots start from £100, so the pieces are well within reach of many people’s budgets, though some rarer pieces command estimates up to £18,000.
It will be worth spending the money though. Pieces with such provenance are a good investment. ‘Like anything you buy at auction it’s a gamble,’ says Jon. ‘These items are unique though because of their association with Lord Attenborough.’
Richard Attenborough: A Life Both Sides of the Camera, 21st October at Bonhams, Montpelier Street, Knightsbridge, London, SW7 1HH/ 020 7393 3900; bonhams.com