Astounding auction of 20th century cultural memorabilia at Guernsey’s in December
Oct. 1, 2007
New York—Approximately 850 of the most extraordinary objects from the worlds of motion pictures, popular music, magic, television and politic will be auctioned at Guernsey’s in December. The collection, built by Anthony Pugliese through decades of buying, is one of the finest collections of 20th century culture ever privately assembled. Indeed, Mr. Pugliese is sharing his wonderful collection with the rest of the world as he shifts his interests to the creation of Destiny, a beautiful, environmentally sensitive, self-contained community he is crafting in central Florida. LiveAuctioneers.com will offer both absentee and live Internet bidding for the auction. Those interested may also preview the fully-illustrated catalog at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
The Wizard of Oz, The Godfather, Gone with the Wind and Citizen Kane are titles that any movie fan would automatically list as amongst the greatest films ever made. Rare indeed it is when a significant object from one of these classics springs onto the auction scene. The Pugliese Collection will include important artifacts from each of these great films, in addition to many more. Additional lots from this single collection to be sold at one unprecedented auction include those from Rebel Without A Cause, The Maltese Falcon, Modern Times, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Ten Commandments, Cleopatra, The Caine Mutiny, Unforgiven, National Velvet, The Great Gatsby, Hud and Forrest Gump.
Now, make no mistake about it, were one talking about a movie poster or a minor prop from each of these landmark films, it would be a pretty big deal. But when you start considering that the objects to be sold are major elements from these movies, it takes your breath away. Such items include: Harrison Ford's whip, Margaret Hamilton's witch's hat, Christopher Reeves’ Superman suit, Elvis' racing duds (from Raceway), Chaplin's cane, Liz's headdress (Cleopatra) and dress (National Velvet), and principal wardrobe pieces from Brando, Orson Welles, Sinatra (Manchurian Candidate) and James Dean.
Movie memorabilia is but a portion of the staggering Pugliese Collection. The section devoted to magic features many of Houdini's most sensational devices: his straight jacket and escape crates, his traveling show trunk and accompanying billboard, his shackles and handcuffs, writings and more.
The section on world leaders has many John F. Kennedy treasures including important hand-written documents and several wonderful humidors that stored the President's beloved cigars. There are also many historically significant items relating to the assassination, most importantly of which is the very gun used by Jack Ruby to kill Lee Harvey Oswald. Items related to Winston Churchill, Herbert Hoover, Thomas Edison and Andy Warhol are also included, while Olympic torches from Munich and Berlin add further drama.
Rivaling the motion picture items are rarities from the world of Rock & Roll and country music. What more iconic objects could there be than the suits worn by the four Beatles on their first album cover? How about the Fab Four's document registering their name (The Beatles) in the U.S! Buddy Holly is extremely well represented in the Collection, as is Madonna (with sensational items like her "Like A Virgin" wedding dress). Many of Elvis' serious get-ups and objects from country stars like Tex Ritter and Gene Autry are also represented. There's a wild grouping of Bob Mackie originals for Cher, Sharon Stone and Diana Ross, and while on the topic of beautiful women, the Marilyn Monroe garments in the auction will be nothing short of electric.
Any collection of 20th century cultural material would be incomplete were it not to include memorable items from Television. TV fans will rejoice with the opportunity to bid on dynamic items from I Love Lucy, Dragnet, Batman (the TV series and films, as well), Sonny and Cher, The Untouchables, The Munsters, Bewitched, Happy Days and more.
The aforementioned items are but a sampling of the incomparable Pugliese Collection. To preview the fully-illustrated catalog and leave absentee or live bids visit www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
