Film Memorabilia

There's an article in today's Daily Telegraph entitled Art Sales: the market for celebrity memorabilia. It starts by making a statement and then asking a question. 

The annual auction market for rock and film memorabilia has grown from about £200,000 in 1982 to £20 million today. Are celebrity mementoes the new antiques?

Well of course the mementos are not the new antiques, they are by and large just another area of the collectables market. There is no doubting the rise in interest as can be seen by the increasing amount of space given over to such things in the new Miller's Collectables handbook. And in all honesty I think that the increase quoted is way under what the market is worth today. I would estimate that the market for rock and pop memorabilia is vastly in excess of £30 million, without the addition of the film area. Nevertheless it's good that there is such strong interest.

The article is, in part, about the British Antique Dealers' Association fair which starts next week in Duke of York Square, Chelsea, more details HERE

In my Collectors' corner column this time I have looked at the the rise of vintage posters. You can read the whole thing HERE

On Thursday 14 January Cameo Auctioneers & Valuers Kin, Midgham, Reading, Berkshire has a sale of film posters. It's online bidding only. There's more details HERE. Among the posters is this. Breakfast at Tiffany's poster that was published in limited numbers for the Bfi re release in 2001 for the 40th anniversary.

The V & A is one of the must see places on any trip to London (I'm always surprised that so many people who live in London have never visited the museum). Well from this coming April there is another reason to put the museum on your list of things to do. The late Grace Kelly, one of the most popular and iconic actresses of the 1950s, will have on display items from her wardrobe. It runs from April 17th - September 26th 2010. The display will present over 50 of Grace Kelly's outfits together with hats, jewellery and the original Hermès Kelly bag. Dresses from her films, including High Society, will be shown as well as the gown she wore to accept her Oscar award in 1955. These will be accompanied by film clips and posters, photographs and her Oscar statuette. The display will also include the lace ensemble worn by Grace Kelly for her civil marriage ceremony to Prince Rainier in 1956 and 35 haute couture gowns from the 1960s and 70s by her favourite couturiers Dior, Balenciaga, Givenchy, and Yves St Laurent. In this portrait from 1955, the actress wear a dress by designer Oleg Cassini.

 I love stories about people coming across unexpected bargains and today in the Guardian there is a fabulous story about a man who found an incredibly rare piece of film. He was looking for antiques on ebay and spotted an old film tin with some film in it. He really liked the tin and so he bid £3.20 and won it. The film turns out to be shot y Charlie Chaplin and could be worth a great deal of money. You can read the full story HERE.