Part of a Charlie Chaplin archive, £30,000-50,000 at Bonhams.
Charlie Chaplin archive up for sale
An extensive archive relating to Charlie Chaplin goes under the hammer at Bonhams in the timed online sale titled Fine Books, Maps & Manuscripts sale running until June 20.
The vendor is ‘The Little Tramp’s’ goddaughter, whose father, the British publisher Max Reinhardt, amassed the collection.
The archive features annotated proofs, contracts photographs, and letters. It is estimated at £30,000-50,000. Reinhardt published Chaplin’s autobiography in 1964 and was a friend of the comic and performer.
Matthew Haley, Bonhams Knightsbridge managing director and head of UK books and manuscripts, said: “This unique archive offers a rare insight into Chaplin’s creative processes, something he was very reluctant to share. Chaplin’s perfectionism and exacting nature come to the fore in the extensive revisions and corrections he made to the many sets of proofs of his autobiography.”
Other Chaplin lots, separate to the archive, include a playbill from 1903 in which Chaplin is listed as ‘Billy’ in Sherlock Holmes in Wolverhampton (guide £600-800).
Well-known US fair organiser dies
Sanford L Smith, owner of some of the leading fairs in the US, has died. During his long and varied career, Smith, who was 84, ran more than 150 fairs, and his company Sanford L Smith + Associates (SLSA), currently runs The ABAA New York International Antiquarian Book Fair, The Art Dealers Association of America Art Show and Salon Art + Design.
The late Sanford L Smith.
The company has been left to his wife and partner Jill Bokor, chief executive officer Jennifer Stark, and managing director and executive director of Salon Art + Design Nicky Dessources.
SLSA launched the Fall Antiques Show in 1979. It was the first event in the world to focus exclusively on American antiques. Its launch at the Seventh Regiment Armory (now the Park Avenue Armory) gave Studio 54 a run for its money. It attracted long queues down the street, inspiring a New Yorker magazine cover showing people waiting to get into the show.
Smith once said: “My one claim to fame is that I saw openings and created shows that hadn’t been done before.”
His events often attracted around 10,000 visitors over a weekend.
SLSA is currently planning the 13th edition of Salon Art + Design, which takes place on November 7-11, and the 65th Annual ABAA NYIABF taking place from April 3-6, 2025, at Park Avenue Armory.
Christie’s Hong Kong sales in new site revealed
Christie’s will begin selling from its first permanent saleroom and gallery space in Hong Kong in late September. The firm will soon relocate its Asia Pacific headquarters to The Henderson, an urban landmark on Murray Road in Central Hong Kong.
Christie’s currently rents space ad hoc for sales and gallery viewings focused around two annual selling seasons. But as Asian buyers become the dominant force at the top end of the auction market, it will take four storeys in the tower amounting to a 50,000 sq ft space. A programme of inaugural sales and events will kick -off with sales across various categories on September 26-27. This will be followed by a Luxury week in October, and an Asian Art week in November.
Nadeau’s launches fresh fine art team
US saleroom Nadeau’s Auction Gallery has launched a new fine art department.
Focusing on paintings, works on paper and sculpture, the stand-alone division will hold three to five dedicated sales per year.
Based in Windsor, Connecticut, Nadeau’s said it will also offer consignors specialised fine art-related services including “state of the art storage, security, and display components, all located within the company’s easily accessible campus”.
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The most clicked-on stories for week May 30-June 5 on antiquestradegazette.com
1 Vendor left ‘speechless’ after ‘Ben Nicholson’ mural withdrawn from Lay’s auction
2 Prime minister’s gold ring discovered by metal detectorist to be auctioned
3 Striking Victorian seascape fetches over 20 times estimate
4 Dealer loses entire fair stock in van theft
5 Pocket watch linking two prime ministers more than doubles estimate at Berkshire auction
In Numbers
£1m
The guide price for each of two Victorian island forts up for auction: Spitbank Fort in Hampshire and No Man’s Land Fort off the Isle of Wight. They were built to guard Portsmouth harbour from naval attacks. Both forts have been redeveloped to include modern living accommodation and entertaining space.
See solentforts.com
