It has taken nearly 12 months for the eight-member specialist team from Christie’s to consign over 160 collectibles. The richly filled catalogue reads like a chronicle of the entertainment industry: from Laurel & Hardy autographs to Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain’s Japanese Zen-on bass guitar that featured in the video ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’.
The saleroom’s last auction dedicated purely to the world of pop music, in June 2012, grossed over £650,000.
Junior specialist in pop culture at Christie's, Caitlin Graham, told us: "We have memorabilia from every decade since the 1900s.
"The idea of being able to own something so tangible with such a close connection to the rock star who wore it at a particular moment in time, as well as being able to see documentation and photographs of that moment, is really appealing to collectors."
There’s no doubt that with items such as an early Beatles gig poster, the one you see here advertising the band's 30 June 1962 appearance at the Heswall Jazz Club (£4000 – 6000), the saleroom will be packed.
Items from the catalogue will be on view from 24 to 28 November at the Christie’s South Kensington showroom. The auction will commence at 14:00 on 29 November.
Photos: Christie's