Freddie Mercury’s Personal Belongings and 'Crazy Little Things' Will Be Auctioned This Year
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Though Freddie Mercury dazzled on stage with his talent, creativity and bold bravado, it was his beloved home—Garden Lodge in Kensington, West London—that embodied the singer’s true self and allowed him a space to create and entertain. This Georgian-style brick villa was full of personal art, curated collections and rich furnishings that made it feel both intimate retreat and grand manse.
“Like a Russian doll, Garden Lodge has revealed its layers of treasures over recent months, with the rich tapestry of objects we have discovered there taking us all on a glorious adventure through his imagination," says David Macdonald, head of single owner sales at Sotheby’s London. “Opening the door to the very special place that was Freddie Mercury’s home, offers us the ultimate backstage pass into his world.”
Over the last three decades since Mercury’s passing, Garden Lodge has remained largely untouched, but lovingly cared for by Mary Austin, Mercury’s longtime friend.
Austin says, “For many years now, I have had the joy and privilege of living surrounded by all the wonderful things that Freddie sought out and so loved. But the years have passed, and the time has come for me to take the difficult decision to close this very special chapter in my life.” She adds, “It was important to me to do this in a way that I felt Freddie would have loved, and there was nothing he loved more than an auction.”
Freddie Mercury said in his book A Life, In His Own Words, “I love going to auctions and buying antiques. The one thing I would really miss if I actually left Britain would be Sotheby’s.”
So, it is only fitting that 1,500 items from the singer’s estate will be unveiled to the public for the first time ever during a month-long exhibition at Sotheby’s in London starting August 4, 2023. This immersive gallery-like experience will close on Mercury’s birthday, September 5, and culminate with six private and public sales. On September 6, there will be a live evening sale in which the most significant items from the collection will be on offer. On September 7 and 8, there will be two additional live auctions: the first dedicated to Mercury “On Stage”, the second dedicated to his life “At Home,” and to the objects he loved and lived with at Garden Lodge.
Additionally, three online auctions will run alongside the live auctions: “one shining a light on his deep love of Japan, and the other two, “Crazy Little Things”, Parts One and Two, present an eclectic array of the curious and everyday objects that made Mercury smile,” according to a media release from Sotheby’s.
The collection is “complete with the many works of art that spoke to [Mercury] so deeply: from Victorian paintings and striking works on paper by the greatest artists of the 20th century, to the finest examples of the glass makers’ art (a medium he loved beyond measure) and other beautiful objects; and from the exceptional fabrics and fine works he would seek out on trips to Japan, to the smaller, more personal items that were such an important part of his daily life. All complemented by defining objects from his more public life: a number of never-before-seen drafts of the immortal song lyrics, along with some of the riotous costumes that were the hallmark of Mercury’s signature style,” according to a media release from Sotheby’s.
Oliver Barker, chairman for Sotheby’s Europe says, “Fittingly lavish in scale, the auction will bring together the expertise of specialists from 30 different collecting categories, and see exhibitions held in four locations across three continents—all culminating in the longest, most spectacular, public exhibition in our company history. How else could we celebrate the legend that is Freddie Mercury?”
Mary Austin will be donating a portion of the sales proceeds to both the Mercury Phoenix Trust and the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
“Freddie was an incredible and intelligent collector who showed us that there is beauty and fun and conversation to be found in everything; I hope this will be an opportunity to share all the many facets of Freddie, both public and private, and for the world to understand more about, and celebrate, his unique and beautiful spirit,” Austin says.
The following items will be available for auction, beginning in September:
Freddie Mercury’s crown and accompanying cloak: Estimate £60,000–80,000.
Freddie Mercury’s handwritten manuscript working lyrics to ‘We are The Champions’: Estimate £200,000–300,000.
Freddie Mercury’s handwritten working lyrics to ‘Killer Queen’: Estimate £50,000–70,000.
A lavish ceremonial military-style jacket created for Freddie Mercury’s legendary 39th Birthday Party Drag Ball: Estimate £10,000–15,000.
A tiny Tiffany & Co. silver mustache comb, late 20th century: Estimate £400–£600.
Pink star-shaped glasses: Estimate £2,000–4,000
Notebooks of Mercury’s drawings, including one depicting objects in Garden Lodge (Estimate £2,000-£3,000). His sketch of a pair of “blanc de Chine” (white Chinese porcelain figures), converted into lamps (Estimate £500-£700)
Eleven watercolors by Erté, including one gifted by his close friend, Elton John (Estimate £2,000–3,000).
James Jacques Tissot, Type of Beauty (1880), the last work of art Mercury bought: Estimate £400,000–600,000.
Freddie Mercury’s 1975 Martin D-35 Acoustic Guitar: Estimate £30,000–50,000.
Pablo Picasso’s portrait of his wife, Jaqueline au Chapeau Noir (Estimate £50,000–70,000) and Henri Matisse’s Masque Blanc Sur Fond Noir (Estimate £3,000–5,000).
An Art Nouveau glass vase-lamp (c. 1905), by Daum with a bespoke tasseled shade made by Freddie Mercury: (Estimate £2,000–3,000).
A classic Fabergé gem-set, nephrite and enamel desk clock, circa 1908-17: Estimate £30,000–50,000.
Freddie Mercury’s 1980s vintage bakelite cream rotary telephone: Estimate £2,000–4,000.
An embroidered furisode [long-sleeved kimono], Showa period, 20th century: Estimate £5,000–8,000.
A masterpiece in Japanese woodblock printmaking: “Sudden Shower over the Shin-Ohashi Bridge and Atake” (1857), by Utagawa Hiroshige: Estimate £30,000–50,000.
Freddie Mercury’s favorite waistcoat (hand-painted with portraits of Freddie’s cats): Estimate £5,000–7,000.
To find more about the auction and how to bid, visit Sotheby's London.
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