Joanne Carson’s Truman Capote collection yields mixed results, with strong prices for memorabilia.
Last month in New York, attendees of Bonham & Butterfield’s November 9th auction of Joanne Carson’s Truman Capote auction sent a strong message about the difference between important memorabilia, and tatty old clothes. Across the board, the items that performed above estimates were either unmistakably Capote related, such as his passport ($3,000), an original Andy Warhol Polaroid portrait ($5,500), and a poster about a reading at Lincoln Center ($450), or objects with intrinsic values of their own, such as a monogrammed Tiffany goblet ($ 1,700), or a Tiffany silver pen ($1,100).
Additional items that did well were Truman's baby picture ($1,400), a baby blanket crocheted for him by Sook Faulk ($2,700), his Victorian rosewood sofa ($4,000), and a set of 4 Baccarat decanters ($1,500). A gingerbread man Christmas ornament also made by Sook, brought $800.
The clothing, on the other hand, did not perform well. Much went unsold including Truman's bespoke Tuxedo made for him by Dunhill Tailors in 1963 worn to his famous Black & White Ball. On the whole the odd bits of clothing fared poorly, bathing suits, sportsjackets, and t-shirts bringing very little, except for the shirt he wore for the cover photo of an edition of COMPLETE STORIES OF TRUMAN CAPOTE, which fetched $200.
Prices quoted do not include Buyer's Premium and tax.
