An extensive collection of Princess Grace’s personal letters, photographs and memorabilia is heading for auction at Doyle’s Stage & Screen event in New York City. This rare archive, spanning 1949 to 1968, chronicles her close friendship with personal secretary Prudence “Prudy” Wise and includes items from her time in Hollywood, New York, Cannes and Monaco. Highlights also include a Darth Vader costume and materials from Truman Capote’s 1954 musical House of Flowers.
The public fascination with Grace Kelly, the Academy Award-winning actress who became a real-life Princess upon her marriage to Monaco’s Prince Rainier III in 1956, is as strong as ever. Doyle Auctioneers & Appraisers in New York City is well aware of this fact, and has made a collection of items that belonged to the late Princess part of their Stage & Screen auction on 14th November at 4pm CET.
Held in conjunction with the Entertainment Community Fund, the sale will feature a selection of meticulously curated letters, photographs and personal memorabilia that bring to life the Princess’s incredible journey from her youthful days at the Barbizon Hotel for Women in New York to the grand halls of Monaco.
This rare collection reveals an intimate portrait of Kelly’s world, capturing her friendships, early ambitions and the dramatic evolution of her life. Among the treasures are handwritten letters to her confidant, Prudy Wise, in which Kelly shares insights from her early days in acting, unforgettable moments from film sets, her fateful meeting with Alfred Hitchcock and her adjustment to life as a European royal.
Also featured are family snapshots, royal invitations and mementos from her iconic journey. For collectors, historians and fans, this archive offers an unprecedented look into the life of one of the most captivating figures of the 20th century.
DARTH VADER AND MORE
Also up for grabs are a rare Darth Vader promotional touring costume, crafted circa 1980 by N.J. Farmer Associates in the United Kingdom, as well as musical manuscripts, lyrics and promotional materials from Truman Capote and Harold Arlen’s 1954 musical, House of Flowers.
The Darth Vader costume, commissioned by Lucasfilm, is seven-feet-tall and was initially part of the promotional kit used for Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. It was later reused for Return of the Jedi.
The House of Flowers collection includes Capote’s original lyrical sketches, over 100 pages of Arlen’s musical drafts and the complete piano-vocal manuscript score. Among the highlights are the workings form ‘A Sleepin’ Bee’, a song now considered as an integral part of the American Songbook.
To bid on the Princess Grace collection, and for more information on all the pieces going under the gavel for this sale, click here.
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Main image source: Doyle Auctioneers & Appraisers