Freddie Mercury's Never-Before-Seen Personal Items to Be Auctioned
Sotheby's new exhibit "Freddie Mercury: A World of His Own" features a collection of the "Queen" frontman's personal possessions that have never been seen by the public. Sotheby's senior vice president, global head of department and senior specialist, science and popular culture, Cassandra Hatton, joins "CBS Mornings," to discuss what the items reveal about the private world of the superstar.
Freddie Mercury fans will soon be able to get their hands on some of his most prized possessions.
Auction house Sotheby's announced Wednesday that around 1,500 items from Mercury's London home will be displayed in exhibitions around the world for the first time throughout 2023, with some going up for sale in September.
The items involved range from never-before-seen drafts of Queen lyrics to some of the accessories and costumes that defined Mercury's unique stage style, plus many smaller items he used on a daily basis.
Mercury's beloved collection of artwork, Victorian paintings and various objects and fabrics he received from Japan will also be displayed.
Some of the biggest items for sale include the crown and accompanying cloak that Mercury wore while singing "God Save The Queen" during his final tour with Queen, and a 9-page handwritten manuscript of working lyrics to "We Are the Champions".
The crown and cloak are estimated to reach around between $75,000 to $100,000, while his lyrics are estimated between $250,000 and $400,000.
Other items for auction include Mercury's 1975 Martin D-35 acoustic guitar ($35,000-$60,000), his Tiffany and Co. silver mustache comb ($500-$750) and a pair of pink, star-shaped glasses ($2,500-$5,000).
Speaking in a Sotheby's release, Mercury's close friend Mary Austin, who has cared for the items for more than 30 years at his former Garden Lodge home in upmarket Kensington, said she decided it was time to let the items go.
"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," Austin said.
"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 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," she added.
The exhibition with Mercury's items will head to Sotheby's New York in June, then visit Sotheby's Los Angeles and Sotheby's Hong Kong, before returning to London. The Sotheby's London gallery with Mercury's collection will open on Aug. 4 and close on what would have been his 77th birthday on Sept. 5.
Following the exhibition, there will be a live sale on Sept. 6, in which the most significant items from his collection will be sold, followed by six auctions with various themes: "On Stage," "At Home," "In Love with Japan," "Crazy Little Things" Part One and "Crazy Little Things" Part Two.
Austin will donate a portion of the proceeds from the sales to HIV/AIDS charities the Mercury Phoenix Trust and the Elton John Aids Foundation.
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Freddie Mercury's Never-Before-Seen Personal Items to Be Auctioned
About 1,500 items from Freddie Mercury's London home will be displayed in exhibitions around the world before being auctioned on Sept. 5