Property from the Collection of The Duke & Duchess of Windsor, Sothebys, September 1997 (3 VOLUMES IN SLIPCASE)

Sotheby's New York

Published by Sotheby's New York, 1997

About this Item

English text.; Paperback (3 volumes in slipcase); 23.5 x 31 cm; 4.9 kg.; 1160 pages with colour illustrations throughout.; Used with signs of wear on the slipcase, that shows scuffs and scratches and a small tear on the top right side. The paperback volumes also show signs of wear on the exterior, with edge wear and minor scuffs and scratches. Interior of all volumes with minor signs of wear. Very good condition overall.; Includes loose presentation letter from Diana D. Brooks, Sotheby's President and CEO and post auction results in envelope.; Sotheby's New York Sale 700, from 11th to 19th of September 1997.; 3 volumes (Private Collections, Public Collections and Information) including property from the private suite of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor's former residence in Paris and historical material from the collection.; "The lives of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor have passed into legend. The story of the King who gave up an empire for love still retains its fascination sixty years after the Duke as Edward VIII signed away his inheritance in order to marry Wallis Simpson. The influence of the Windsors is still clearly felt in fashion, collecting, decoration, entertaining, and so many other aspects of contemporary style and design. The sale of the contents of their former residence in Paris adds another fascinating chapter to the story, offering fresh and penetrating insights into the lives and tastes of two of the most celebrated personalities of the twentieth century. The size of the collection alone makes this one of the most extraordinary events of its kind to be held in recent years. Over three thousand lots will be auctioned, making up a total of eighteen sessions spread over nine days. The whole of the galleries at Sotheby's, New York will be devoted to an exhibition of the collection, which has never before been seen in public. The sale offers opportunities for collectors in almost every sphere, covering all main areas of the fine and decorative arts, including paintings, drawings, prints, and bronzes; furniture, ceramics, and glass; carpets and textiles; silver and vertu; clocks and watches; coins and medals; books, private papers and photographs; military regalia; sporting trophies; the Duke and Duchess's personal wardrobe of clothes and accessories; indeed virtually every possession inherited or collected by the Windsors during their long and eventful lives. The quality of the collection confirms the Duke and Duchess's reputation as arbiters of taste and leaders of fashion. All the essential elements of Windsor style are here. But this is also a collection with tremendous narrative power. Every object tells a story. Each evokes a moment from the lives of the Duke and Duchess, the whole combining to form a remarkably complete and above all personal record. These are their own possessions, those which for them had the greatest significance and value. Through the collection it is as if the Duke and Duchess themselves were telling their own story. There could be no more intimate or poignant record." excerpt from The Collection of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor: An Introduction by Joseph Friedman.

Seller Inventory # 1466B

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Property from the Collection of The Duke & Duchess of Windsor, Sothebys, September 1997 (3 VOLUMES IN SLIPCASE)
• Publisher: Sotheby's New York
• Publication Date: 1997
• Language: English
• Binding: Soft cover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Very Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket
• Seller catalogs:
  • Auction Catalogues