Freddie Mercury was a man of extravagant tastes and gestures whose private, off-stage life was a mystery to most during his lifetime. But this fall Sotheby’s will pull back the curtain on the late Queen singer’s private oasis, his sumptuous Kensington, West London home Garden Lodge during a series of exhibitions and auctions displaying its glittering contents.
Freddie Mercury: A World of His Own will give fans a first look at the star’s never-before-seen private collection of stage costumes, handwritten lyrics, fine art, precious objects and personal effects in touring exhibitions that will hit New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong in June and then a full takeover of Sotheby’s London galleries in August, followed by six auctions in September.
Among the one-of-a-kind items slated for auction are Mercury’s crown, a replica of St. Edward’s Crown — which will be worn by King Charles III at his upcoming coronation — as well as his fake fur, red velvet and rhinestone cloak worn for the finale rendition of “God Save the Queen” during his last tour with Queen in 1986. Bidders can also take a shot at Mercury’s unseen handwritten manuscript for the working lyrics to “We Are The Champions,” as well as the handwritten working lyrics to “Killer Queen” and a lavish military-style black silk and velvet Sgt. Pepper-ish jacket created for the singer’s legendary 39th birthday party drag ball in 1985.
“On acquiring Garden Lodge in 1980 – a beautiful, light-filled Georgian-style brick villa originally built for an artist and his sculptor wife in the early 20th century – Mercury set about creating a home that was at once grand and intimate, full of theatre and richly furnished with beautiful works of art,” reads a description. “It was a place wholly of his own making, a home to which he could retreat, and where – surrounded by the abundant art and objects he carefully sought out over the course of years – he could entertain and create in a way that only he knew how.”
For three decades, the Lodge has been left almost exactly as Mercury left it when he died in Nov. 1991 at age 45, filled with Victorian paintings, as well as works on paper, glass art and luxurious fabrics he acquired on the road in Japan. Among the other items up for auction are a tiny Tiffany silver mustache comb, pink star-shaped glasses similar to the ones he wore in the “We Will Rock You” video, several notebooks of his drawings, the 1975 Martin acoustic guitar used to write and record “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and works of art by Tissot, Picasso and Matisse.
The month-long Sotheby’s exhibit in London will take over 16,000 square feet of gallery space, filling it with more than 1,500 items lovingly curated by one of Mercury’s closest friends, Mary Austin. “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,” she said in a statement about the effects that will be displayed in a series of immersive galleries devoted to different aspects of Mercury’s life.
“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. 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,” she added about the display that will open on August 4 and close on Sept. 5, which would have been the singer’s 77th birthday. “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.”
The London show will be followed by six dedicated auctions and a live evening sale on Sept. 6, where a cross-section of the most significant items will be offered; that will be followed on Sept. 7 and 8 with two more live auctions, one focused on Mercury “On Stage” and another to his life “At Home.” A portion of the funds raised will go to the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Mercury Phoenix Trust.
You can see the full catalog, the collection book and dates of the exhibitions and auctions here.
