pop culture

James Bond's Gun Sells for $437,000

Back in November we broke the news that a Walther pistol wielded by Sean Connery as James Bond in the photo shoot used for the main image in the poster and advertising campaign for 1963's From Russia With Love (above) was being auctioned off at Christie's' Popular Culture: Film and Entertainment sale in London. Now the results of Nov. 25 sale are in, and the weapon – in actual fact an air gun – has sold for an astonishing $437,000, almost 14 times it's high pre-sale estimate of $32,000. The iconic image of Connery holding the gun was later used in advertising and promotional material for every Bond film up until 1967's You Only Live Twice and remains a major pop culture paragon.

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Tags: auction, Christies, entertainment, gun, James Bond, London, memorabilia, movies, pop culture, Sean Connery, Walther PPK

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James Bond's Gun Up for Auction at Christie's

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

A Walther pistol wielded by Sean Connery as James Bond in the photo shoot used for the main image in the poster and advertising campaign for 1963's From Russia With Love (above) is expected to fetch up to $32,000 at Christie's' Popular Culture: Film and Entertainment sale in London on Nov. 25. The iconic image of Connery holding the gun was later used in advertising and promotional material for every Bond film up until 1967's You Only Live Twice and remains a major pop culture paragon.

Tags: 007, auction, Christies, George Lazenby, gun, James Bond, London, movies, pistol, pop culture, Sean Connery

Continue reading “James Bond's Gun Up for Auction at Christie's”

The Beatles' Piano and Jackie O's Jewels at Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Auctions, Celebrity Shopping

A Challen upright piano from London's famed Abbey Road studios used by The Beatles to record some of their best-known tracks and items of Jackie Kennedy Onassis's jewelry are among the starring attractions at Bonhams' Pioneers of Popular Culture sale on August 15th at the UK's inaugural Goodwood Vintage Festival celebrating five decades of British Cool. The piano, which features on several Beatles songs including Paperback Writer and Tomorrow Never Knows was located in Studio Three at Abbey Road until it the 1980s, and it was also used by Pink Floyd on a number of recordings including the Wish You Were Here and Dark Side of the Moon albums.The pre-sale estimate for the piano is £100,000–£150,000. Among the items of Jackie's jewelry on offer is a three-strand simulated pearl necklace which she wore during the early 1960s, estimated at £25,000–£35,000.

Tags: Bonhams, celebrity, Goodwood Vintage Festival, Jackie Kennedy, jewelry, London, music, pearls, piano, Pink Floyd, pop culture, The Beatles, UK

Christie's to Auction Dylan Poem (by Hank Snow)

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

Christie's is ready to auction a handwritten poem by singer Bob Dylan. An interesting find, the piece is said to have come from the hand of the teenager who later became the legend. There's only one problem: Dylan's hand, Snow's words.

The "poem" is based heavily on the song "Little Buddy" by Canadian country singer (didn't know there was such a thing) Hank Snow, who died in 1999 at the age of 85. The similarities eluded experts at Christie's. At one point in his career, Snow was known as the "Yodeling Ranger." A Reuters reader gets credit for the discovery, which the news organization then passed along to the auction house.

Dylan wrote transcribed this piece while away at Jewish camp when he was 16 years old. He submitted it to the camp newspaper for publication, and the editor held the handwritten piece for more than half a century before donating it to Herzl Camp in Wisconsin.

This piece is nonetheless believed to be the oldest Dylan manuscript and will be offered at the June 23, 2009 Pop Culture auction. An estimate of $10,000 to $15,000 has been offered.

Big surprise: Dylan's management office wasn't available for comment.

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Tags: auction, auction-house, auctionhouse, auctions, bob dylan, BobDylan, christies, pop, pop culture, PopCulture