Jun 20, 2024 10:00 EST
Stage & Screen
666
A fine original Edith Head sketch for Grace Kelly's wedding trousseau
Estate / Collection: Property of an Edith Head Collection
EDITH HEAD
An original design for Grace Kelly's wedding trousseau. An original drawing in ink, pencil and watercolor on paper depicting a white dress, hat and gloves to be worn by Grace Kelly upon her arrival in Monaco before her wedding to Prince Rainier in April 1956 (see note). The sheet measures 16 5/8 x 12 3/4 inches (42.25 x 32.25 cm). Fine.
Edith Head and Grace Kelly became close friends during the making of the iconic Alfred Hitchcock films (Rear Window, To Catch a Thief) at Paramount studios in the mid 1950s. Grace was under contract to MGM but, in a practice that was quite common, MGM "loaned" her out to Paramount, where Edith was the head costume designer.
When Grace announced her engagement to Prince Rainier, Edith Head assumed that she would be asked to design the wedding dress. Instead, Helen Rose, the lead costume designer in the wardrobe department of MGM was selected. The dress was a wedding gift to Grace from the MGM studio. However, Grace did ask Edith to design her travel wardrobe for the voyage to Monaco as well as her trousseau for the honeymoon. This rare sketch depicts an outfit that was meant to be worn as Grace arrived by ship in Monaco on April 12, 1956, just days before her wedding. Unfortunately, the ensemble assumed warm weather and the day Grace arrived the weather was cold and damp. However, Grace loved the hat and wore it with a different outfit which was warmer.
In 2023, Prince Albert released many "home movies" which for years were unseen by anyone but the royal family. PBS aired the documentary narrated by the Prince himself and the images of Grace wearing the hat upon her arrival in Monaco on April 12th, 1956 are from that documentary. The images seen as part of this lot entry are stills from that documentary and are not included in the lot.
Sold for $4,480
Estimated at $3,000 - $5,000
Includes Buyer's Premium
Estate / Collection: Property of an Edith Head Collection
EDITH HEAD
An original design for Grace Kelly's wedding trousseau. An original drawing in ink, pencil and watercolor on paper depicting a white dress, hat and gloves to be worn by Grace Kelly upon her arrival in Monaco before her wedding to Prince Rainier in April 1956 (see note). The sheet measures 16 5/8 x 12 3/4 inches (42.25 x 32.25 cm). Fine.
Edith Head and Grace Kelly became close friends during the making of the iconic Alfred Hitchcock films (Rear Window, To Catch a Thief) at Paramount studios in the mid 1950s. Grace was under contract to MGM but, in a practice that was quite common, MGM "loaned" her out to Paramount, where Edith was the head costume designer.
When Grace announced her engagement to Prince Rainier, Edith Head assumed that she would be asked to design the wedding dress. Instead, Helen Rose, the lead costume designer in the wardrobe department of MGM was selected. The dress was a wedding gift to Grace from the MGM studio. However, Grace did ask Edith to design her travel wardrobe for the voyage to Monaco as well as her trousseau for the honeymoon. This rare sketch depicts an outfit that was meant to be worn as Grace arrived by ship in Monaco on April 12, 1956, just days before her wedding. Unfortunately, the ensemble assumed warm weather and the day Grace arrived the weather was cold and damp. However, Grace loved the hat and wore it with a different outfit which was warmer.
In 2023, Prince Albert released many "home movies" which for years were unseen by anyone but the royal family. PBS aired the documentary narrated by the Prince himself and the images of Grace wearing the hat upon her arrival in Monaco on April 12th, 1956 are from that documentary. The images seen as part of this lot entry are stills from that documentary and are not included in the lot.
Auction: Stage & Screen, Jun 20, 2024
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Successful Stage & Screen Auction on June 20, 2024 Surpasses Expectations!
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Fans and Collectors Drove Strong Prices for Memorabilia, Autographs, Artwork & Photographs of the Theater, Hollywood, Music and Dance
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Consignments Are Currently Being Accepted for Future Auctions
NEW YORK, NY -- Doyle's fourth Stage & Screen auction on June 20, 2024 attracted determined competition from collectors and fans around the world resulting in a sale total that surpassed expectations. Held in collaboration with the Entertainment Community Fund, these popular auctions offer artwork, memorabilia, props, autographs and photographs celebrating the performing arts of Theater, Hollywood, Music and Dance.
Recognizing the importance of the performing arts to the fabric of New York, Doyle is proud to donate 10% of our profit from this auction to the Entertainment Community Fund.
Sale highlights include the 1953-54 Tony Award for Best Musical presented to Charles Lederer and Luther Davis for Kismet that achieved $15,360, far surpassing its $3,000-5,000 estimate. A writer associated with the Algonquin Round Table, Charles Lederer (1910-1976) was raised in Hollywood's inner circle and worked as a journalist for Hearst Newspapers before turning his talents to Broadway. Kismet won three Tony Awards that year and ran for a successful 583 performances.
The Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund)
Featured in the sale was a group of celebrity memorabilia presented by the Entertainment Community Fund. While a portion of proceeds from every item in the auction benefited the Fund, 100% of the hammer price of these lots goes entirely to the Entertainment Community Fund.
Highlighting the group was the heavily annotated master script for the 1972 first Broadway production of Pippin that soared past its $800-1,200 estimate to realize $6,080. The winner of five Tony Awards, Pippin opened at the Imperial Theater on Broadway on October 23, 1972 and ran for nearly two thousand performances before closing in June 1977. The show was directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse with stage direction by Kathryn Doby who also served as Dance Captain and performed as a Player in the show.
Founded in 1882, the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund) is a national 501(c)(3) charitable organization for performing arts and entertainment professionals. The Fund helps address the specific needs of those in the industry, with a unique understanding of the challenges involved in a life in the arts. For further information on the Entertainment Community Fund, visit EntertainmentCommunity.org
We Invite You to Auction!
Consignments are currently being accepted for future auctions. We invite you to contact us for a complimentary auction evaluation. Our specialists are always available to discuss the sale of a single item or an entire collection.
For information, please contact
Memorabilia: Peter Costanzo, 212-427-4141, ext 248, Peter.Costanzo@Doyle.com
Artwork: Milan Tessler, 212-427-4141, ext 266, paintings@Doyle.com
