FEATURES ARCHIVE

What is the best thing about being the Head of the Popular Culture Department at Christie’s?
It’s great to know that we are dealing with the very best property available. Christie’s reputation is world-leading which means that when people come through our doors they know that the team of specialists’ experience and thorough knowledge means the items we have are likely to be the best in the market.

What is your favourite genre with in your category?
I am always most interested in items relating to the early days of an artist’s career. I remember my parents telling me how they went to see The Beatles play in Llandudno, a seaside resort in North Wales, back in 1963 just as Beatlemania was exploding. They remember how John, Paul, George and Ringo stayed in the back of an old camper van, parked on the promenade for a week, totally accessible before the spectre of overwhelming fame took over. That must have been a pretty special time. I would love to get hold of one of the posters from that early gig. That would be a piece of real history, something that captures the reality of Rock n Roll - four friends starting out on the path to unimaginable fame.

Tell us about The Who collection.
For a fan of The Who this collection is history-making: the vendor, the diversity and the sheer size of it is second to none. This is the first part from the largest single owner collection of Who memorabilia ever to be sold at auction. The vendor, Brad Rodgers, is a renowned collector with a fantastic eye, who began collecting in 1988, with the simple acquisition of an album. Encompassing pieces from all four members of the group, there are some very special pieces in this collection including an eye-catching Peter Cook customised Bass guitar once owned and played by John Entwistle and a Gibson SG guitar that survived being played by Pete Townshend.

What else can we expect in this sale?
This is an eclectic mix, not just for the range in medium but also in the diversity of artists. We have the obscure: original stationery from the wedding of Dita Von Teese and Marilyn Manson. The extremely rare: a page of Jimi Hendrix hand written lyrics and a fully signed ‘With The Beatles’ album, as well as the historic: the earliest known live recording of Oasis. It is exciting when there is this much diversity in a sale all together because the results of an auction like this really demonstrate what is happening in the market.

What would you like to take home from this sale?
A painting by Ian Dury of the Blockheads created when he was at the Royal Academy. I studied Fine art and now specialise in Popular Culture. He was a trained artist who became an iconic figure in the music world. It appeals to me that no one specialist area is totally self contained – in reality most areas are linked and can learn from one another. In addition the painting comes with fascinating provenance from the vendor!

What do you always look for in a piece?
A story. I think it is not always just about the item, the story behind it is just as significant. It’s great when someone shows you something really interesting that has never been seen at auction before, but when someone brings something in that comes with a verifiable tale or fascinating anecdote, that is when I get really excited. Sometimes it’s the personalisation of an item that really convinces a collector to make that one last bid.

What are you waiting to come through the door?
Honestly, there is very little we miss out on, I am just amazed that people still come in with items they have kept under their bed, in a loft or put to one side rolled up in cardboard tube, oblivious to the true significance of what they’ve hoarded away. We are always seeking something fresh. The area is forever developing, everything from concert programs to the actual guitars played by rock legends, from the 1960s to the present day can appear for sale - so the sky really is the limit.

So, what music do you listen to?
Being such an avid Beatles fan, and being born in Liverpool, where it literally comes with the territory, I have far too many of their songs on my iPod. The best thing about an iPod is the shuffle button; that really is the best invention. I can be listening to The Who one moment and to one of my son’s nursery rhymes the next! That really proves the diversity that is Popular Culture.