Signing off . . . autograph hunter’s ‘lost’ treasure trove
HUNDREDS of autographs of some of the world’s biggest stars are going up for auction – and are expected to make thousands of pounds – after being found abandoned and forgotten in a London council flat.
The collection of celebrity signatures and signed photographs, described as one of the most impressive finds of its kind, was built up by super-fan Roy Saward over 50 years.
Hollywood A-listers including Audrey Hepburn, Bette Davis, Charlton Heston, Dame Julie Andrews, Jack Lemmon, Dean Martin and Kirk Douglas all feature in the collection, alongside rock superstars Sir Elton John, Kate Bush and Cher. Mr Saward, a maintenance fitter who died earlier this year, travelled to theatres across the UK to meet his favourite stars and visited the United States to collect autographs.
Simon Nuckley, head of printed books and manuscripts at Chiswick Auctions, said: ‘It is one of the most impressive collections we have come across. You get the impression Roy got quite friendly with some of the stars.’
The collection includes personalities from theatre, film, television and sport. A signed photograph of Muppets supremo Jim Henson alongside some of his most famous creations and an album featuring the signatures of John Cleese, Dame Maggie Smith, Norman Wisdom and Bernard Cribbins are each priced at between £100 and £150.
Many items, including signed theatre programmes and film scripts, are dedicated to Mr Saward. A signed photograph of the actor Ronald Lacey in the film Raiders Of The Lost Ark, dedicated ‘To Roy’, has an asking price of £80 to £120. Other high- lights include a signed photograph of Sir John Mills and Robert Mitchum on the set of their 1978 film The Big Sleep and an index card signed by Muhammad Ali.
Mr Nuckley said: ‘ Quite a number of them are signed to Roy personally.
‘ Years ago, people believed personal inscriptions were worth less. But the fact is it really helps with the provenance if there is a story attached to the autograph.
‘If it’s signed to someone, it’s more likely to be believable.’
Mr Saward never married, and
STAR-STUDDED: The collection includes signed photographs of (clockwise from top left) Deborah Kerr, Cher, Jack Lemmon, Kate Bush and Muhammad Ali died aged 85. His brother Terry, 79, was astonished to discover the material when he began clearing out the flat.
He said: ‘There were just piles of flyers for shows, photographs and autographs. Some were in albums and some were loose in envelopes. In a way I’m sorry to sell them on because it’s not about financial gain. But I don’t see what else I can do with them at my age.’
The 200 items will be sold by Chiswick Auctions on Wednesday, with an estimate of about £4,000 for the whole collection.