Pattie Boyd’s trove of treasures nets $4.9M
LONDON — The online auction of a trove of letters, photos and other items belonging to Pattie Boyd, who was at the heart of the Swinging ‘60s, concluded Friday — and it’s safe to say that it really surpassed all expectations.
Christie’s, the worldrenowned auction house, said its online sale of The Pattie Boyd Collection sold for around 2.82 million pounds ($4.9 million Cdn), or more than seven times the pre-sale high estimate of around 380,000 pounds.
The collection, which went on public display at Christie’s London headquarters last Friday, provided a glimpse into the heart of the 1960s and ‘70s counterculture.
The 111 lots up for sale included affectionate letters from both her rock icon husbands George Harrison and Eric Clapton, alongside clothing, jewelry, drawings and photographs — some of Boyd, and some by her.
“I am completely blown away by the enthusiasm of international bidders for these special treasures that I have always loved,” Boyd said.
Boyd, 79, is famous as a musicians’ muse, inspiration for the Beatles’ song Something, composed for her by Harrison, as well as for Clapton’s scorching Layla and sweet Wonderful Tonight.
The most astonishing individual sale was the original artwork chosen by Clapton for the cover of the Derek and The Dominos 1970 album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, which sold for just under 2 million pounds ($2.5 million), 33 times the pre-sale high estimate.
Adrian Hume-Sayer, a director at Christie’s London, said the “outstanding results of this landmark auction are a real testament to Pattie Boyd, model, photographer, muse and icon.”