Elvis to hen boxes: the duchess’s passions go under the hammer
Eclectic possessions of the last of the Mitford sisters are expected to fetch £700,000 at Sotheby’s
ARTS CORRESPONDENT ELVIS memorabilia, an Evelyn Waugh first edition and a monogrammed hen box will be among the possessions of the late Duchess of Devonshire to be auctioned this spring, displaying the many aspects of her eccentric life.
More than 450 items from the duchess’s home, as dowager, in the Old Vicarage, part of the Chatsworth estate, are to be sold at Sotheby’s, from art works and jewels to the eclectic miscellany that so fascinated the public.
Among the items are a Jacob Epstein sketch used as a makeshift coal shovel by Lucian Freud, and a chimney pot the duchess crafted into an umbrella stand.
One lot reveals how she invited Madonna to afternoon tea, another shows off her famous collection of Elvis memorabilia – including a telephone ringing to the tune of
Jailhouse Rock – and a pair of antlers used as a hat stand.
The duchess, the last of the Mitford sisters, died in 2014 at the age of 94, earning her a personal tribute from the Prince of Wales. Hundreds of locals and members of staff from Chatsworth lined the streets for her funeral as a mark of their affection for her.
Her family said the duchess had left precise instructions for what was to be done with her belongings, saying she had been “fascinated” by auctions in life and would be “very amused” to see her treasures offered to the public.
Other art works, couture clothing and personal correspondence, including letters to and about her sisters, have been left to the Chatsworth House Trust. The collection is expected to sell for up to £700,000.
Among the star items is a littleknown 1922 posed photograph of the Mitford family, showing a young Deborah surrounded by her sisters, valued at up to £600.
Forty lots will relate to her passion for collecting chickens, including the monogrammed boxes used to transport them.
Another lot is a diamond heart-shaped brooch given to her by her husband, the 11th Duke of Devonshire on their 60th wedding anniversary, which has an estimate of £7,000 to £10,000.
The sale will take place at Sotheby’s London on March 2.