Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Cult TV star’s memorabilia sold at living room auction
THE estate of dashing Jason King actor Peter Wyngarde, pictured right, has been sold at auction – including an international ‘best dressed’ award and a snakeskin jacket.
A cult hero in the 1970s, the star was famous for his outrageous dress sense, sultry voice and mysterious private life.
Thought by many to be the original inspiration for Austin Powers, he died from an undisclosed illness, aged 90, in January 2018.
But many of his possessions were sold on Thursday for thousands of pounds in a rare ‘white glove’ auction.
This means all lots were sold – around 250 items including costumes, props, personal effects and clothing.
The sale was conducted online and presided over by auctioneer Andrew Stowe from his living room in Bristol – because of coronavirus isolation advice.
The auction fetched £35,000, with Wyngarde’s ‘Best Dressed Personality 1970’ award – given to him by Radio Luxembourg – selling for £2,200. A pair of prop glasses used in a television series sold for £700 and a personal edition of his banned album, When Sex Leers Its Inquisitive Head, banked £600.
Mr Stowe, from East Bristol Auctions, said: “It was a wonderful auction and I hope some of the lots have put smiles on faces – something we all very much need right now.
“This auction was conducted from a laptop on my dining room table – quite different to the usual auction room setting, but we sold every single lot in the sale.
“I think this may have been the first live auction ever conducted from an auctioneer’s living room.”
Wyngarde was perhaps best known for his role in the series Department S and its later spin-off Jason King. He also appeared in The Saint and The Avengers.
His album – released in 1970 – was pulled after just four days due to its offensive content.