Barry Humphries’ personal items, including Dame Edna props, head to auction

LONDON — From Dame Edna Everage’s outlandish dresses and snazzy spectacles to paintings and books, items from the personal collection of late Australian comedian Barry Humphries head to auction this week in a sale estimated at up to around $5 million.

A household name in Britain and Australia, Mr. Humphries, who died in 2023 aged 89, was best known for his persona Dame Edna Everage, an instantly recognizable character with lilac hair, curly or diamante glasses, and zany frocks.

Mr. Humphries’ other well known characters was drunk and coarse diplomat Les Patterson and the elderly, rambling Sandy Stone.

As well as Dame Edna’s glasses and outfits, the Feb. 13 “Barry Humphries: The Personal Collection” sale includes a variety of artwork, lead by Charles Conder’s painting Sand dunes, Ambleteuse with an estimate of £200,000-£300,000.

Also on offer are plenty of books, including a first edition copy of The Importance of Being Earnest signed by Oscar Wilde to his publisher. It has an estimate of £100,000 – £150,000.

“Barry Humphries was obviously best known for his comedic personas but behind that was a really passionate, intelligent and curious man,” Benedict Winter, associate director, private & iconic collections at Christie’s London, told Reuters.

The total sale was estimated at £2 million – £4 million.

“He was a passionate art collector who collected throughout his life, and this auction is around 240 lots of works of art and books that he lived with, he loved and he really cherished.”

Proceeds from the sale of some Dame Edna items will go to Britain’s Royal Variety Charity, which helps those who have worked in the entertainment industry.

A pre-sale exhibition is open to the public at Christie’s London showrooms until Feb. 12. — Reuters