BONHAMS TO SELL LAURENCE OLIVIER 80TH BIRTHDAY PORTRAIT BY DAVID BAILEY
BAILEY ON OLIVIER: “HE DRANK TWO BOTTLES OF CHAMPAGNE AND HIS NURSE HAD TO HELP HIM UP THE STAIRS.”
A portrait of Sir Laurence Olivier taken by celebrated photographer David Bailey on the actor’s 80th birthday, two years before his death in 1989, is being sold at Bonhams, New Bond Street, as part of its sale of Photographs on 20 May 2010. It is expected to fetch £4,000 – 6,000.
Bailey subsequently donated the photograph to the charity auction ‘Going Going Gone’ at the Royal Court Theatre, London on 22 April 1990 in aid of the Oliver Building Appeal. It was acquired by the present owner at that auction, and is accompanied in this sale by the performance programme and auction catalogue for the evening signed by Lady Olivier.
Bailey recently revealed in The Observer that he had been apprehensive about the commission: “I thought: “How am I going to deal with this man?” But he drank two bottles of champagne and his nurse had to help him up the stairs. He was completely unpretentious and a very nice bloke.”
Bonhams
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son and Neale UK. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street, and Knightsbridge, and a further five throughout the UK. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Boston in the USA; Toronto, Canada; and France, Monaco, Hong Kong and Dubai. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 57 specialist areas. By the end of 2009, Bonhams had become UK market leaders in ten key specialist collecting areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, go to www.bonhams.com.
