On 26th September 2017, the auction house giant are holding an exciting auction of the Vivien Leigh Collection, and as huge fans of the iconic actress, we had to take a look at the Sotheby’s catalogue. With an outstanding collection of film memorabilia and artworks, the Vivien Leigh Collection also offers an impressive array of furniture and decorative arts from the film star’s private collections. As a woman of good taste and world-wide fame, the Vivien Leigh Collection sale promises to be a sensational sale!
Born in Darjeeling, India, in 1913, Vivien Leigh became one of the most famous actresses from mid-twentieth century. Famed for her beauty, Vivien is best known for her roles as Scarlett O’Hara from Gone With The Wind (1939) and Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), and she received an Academy Award for both roles. Vivien was married to theatre royalty, Laurence Olivier, from 1940 to 1960, and they undertook many acting projects together. Above all, Vivien Leigh adored acting on the stage rather than in films, she once said:
“I’m not a film star – I’m an actress. Being a film star – just a film star – is such a false life, lived for fake values and for publicity. Actresses go on for a long time and there are always marvellous parts to play.”
She tragically died in 1967 aged only 53, after suffering with Tuberculosis for some time. She is also known as having struggled with bipolar disorder, and mental health issues, throughout her adult life which gave her a reputation for unpredictable and ‘difficult’ behaviour’. Despite the difficulties she faced, Vivien Leigh remains an Icon of twentieth century cinema and theatre. In 1999 the American Film Institute named her 16th Greatest Female Movie Star of the golden age of Hollywood.
We have picked some key pieces from our collection of fine furniture, listed below, that match some of the contents of the sale. The Vivien Leigh Collection boasts a range of styles from Georgian and European furniture, to Maison Jansen and English glassware. You may have missed the opportunity to bid, but you can recreate the look of the late great Vivien Leigh! To see the catalogue for the Vivien Leigh Collection auction held at Sotheby’s, London, click here.
For more Collections at Nicholas Wells Antiques, take a look at our Vintage Dunhill Lighter Collection. Or, for more options to ‘Get the Look’ at Nicholas Wells Antiques, take a look at our posts on Gilded Interiors at the Wallace Collection, and Current Interior Trends.
For any inquiries concerning the collection at Nicholas Wells Antiques, please do get in touch via the Contact Page.
Alexandra Kate
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