Downton Abbey auction of props and costumes smashes estimates
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A collection of dresses belonging to characters from the Downton Abbey film and TV series on display on Aug 8, during a press preview before they went on auction in London.
PHOTO: AFP
LONDON – Props, costumes and other items from the hit television series Downton Abbey (2010 to 2015) sold for £1.7 million (S$2.9 million) at a London auction, six times the pre-sale estimate, said auction house Bonhams on Sept 16.
The “bell wall”, the servant’s call system that appears from the first season to the last, proved to be the prize item, selling for an eye-watering £216,300 against an estimate of £7,000.
The Bonhams sale, which featured everything from dresses to a car to a clapper board, ran online from Aug 18 to Sept 16, ahead of Britain’s Sept 12 release of the third and final film – Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale. It is showing in Singapore cinemas.
An auction house staff member holds a clapper board with the bell wall in the background, both used in the Downton Abbey film and TV series, during a press preview in London on Aug 8.
PHOTO: AFP
The movie brings to a close the British saga, which included six highly successful seasons on the small screen.
Another sale highlight was Lord and Lady Grantham’s (portrayed by Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern) 1925 Sunbeam saloon car, which still runs. It sold for £172,500 against a pre-sale estimate of £30,000.
An auction house staff member with the 1925 Sunbeam saloon car used in the Downton Abbey film and TV series during a press preview in London on Aug 8.
PHOTO: AFP
The dress worn by Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) at her wedding to Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) sold for £21,760. A walking cane used by late English actress Maggie Smith’s character Violet Crawley went under the hammer for £28,160.
A gallery assistant with a wedding gown worn by actress Michelle Dockery in Downton Abbey during a press preview in London on Aug 18.
PHOTO: REUTERS
The clapper board used in the production of the film Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022) sold for £9,600, with the auction realising £1,735,744 in total.
120 million viewers
The proceeds from the sale will be donated to British children’s charity, Together For Short Lives.
“As the new release of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is No. 1 in the UK and Ireland box office, it is thrilling that the concurrent Bonhams auction has so exceeded expectations,” said Mr Gareth Neame, chief executive of Carnival Films, which produced the show.
Michelle Dockery (right) as Lady Mary and Laura Carmichael as Lady Edith in Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale.
PHOTO: UIP
“I am delighted that not only will the props and costumes from the series be preserved and, hopefully, cherished by their new owners, but also that they have raised so much money for our chosen good cause,” he added.
Bonhams marked the sale with a free special exhibition in London, where fans could come face-to-face with some of the items.
“Over the past month, we’ve welcomed visitors from around the world to New Bond Street to view the exhibition and take part in the sale,” said Mr Charlie Thomas from Bonhams.
“With every lot sold and final prices far surpassing expectations, the auction stands as a true testament to the enduring appeal of Downton Abbey,” he added.
The TV series, created by English writer Julian Fellowes, first aired in Britain in 2010 before conquering the world. It tells the story of the wealthy aristocratic Crawley family and its servants over a 30-year period, spanning six seasons and 52 episodes.
More than 120 million viewers worldwide have seen the show, according to Bonhams. AFP
