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Three hundred-plus piece collection belonging to Joanne Carson to be offered at auction by Bonhams New York



Bonhams New York is pleased to announce the November 9, 2006 auction of manuscripts, personally owned books, furniture, decorative arts, jewelry and fine arts associated with one of the world’s most important literary icons. Though known as a gifted writer, Truman Capote transcended the literary realm and became a household name as a celebrity. Countless people knew exactly who Truman Capote was without having read one of his novels or short stories. He was a “name,” a “personality” and an authentic force of life like no other before or since.



Twenty-two years after his untimely passing in 1984, his name still commands attention, interest and excitement, inspiring the recent 2005 film Capote, featuring an Academy Award®-winning performance, and the upcoming feature film Infamous due out in October.



The Truman Capote collection consists of hundreds of items providing a unique and fascinating insight into the life and character of the man. Highlights include the tuxedo worn in 1966 to his famous Black and White Ball at The Plaza Hotel; his personal pair of ice skates; the intriguing collage boxes he created in the early 1980s; needlepoint pillows; Baccarat glass; as well as books, prints, photographs, manuscripts, jewelry and furniture.



The collection of Baccarat glass comprises gifts given to Capote by Katherine Graham, William and Babe Paley, Winston and C.Z. Guest, Halston, Roddy McDowell, Cecil Beaton, Carol and Walter Matthau, Tallulah Bankhead and others — in thanks for the Black and White Ball (which celebrates its 40th anniversary on November 28th).



Intimate personal items are the most fascinating: the photograph of his mother that was always at his bedside, a hand-tinted photograph of Truman as a young boy; the candid never-before-seen snapshots; the last known photograph taken the day before his passing – all touching reminders of Truman.



The books in Capote’s personal library cover a wide variety of genres and reveal a great deal about the author’s fascinations: biographies of politicians and aristocrats; true crime stories; Hollywood history; British and American literature; and memoirs. Most revealing are the intimate letters, notes, postcards and photographs sent to close friend Joanne Carson, who shared an extremely close and affectionate relationship with Capote during the last years of his life.



Fifty highlights from the collection will be on view at the Bonhams & Butterfields San Francisco and Los Angeles galleries in the weeks preceding the New York auction. Of particular interest will be a handwritten double-sided single page manuscript for his 1968 appearance on The Tonight Show, outlining his now infamous conspiracy theories relating to the assassinations of President Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King (est. $2,500-3,500); a three-page manuscript, possibly written for Answered Prayers entitled “Yachts, and other observations on the current conditions of Hospitality” (est. $3,000-5,000); and a Joanne Carson manuscript heavily edited by Capote. This manuscript, a 38-page essay by Joanne Carson narrating the story of her early relationship with Johnny Carson, is a stellar example of Capote’s editorial skills — he carefully revised her work, streamlining her prose, punching up descriptions and occasionally providing new text altogether, turning a generally well-written piece into a dynamic memoir (est. $10,000-15,000).



Also on view will be a wide variety of items from all periods of Capote’s life including a baby blanket crocheted for Capote circa 1930 by Sook Faulk, his beloved cousin who essentially raised him (est. $300-500); Capote’s Emmy® nomination certificate for the 1966 television adaptation of his story A Christmas Memory (est. $1,000-1,500); the tuxedo worn by Capote to his legendary Black and White Ball held at the Plaza Hotel, November 28, 1966 (estimate $4,000-6,000); a signed Richard Avedon portrait of Capote (est. $800-1,200); Capote’s passport (est. $1,000-1,500), and a Correges windbreaker worn to Studio 54, with a Studio 54 ‘VIP complimentary drinks’ ticket still in the pocket (est. $300-500). Also included in the exhibition are several pieces of jewelry presented by Capote as birthday and Christmas presents to Joanne Carson over the years, including a fancy colored diamond and emerald ring, the center lozenge-shaped brown-yellow diamond weighing 7.05 carats (est. $20,000-30,000).


For more details visit the Bonhams
web site.