Christie’s Pop Sale Harvey Milk and More
Christie’s Pop Culture Sale in New York on June 25 includes a wide range of collectibles celebrating the diversity of American popular culture. The sale offers approximately 330 lots of comic art, space, hollywood and rock memorabilia, animation cells, photography, designer toys, various forms of ephemera and a few pieces of gay historical significance.
As the release date for Gus Van Sant’s biopic of American politician and gay rights activist Harvey Milk draws near, it’s only fitting that a few Harvey Milk items would start to appear on the market. First up is Harvey Milk’s Autographic Kodak Jr. camera which was displayed at his camera shop Castro Camera in San Francisco. The camera is accompanied by two poloroids of Castro Camera and a snapshot of Milk in front of the shop. 9×10in with an estimate of $300-500 dollars, no reserve.
Various photographic memorabilia including an iconic portrait of Harvey Milk. Original black and white portrait photograph of Harvey Milk, sitting before a collage of scenes from the Castro Village in San Francisco. 8×10in. A fun original black and white photograph of Harvey Milk, Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel from the 1974 film Rhinoceros directed by Milk’s theatrical collaborator Tom O’Horgan. 5×7in. Original color portrait photograph of Harvey Milk, with rarely seen beard and long hair, accompanied by the original backing board. 8×10in.
I’m rather partial to Harvey Milk’s Hopalong Cassidy wristwatch. The stainless steel watch has a leather wristband and is engraved on the back Good Luck from Hoppy. 8in. A nice edition would have been a signed copy of Tuxedomoon’s “(Special Treatment For The) Family Man”. In 1979, San Francisco based new wave/electronic band Tuxedomoon released a song mocking the results of White’s trial for assinating Milk, entitled “(Special Treatment For The) Family Man”. The song is a part of their EP “Scream With A View” originally on Ralph Records. The assassination of Milk directly affected the band as they were based in San Francisco at the time and one of the founding members was openly gay.
Other items of note included in Christie’s Pop Culture Sale include: Andy Warhol and a Debbie Harry Photograph titled Still Hungry? A black and white photograph of Andy Warhol as chef and Debbie Harry as waitress, titled Are You Still Hungry? on the border in black ink along with the photographer’s signature McKenzie and edition number 7/175. Mounted on board. 11×14in.
Suckadelic’s Gay Empire Attack!, 2007 Resin cast action figures on white pvc plastic backboard. Framed, 18½x13½in.A number of KidRobot toys are up for auction as part of Christie’s Pop Culture Sale in NYC. Toys and art work by Tilt and Mist, Kozik, Joe Ledbetter, and Sucklord. A few of the Dunny’s are own and have signed by Baseman are also included as well as one-of-a-kind never released colorways, and other amazing stuff.
*Please note: Also featured is a collection of costumes from James Gandolfini’s role as Tony Soprano in The Sopranos, which will benefit Wounded Warrior Project.
6 comments6 Comments so far
seems alot of the Pop Culture Sale “stuff” could so belong on eBay, which makes one ponder how long it will take before Sotheby’s or Christie’s launches a “collectable” auction site.
I’m stoked my collection of signed Dunny’s are worth some scratch and that Christie’s is auctioning off work by Suckadelic. Some of the auction is dedicated to a collection of costumes from James Gandolfini’s role as Tony Soprano in The Sopranos, which will benefit The Wounded Warrior Project.
Wow. Tuxedomoon. I haven’t heard them in ages. Thanks for the memory. Cheers.
i have that warhol postcard on my fridge. it makes me happy and sad all at the same time. on one hand, it’s such a fantastic piece of pop cultural crossroads, taken at a great time, and debbie harry looks amazing.
but then i look at andy, and he looks so frail, and almost like he’s questioning what he’s doing and where he is. it’s like you took your feeble uncle and convinced him to wear this outfit and stand just so, and he’s not quite sure what’s going on, but he understands well enough to know that you’re laughing AT him, not NEAR him.
sigh.
Re: Pink Empire.
It’s “Attack Of The Clones” if you look close enough you can see their little taches.
The movie of “Rhinoceros” was part of the American Film Theater series; I saw in in 1974. Was Milk in that?
It the three main parts (Wilder as the hero, Mostel as his friend, and Bernadette Peters as his girlfriend) set in a world where people are turning into rhinos, as a metaphor for facism (Mostel, in his bravura transformation sequence, kisses a picture of Nixon..).
Milk’s part must have been small.