This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-35697432
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Dowager Duchess of Devonshire's possessions to be auctioned | Dowager Duchess of Devonshire's possessions to be auctioned |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| Hundreds of possessions which chronicle the life of the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire are set to be auctioned. | Hundreds of possessions which chronicle the life of the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire are set to be auctioned. |
| The Duchess, who was the last of the fabled Mitford sisters and lived at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, died aged 94 in 2014. | The Duchess, who was the last of the fabled Mitford sisters and lived at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, died aged 94 in 2014. |
| Elvis memorabilia, a rare signed copy of Brideshead Revisited and a Channel Tunnel machine blade are some of the items going under the hammer. | Elvis memorabilia, a rare signed copy of Brideshead Revisited and a Channel Tunnel machine blade are some of the items going under the hammer. |
| Historian Maxwell Craven said the lot reflected her "terrific" personality. | Historian Maxwell Craven said the lot reflected her "terrific" personality. |
| As well as jewellery and furniture, the Duchess' passion for art and literature shines through. | As well as jewellery and furniture, the Duchess' passion for art and literature shines through. |
| Portraits of her at different stages of her life feature along with correspondence from artists and writers such as Lucien Freud, Evelyn Waugh and more recently, Madonna. | Portraits of her at different stages of her life feature along with correspondence from artists and writers such as Lucien Freud, Evelyn Waugh and more recently, Madonna. |
| Mr Craven, who knew the Duchess, said she had an affinity with creative people, which was rare for someone from the upper classes in post-war Britain. | Mr Craven, who knew the Duchess, said she had an affinity with creative people, which was rare for someone from the upper classes in post-war Britain. |
| He said: "She understood what artists were trying to say... and had these wonderful people from all backgrounds come to stay [at Chatsworth]." | He said: "She understood what artists were trying to say... and had these wonderful people from all backgrounds come to stay [at Chatsworth]." |
| Other highlights of the collection include a photograph of the Queen when she famously sat for Lucien Freud and a signed pre-publication copy of Brideshead Revisited - which is expected to sell for between £15,000 and £20,000. | Other highlights of the collection include a photograph of the Queen when she famously sat for Lucien Freud and a signed pre-publication copy of Brideshead Revisited - which is expected to sell for between £15,000 and £20,000. |
| The Duchess also had a passion for popular culture, reflected in her collection of Elvis Presley memorabilia. | The Duchess also had a passion for popular culture, reflected in her collection of Elvis Presley memorabilia. |
| "She was very keen on Elvis," said Mr Craven. | "She was very keen on Elvis," said Mr Craven. |
| "She was the right age in the 1950s, she loved the music." | "She was the right age in the 1950s, she loved the music." |
| Perhaps the most baffling item is an iron and steel tooth blade from the borer machine that broke through the final section of the Channel Tunnel. | Perhaps the most baffling item is an iron and steel tooth blade from the borer machine that broke through the final section of the Channel Tunnel. |
| It gets a name check in her 2011 book Wait For Me, where the Duchess wrote about an expedition under the sea where she met French tunnellers. | It gets a name check in her 2011 book Wait For Me, where the Duchess wrote about an expedition under the sea where she met French tunnellers. |
| She said: "The machines were like something out of a giant's toy box and I still have - given to me as a memento of the day - one of the claws that played its part in opening up this underground highway to the Continent'." | She said: "The machines were like something out of a giant's toy box and I still have - given to me as a memento of the day - one of the claws that played its part in opening up this underground highway to the Continent'." |
| The claw is listed for between £800 and £1,200. | The claw is listed for between £800 and £1,200. |
| The auction will take place at Sotheby's in London later on Wednesday. |