Dame Edna's glasses are up for auction

First it was Eric Morecambe’s specs – now several pairs of Dame Edna Everage’s distinctive glasses are going under the hammer.

Auctioneers Christie’s put a £1,000 to £1,5000 estimate on each of seven specimens being sold off next month.

That may be conservative, given Morecambe’s iconic glasses sold for £20,000 arlier this month – five times the upper estimate.

Several from the Dame Edna collection are diamante-encrusted, while one features a pair of possums, around each lens, above, and another evokes the Sydney Opera House, below.

And to complete the look, a blue sequinned gown with shoulder pads that also resemble the ‘sails’ of the landmark building are also part of the same auction. Dame Edna wore it on Australia Day 2014, and it has an estimate of £3,000 to £5,000. 

Other frocks include one bearing depicting Edvard Munch’s Scream on the front, and Dame Edna recreating the pose on he back, and a scarlet chiffon gown the character wore at The Royal Variety Show, 2013, when Dame Edna famously graced The Royal Box with her presence.

Also going under the hammer on February 13 are several cartoons of Dame Edna and her creator Barry Humphries, as well artwork  both owned and created by the comedian. Several pieces have estimates into the six-figures.

As well as being an art-lover, Humphries was a bibliomaniac with a library of around 50,000 books, and some these also form part of the auction, including several first editions from Aleister Crowley, the writer and occultist.

Also being sold are several Oscar Wilde first editions, including a limited edition The Importance of Being Earnest – numbered 1 out of the 12 created –  which has an estimate of £100,000 to £150,000

There are also a sheath of letters from the author’s lover Lord Alfred Douglas to their mutual friend Ada Leverson, signed ‘Bosie’ and expected to fetch around £10,000. 

Browse all 241  lots here.

Published: 20 Jan 2025