A pair of spectacles once belonging to Dame Edna Everage has fetched £37,800 at auction, a staggering 25 times higher than the anticipated valuation.
Christie’s auction house, which managed the auction, had initially estimated the value of the glasses to be between £1,000-£1,500.
They were part of a personal assortment owned by Barry Humphries.
Dame Edna was one of Humphries’ most iconic personas, gaining significant popularity in the UK during the 1970s.
The yellow-lacquered possum spectacles by Anglo American Eyewear. Pic: Christie’s Images
Barry Humphries at Ascot in 2016. Pic: David Davies/PA
The Australian legend, celebrated for his satire and characters like Dame Edna and the controversial Sir Les Patterson, passed away in April 2023 at the age of 89, following complications incurred during hip operation.
The yellow-lacquered possum spectacles were among various items auctioned off, which commenced with Dame Edna’s popular catchphrase “Hello Possums”.
Christie’s portrayed the auction as a demonstration of “Edna’s lasting charm”.
A first edition of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance Of Being Earnest, inscribed by Wilde to his publisher, commanded £138,600, alongside a Charles Conder artwork that sold for nearly £240,000.
Additionally, two dresses donned by Dame Edna were auctioned for £21,420 each, surpassing their pre-sale estimates by eightfold.
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Numerous other artworks, literature, and key pieces from Humphries’ collection were also sold during the nine-hour auction, which attracted bidders from 41 nations.
The total earnings from the auction reached £4,627,224, surpassing initial estimates.
“These remarkable outcomes reflect Barry’s distinct perspective and his lifelong enthusiasm for collecting,” commented Benedict Winter, head of sale for private & iconic collections at Christie’s London.
