Freddie Mercury’s belongings go for auction

The black lacquered piano is on display at Sotheby’s auction house in central London for the next month, along with almost 30,000 other objects, artworks, items of clothing and furniture, photographs, handwritten lyrics, and other items that belonged to the singer and reflected his eclectic tastes and interests.

The free exhibition showcases Mercury’s private and public worlds, from his gold and platinum discs and flamboyant stage costumes to personal Polaroid photographs, hip flasks, and a travel Scrabble board that he took with him on tour.

“Freddie was a hoarder, he didn’t throw anything away,” said Thomas Williams, a Sotheby’s director.

“His possessions give us an extraordinary 360-degree view of the man, from his childhood until his death.”

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The ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ singer died in 1991 at the age of 45, shortly after confirming in a statement that he had Aids and urging his fans to join “the fight against this terrible disease”.

He left his Kensington home, Garden Lodge, and its contents to Mary Austin, one of his closest and most trusted friends. Now, 32 years after he died, Austin has decided to sell everything.

The auction is expected to raise between £7.6m and £11m, with estimates ranging from about £20 for a china ornament to up to £3m for the baby grand.

“But masses of people will be in a position to bid for a little piece of Freddie,” said Williams.

The exhibition is organised thematically over Sotheby’s 15 galleries. One room is dedicated to Mercury’s fascination with and passion for Japanese art and objects, which he collected during seven visits to the country.

“He fell in love with the country and the culture, and it had a clear influence on his stagecraft. There was a flow between the art he collected and the art he created,” said Williams.

At Garden Lodge, Mercury had a special Japanese-style drawing room that was his private sanctuary, where he displayed lacquer boxes, tea sets and vases decorated with Koi carp in cabinets. Mercury also collected about 50 silk kimonos, some of which he wore on stage.

Another room has been recreated as the Garden Lodge dining room where the late Queen frontman hosted regular dinner parties, with guests’ names, menus, and dress codes recorded in a special leather-bound–gilt-tooled book.

The instruction for one occasion was “Très casuelle.”

Another night was curry-themed, reflecting the ‘Love of My Life’ performer’s childhood in Zanzibar and Mumbai.

“Freddie was a great entertainer, not just on stage, but at his fabulous dinner parties and gatherings,” said Williams.

Mercury’s love for cats is evident in his personal collection of cat art, ornaments, T-shirts, and other items that honoured his six pets, all originally strays.

“He really indulged his obsession with cats,” said Williams.

Polaroids of Mercury with one of his cats on his lap are among a collection of personal photos that show “really candid, intimate moments” sold as a single hot.

Another shows the star sitting before a huge fry-up, and one taken shortly afterward shows the plate empty.

Another highlight of the auction is a multicoloured, illuminated 1941 Wurlitzer jukebox, “an icon in its own right”, according to Williams.

The late Queen frontman moved it around his house before it settled in his kitchen, the “beating heart” of Garden Lodge.

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It played some of his favourite records, including Hallelujah I Love Her So by Ray Charles and Rip It Up by Little Richard.

“It sounds as cool as it looks,” said Williams.

Mercury’s sense of fun and glamour runs through the collection.

“I like to be surrounded by splendid things … exquisite clutter,” Mercury wrote in his book Freddie Mercury: A Life, In His Own Words.