Unique pieces with a story go under the hammer. For example, furniture from the suite by Winston Churchill and Elizabeth Taylor.
Chandeliers, vases, showcases – and the doors to the suites in which former US President Herbert Hoover or British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once slept: around 15,000 pieces of furniture from the famous Waldorf Astoria New York hotel have been auctioned since the weekend. “These are unique objects from a legendary hotel,” says a message from the US auction house Kaminski. The furnishings are currently on display in an empty shopping mall near Boston.
The auction will last until November 15th. The Waldorf Astoria New York, a luxury hotel for Hollywood stars, artists and top politicians since it opened in 1931, is currently being extensively renovated and refurbished. The proceeds from the auction are intended to fund work on St. Bartholomew’s Church, which is adjacent to the hotel in Manhattan. “Many of the items auctioned have witnessed history and we are delighted that they are new to life in the homes of avid collectors find “, it continues.
One of the most spectacular items in the auction is the furniture from the room in which Hoover lived permanently in the 1940s – including the front door, which is estimated to be worth $ 200 to $ 300 (€ 170.50 to € 255.75). A carpet from the suite used by former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill is said to fetch $ 2,500 to $ 3,500. The most expensive item is an oil painting from the room in which the actress Elizabeth Taylor slept (8,000 to 12,000 dollars / 6,800 to 10,200 euros).
But royal fans also get their money’s worth. Pieces from the suite of Edward VIII and his wife Wallis Simpson can also be found at the auction. The couple lived in the Royal Suite on the 42nd floor for some time after Edward abdicated the throne to marry the American divorced Wallis Simpson.
Not all of the hotel’s important pieces are up for auction. Selected objects with historical reference will be restored and should be on display again in the hotel after the reopening. These include the “Spirit of Achievement” statue that adorned the entrance to Park Avenue, a rocking chair by John F. Kennedy and the Steinway grand piano by the American composer Cole Porter.
(Red./APA/dpa)
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