For the past fifty years actress Debbie Reynolds has been collecting costumes, props and memorabilia from some of our most cherished films; she has over 3,500 items. On June 18, Profiles in History, run by Joe Maddalena, will put The Debbie Reynolds Collection up for auction at The Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills. The Center will be open to the public for previews on June 4 - June 5, June 8 - June 12, June 15 - June 17, 12pm to 5pm.

Originally meant for a museum, these costumes signify the Golden Age of cinema, a true representation of Hollywood history that will never be seen all together again. You can view the entire catalogue online at www.profilesinhistory.com and during the auction you can bid online at www.icollector.com.

Major pieces up for auction include Audrey Hepburn's iconic Ascot dress from My Fair Lady, designed by Cecil Beaton, who also did the costumes for the Broadway play on which it was based, Pygmalion. Cecil Beaton's love affair with turn of the century fashion had germinated for many years; he had written a piece for Vogue entitled 'Ascots of the Past' and as another writer had put it, he'd been waiting for such an Edwardian fantasy his whole life.

Also up for auction, Barbra Streisand's “Dolly Levi” signature sleeveless gold velvet, heavily jeweled gown, with shoes and headpiece from Hello, Dolly! Pictured right, this is the legendary gown by Irene Sharaff which cost over $100,000 to construct and is purported to be the most expensive dress ever made for a film. Over ½ pound of 14K gold is in the thread and jewel surrounds, some estimates put it as high as 1 pound. Accented over its entire surface by gemstones of numerous types and colors, including Swarovski crystals, an extraordinary shimmering rainbow effect appears when turned in the light. This dress was worn by Barbra Streisand in the Harmonia Gardens number when she sings the title song in Hello, Dolly!

Other major pieces up for auction include Marilyn Monroe's subway dress from The Seven Year Itch, Judy Garland's blue cotton dress and ruby red slippers from The Wizard of Oz, Charlie Chaplin's Tramp bowler hat, Harpo Marx's signature top hat and wig, Julie Andrews' costumes from The Sound of Music, including, the dress from the Do-Re-Mi number, her turquoise green cotton dress and her peasant dress, and much, much more.

Permalink Share it: