Freddie Mercury: A World of His Own at Sotheby's London, 2023

Sotheby's turned its New Bond Street building into a house for Freddie Mercury from 4 August to 5 September 2023. Free to enter, the show gathered about 1,500 objects from his home in Kensington before they were sold in six auctions. This page is a record of that show.

Freddie Mercury: A World of His Own – What Was in the Sale?

The exhibition was called Freddie Mercury: A World of His Own. It covered art, fashion, musical instruments, handwritten papers, photographs, furniture, rings and bangles, 1,406 lots in all.

The objects had come from Garden Lodge, his house in Kensington, and Sotheby's split them across six auctions. The Evening Sale was on 6 September, followed by On Stage on the 7th and At Home on the 8th.

Three more closed in the days after. In Love with Japan was online and closed on 11 September, and the two Crazy Little Things sales closed on 12 and 13 September.

How Did Sotheby's Lay Out the Galleries?

Each room took one part of his life. The rooms were arranged as a house, not a museum, with lamps, rugs and clutter in place. It felt closer to a walk through someone's home than a viewing of lots.

The sale included his record collection, school poetry experiments, cutlery and unseen photographs. Sotheby's presented these next to the stage costumes, so the ordinary things sat beside the famous ones.

What Were the Stage Costumes?

The crown and red velvet cloak from the 1986 Magic tour stood in one gallery. Mercury wore them at the end of the Queen shows that year. They sold for £635,000.

Elsewhere, kimonos hung from the ceiling in a row, in reds, greens and golds.

Why Did Sotheby's Give a Whole Sale to Japan?

Mercury collected Japanese art, and the third of the six sales, In Love with Japan, was given over to it. Ceramics, prints and lacquerware sat in the galleries beside his books on the subject.

One wall panel carried Mercury's own words about making people happy.

What Did His Library Look Like?

One room rebuilt his library, with wooden shelves lined with books and small objects, and a bright red floor. It was a reconstruction of the library at Garden Lodge.

The last gallery set out garden furniture against a backdrop showing a blossoming tree, with yellow floral chairs in front.

Which Piano Did He Write Bohemian Rhapsody On?

The centrepiece was his black Yamaha grand piano, the one he used to compose Bohemian Rhapsody. It stood in a dark room, with a sheet of white fabric above it as if lifted by the wind.

Sotheby's had estimated it at £2–3 million. It sold for £1.74 million at the Evening Sale. The working lyrics for Bohemian Rhapsody went for £1.38 million in the same sale.

How Did the Six Auctions End?

The six sales together made £40 million, or $50.4 million. The Evening Sale alone took £12.2 million from 59 lots. A snake bangle fetched £698,500, which was more than the crown and cloak.

Sotheby's reported more than 140,000 visitors to the exhibition.

Where Is Sotheby's on New Bond Street?

Sotheby's is on New Bond Street in Mayfair, a short walk from the shops I covered in Bond Street, London. The street runs from Oxford Street to Piccadilly.

I also covered the winter lights of the area in Christmas in Mayfair and the arcade a few streets south in Burlington Arcade at Christmas. Another Piccadilly show is on my page about the Royal Academy.

A World of His Own at Sotheby's: Practical Notes

📍 Where: Sotheby's London, 34–35 New Bond Street, London W1A 2AA.

📅 Open days: 4 August to 5 September 2023.

🎫 Admission: Free, with no booking needed.

🚇 Getting there: Bond Street is about 9 minutes' walk, Oxford Circus about 10, and Green Park about 12.

🗺️ Nearby: Burlington Arcade, the Royal Academy and Piccadilly.

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All photos were taken by Ina/WithinLondon, unless stated otherwise.