Barry Humphries’ personal collection, including art and Dame Edna’s iconic sunnies, heads to auction

Legendary entertainer Barry Humphries was a comedic powerhouse and one of our biggest exports but few may know he was a serious art connoisseur and fine book collector.

The comedy icon, best known for his alter egos, Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson, sadly passed away on April 22, 2023 at the age of 89.

Now items from his enormous art collection, as well memorabilia from his Dame Edna character, will go under the hammer at the famed auction house Christie’s in London.

The sale, titled Barry Humphries: The Personal Collection will include Dame Edna’s collection of outlandish dresses and diamanté spectacles, a variety of artwork, lead by Charles Conder’s painting Sand dunes, Ambleteuse and numerous books such as a first edition copy of The Importance of Being Earnest signed by Oscar Wilde.

Benedict Winter, associate director of private and iconic collections at Christie’s, told Reuters that behind Humphries’ well known comedic personas “was a really passionate, intelligent and curious man.”

“He was a passionate art collector who collected throughout his life, and this auction is around 240 lots of works of art and books that he lived with, he loved and he really cherished,” Winter said.

The auction is expected to raise an estimated two to four million pounds ($AUD 8 million) and proceeds from some Dame Edna items will go to Britain’s Royal Variety Charity, which helps those who have worked in the entertainment industry.

The beloved entertainer, left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry, garnering a multitude of awards and honours throughout his illustrious career.

Humpries’ was renowned for his comedic, satirical, and artistic talents, as well as his character acting. His most popular alter egos were Dame Edna Everage, a superstar Melbourne housewife and Sir Les Patterson, Australia’s vulgar cultural attaché to the Court of St. James’s.

He was also a successful film producer, scriptwriter, and London West End musical theatre star. Additionally, he was an award-winning author and accomplished landscape painter. In 2010, Anne Pender, his biographer, hailed Humphries as the most significant comedian since Charlie Chaplin.

Humphries’ characters, especially Dame Edna Everage, garnered international acclaim, and he appeared in numerous films, stage productions, and television shows. Edna began as a caricature of Australian suburban complacency but later evolved into a satire of stardom over four decades.

For his work in the entertainment industry, Humphries received numerous accolades, including a Special Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award, a Theatre World Award, and an Outer Critics’ Circle Award in 2000. In 2023 he was posthumously awarded Australia’s highest honour in the esteemed King’s Birthday Honours list.

– with Reuters.