Los Angeles – Bonhams presented the single owner collection of Leonard Stanley (1930-2023) offering art and design from his Maximalist Hollywood Hills home, alongside an extensive archive from illustrious interior designers, Elsie de Wolfe and Tony Duquette. The Los Angeles sale took place on October 24 and achieved remarkable success hitting nearly the $1 million mark with an impressive 93% sell-through rate.

At the heart of the sale was the most comprehensive archive of Elsie de Wolfe (1865-1950) ephemera to ever come to auction. A pioneering figure and one of the first professional interior decorators of the Gilded Age, de Wolfe was celebrated for her distinctive design aesthetic, glamorous fashion, and extravagant parties. This unparalleled collection included 35 scrapbooks and photo albums meticulously compiled by de Wolfe from 1895 until her passing in 1950. Originally expected to fetch $19,000, the collection ignited global interest, ultimately commanding a total of $66,700 – 3.5 times its estimate.

Highlights include:

• Rare and Important Group of Five Photo Albums, 1925-1950s, depicting high fashion, significant residences and social events including the Circus Ball, together with, a group of four photographs by André Ostier illustrating titled doors of guest rooms presumably within one of Lady Mendl's homes. Sold for $15,360 – 8x the esimate of $1,500 – 2,500.

• Group of Eight Scrap Book and Photo Albums, 1940s, photographs, newspaper clippings, magazine articles, invitations, telegrams, drawings, together with a loose photo of Elsie de Wolfe with poodle in front of the famous cabinet Tony Duquette designed for de Wolfe. Sold for $15,360 – 4x the estimate of $3,000 – 5,000.

The sale also featured an exceptional collection from Tony Duquette (1914-1999), the renowned American designer famed for his whimsical and extravagant approach to interior design. The offerings included original works of art and design by Duquette, as well as archival albums filled with photographs, manuscripts, and drawings. This collection sold for $115,200 against an estimate of $30,000.

Highlights include:

• Costumed Figure, 1940. Sold for $55,000 – 36x the estimate of $1,000 – 2,000.

• 'Rose' Chest of Drawers, circa 1940. Sold for $9,600 – 9.5x the estimate of $800 – 1,200.

• Group of eight albums, mid-20th century, relating to exhibitions, costume design, set design and interior design. Sold for $3,200 – 2x the estimate of $1,200 – 2,000.

Additional highlights from Leonard Stanley's collection featured remarkable works of art and design from a range of esteemed names.

Highlights include:

• Richard Pettibone (1938-2024), Andy Warhol, Brillo Box, 1964, 1969. Sold for $55,000 – 2.5x the estimate of $18,000 – 25,000.

• Christian Bérard (1902-1949), Autoportrait sur la plage (Les Goudes), circa 1942-1943. Sold for $41,000 – 7x the estimate of $5,000 – 7,000.

• Jessie Homer French (born 1940), The Insomniac. Sold for $32,000 – 8x the estimate of $3,000 – 5,000.

• Sir Cecil Beaton (1904-1980), Katharine Hepburn as Coco Chanel, 1969. Sold for $20,500 – 4x the estimate of $4,000 – 6,000.