The auction includes the Grantham family car, a 1925 Sunbeam 20/60
Many of the best television shows weave compelling characters into the social contexts in which they exist—hence the name period drama. For the past 15 years, the creators of Downton Abbey have done just this, leading audiences through World War I, the Spanish Flu, women’s suffrage, the rise of the working class, and the advent of early sound cinema as experienced by its upstairs-downstairs cast of characters.
Costume was one of the principal ways the show’s creators achieved this. They subtly reminded viewers of the era in which the Crawley family and their domestic staff were living through a dress’s silhouette or the type of headwear employed. After six series and with a third feature-length film set to close out the drama in September of this year, producer Carnival Films is auctioning off 120 props, costumes, and set pieces at Bonhams in London. A farewell exhibition at the auction house’s New Bond Street location will accompany the sale. It will remain free and open to the public from August 18 to September 16.
A leading lot is the frill-free 1920s dress that Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) wore in her marriage to Matthew Crawley. The pale apricot chiffon gown is overlain with antique lace and has a dropped waist sash, capturing something of the period’s romanticism. It’s accompanied by a jeweled tiara and a bouquet of prop lilies and is estimated between £3,000 and £5,000 ($4,100 and $6,800.)
The pale apricot chiffon gown worn by Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery). Photo: courtesy Carnival Films.
Pulling in the influences of the Ottoman Empire that swept through Western Europe in the first decade of the 20th century are the Harem pants of Sybil Crawley (Jessica Brown Findlay), the youngest and most avant-garde of the Crawley sisters. The loose, flowing garment arrived via the daring designs of Paul Poiret who created costumes for the Ballets Russes. Lady Sybil’s blue silk pair is accompanied by a peacock pattern bodice and an original headpiece. It is estimated between £3,000 and £5,000 ($4,100 and $6,800.)
Sybil Crawley (Jessica Brown Findlay) showed her rebellious side by sporting Harem pants. Photo: courtesy Carnival Films.
One character whose costume remained unchanged throughout the series was Charles Carson (Jim Carter), the most senior figure of the servant household. His morning coat, introduced in the 19th century and designed to allow ease of movement when on horseback, consists of woolen coat and pants, cotton shirt, stiff imperial collar, waistcoat, and tie. It is estimated between £600 and £800 ($820 and $1,100.)
The Downton Abbey bell wall is estimated to sell for between £5,000 and £7,000 ($6,800 and $9,500). Photo: courtesy Carnival Films.
Elsewhere, there’s Violet Crawley’s (Maggie Smith) light blue dress with silver detailing, estimated between £1,000 and £1,500 ($1,400 and $2,000), an autographed script of the first episode of Downton Abbey estimated between £600 and £800 ($820 and $1,100), and the Grantham family car, a 1925 Sunbeam 20/60, which is estimated between £25,000 and £35,000 ($34,000 and $48,000).
An autographed script of the first Downton Abbey episode is on the block. Photo: courtesy Carnival Films.
“Downton Abbey is an example of the very best of British television,” Charlie Thomas, director of iconic collections at Bonhams, said in a statement. “It is an exceptionally well-researched piece of storytelling on aristocratic society in the early 20th century, and the costumes and props show the impressive attention to detail that brought the world to life on screen and making it so beloved by millions across the globe.”
Carnival Films is donating the proceeds to Together for Short Lives, a UK charity focused on children’s palliative care and supporting children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions.
Earlier this year, a sale of more than 450 props and costumes from The Crown at Bonhams netted £1.7 million ($2.3 million), more than tripling its pre-sale estimate.
