‘World’s largest’ autograph collection to sell in Essex
What could be the world’s largest private collection of autographs is coming to auction next month. The Clive Bullimore Autograph Collection includes the signatures of around 60,000 different celebrities, amassed by a former stockbroker over more than 70 years.
The massive assemblage representing a Who’s Who of 20th-century pop culture is expected make in excess of £100k when offered by Sworders in Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex on June 16-25.
For Clive, who began autograph hunting at the age of 17 in the early 1950s, collecting has been a lifelong passion. He was hugely dedicated. Commuting Monday to Friday from Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire to his job at the London Stock Exchange, on Saturdays he would travel into London again to visit the smart hotels, theatres, record stores and TV studios where celebrities might be found. Typically, he would scan the press for tips and exchange weekly information with fellow autograph addicts. Sometimes he would just turn up at the BBC studios and leave it to luck. And for those Hollywood stars who so rarely visited the UK he would send a letter with a stamped addressed envelope asking for a signed photograph or a personal note.
Clive continued collecting for several decades after retirement in 1992, during which time the internet became a huge source of material. However, he continued to travel for his hobby and says he has had many thousands of face-to-face meetings with actors, musicians, sports people, politicians and other public figures. Clive was autograph hunting in the capital when the Covid lockdown was announced. He returned home and spent most of next two years indoors isolating with his wife. It was during this time that the collection was organised and the decision taken to prepare it for sale.
The vast collection, that numbers more than 100,000 autographs from roughly 60,000 different people, will be offered by Sworders in 600 different lots arranged into three distinct categories.
There are around 100 lots of individual autograph albums that each contain multiple and varied signatures. Most are guided around £200-300 each.
They include the 78 pages that feature (as a sample) the signatures of Jack Bruce (Cream), Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran), Slash (Guns N Roses, Robin Gibb (Bee Gees) and Suggs (Madness) and the 62-page album that was signed by Elaine Paige, Colin Firth, Yoko Ono, Meat Loaf, Jean-Claude Van Dame plus many others.
There are also rows of lever arch files packed with plastic envelopes containing signed photographs, flyers and autographed letters. Most have been arranged into themes or categories.
Of particular appeal to science-fiction fans will be a lot comprising photos of 13 members of the Star Trek cast, 47 signatures from the cast of Dr Who and 33 from actors in the Star Wars franchise. It is expected to bring £400-600.
A series of signed photos and flyers by James Bond franchise actors including signatures by Sean Connery, Roger Moore, George Lazenby and Pierce Brosnan have a guide of £400-800. Clive ranks Roger Moore among the nicest of the celebrities he ever met. A particular draw to this lot is a set of seven postcards, one each for his Bond films, all signed by him.
Close to half of the photographs were images taken by the collector himself. A group of 71 different photos of female musicians – an eclectic mix including Nana Mouskouri, Dolly Parton, Linda McCartney, Diana Ross and Dame Vera Lynn – is expected to sell for £400-600.
Within the sporting section are three George Best autographs and most of the 1966 world cup winning team.
Also in the collection are 68 lots of vinyl records (most of them relatively early pressings) signed by some or all of the artists who created them. A copy of Let It Bleed by The Rolling Stones signed by Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood is among the most valuable single items with a guide of £200-400. Packed with girl power at £300-600 are a collection of 40 video cassettes, records and CDs by the Spice Girls, most of them signed by one or more members of the quintet.
The owner also met Amy Whitehouse on a number of occasions. A sheet of card inscribed ‘Hiya Clive! Happy new year Amy xx’ is offered together with a copy of the single Take the Box inscribed ‘Hi Clive! nice to see you again! God bless Amy xx’. These are estimated at £200-400.
Clive says it was the thrill of the chase and the making of memories and friendships that fired his collecting rather than any notion of investment or value. He has not previously sold any of his autographs although he often swapped duplicates with fellow collectors. He has relatively few gaps in the archive although he regrets not having acquired the signatures of Marlon Brando or Madonna.
Clive’s family have chosen to keep just a few treasures of the collection. His grandson has a Mohammed Ali signed book.