As “Downton Abbey” attracts to an in depth in September, some followers took solace by getting near memorable props and costumes from the much-loved British saga as they went on sale Monday.
Everyone has their favourite piece, together with Charlie Thomas of London’s Bonhams public sale home which is holding the sale.
He had no hesitation in highlighting the “bell wall”, the servant’s name system which seems from the primary collection to the final, as his favorite merchandise.
“Just to prove it’s a working bell, look at that — I expect someone’s going to deliver tea in a minute,” he joked whereas testing out the merchandise, which is valued between £6,000 and £8,000.
Thomas, who’s answerable for the public sale, suspects that it’ll smash its pre-sale valuation.
The on-line sale started on Monday and can finish on September 16, with the general public invited to an exhibition of all of the gadgets earlier than they go beneath the hammer.
“We’ve already had a huge amount of interest coming from across the globe, especially from America, from Europe, a lot from northern Europe, from Asia,” he added. “People have sort of fallen in love with these characters”.
The tv collection, created by Julian Fellowes, first aired within the UK in 2010 earlier than conquering the world.
It tells the story of the rich aristocratic Crawley household and their servants over a 30-year interval, spanning six seasons and 52 episodes.
More than 120 million viewers worldwide have seen the present, based on Bonhams.
Two movies have been launched in 2019 and 2022 and a 3rd, “The Grand Finale”, is due out on September 12.
It will deal with divorce and the Crawley’s survival in a always altering world.
Visitors to the exhibition on Monday seen the items with a reverential eye, with one girl taking an extended have a look at the cane utilized by Violet Crawley, performed by Maggie Smith, who died in September 2024.
“It’s a beautiful item,” she instructed AFP, with out giving her title.
“I would like to buy the cane for my mother-in-law who is turning 70, but I am not sure how she’ll take it,” she added, with a smile.
Other highlights embody Lord and Lady Grantham’s 1925 Sunbeam saloon automobile, which nonetheless runs (valued between £25,000 and £35,000), the costume worn by Lady Mary at her wedding ceremony to Matthew Crawley (valued between £3,000 and £5,000), and a pair of harem pants belonging to Lady Sybil, valued equally.
“My favorite piece(s) right now are just all the dresses. I don’t think I could even pick one, they’re all just so beautiful,” stated Hailey Bradley, a 23-year-old American residing in London.
“It’s so glamorous,” added Bradley, who described herself as “a big fan.”
Lucia Campara, an Italian girl from Milan, got here along with her husband and their 11-year-old daughter, Giulia.
She organized the household vacation with the objective of visiting essential locations in Jane Austen’s life, and discovering the worlds of “Harry Potter” and “Downton Abbey.”
“It’s a unique occasion to see all those objects that will soon disappear,” she defined.
But Campara doesn’t plan to bid, saying: “The best pieces will cost too much and anyway, it is not something you would use in your daily life.”
Jenny Foster, an 85-year-old British girl, was significantly curious about Twenties clothes, as she expressed her disappointment that the saga was coming to an finish.
“In fact, I shall probably watch it all again anyway now, because I’ve forgotten some of it now,” she stated.
The proceeds from the sale will probably be donated to UK kids’s charity “Together for Short Lives”.
© 2025 AFP