RR Auctions of Amherst, New Hampshire recently sold at auction an annotated copy of the final draft of Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The winning bid was $306,000. Revisions and corrections including the change of the principal character's name from Connie Gustafson to Holly Golightly are in the author’s hand. Breakfast at Tiffany’s is Mr. Capote’s classic account of society life in New York.
The buyer, Igor Sosin, a Russian, placed bids from his private jet as he streaked across the skies of southern Europe, a scenario Mr. Capote would have appreciated.
Bids were placed online over 17 days. As the sale drew to a close an American collector went toe to toe with his European opponent, each bid answered by Mr. Sosin with a “dah”, Russian for yes and then, with the bidding over, one imagines “felicitations” as he was landing in Nice. Mr. Capote was a student of language and would have appreciated the heated competition.
May I speak further on Mr. Capote’s behalf? I think he’d like to have his text placed in Lenin’s tomb for an hour or so. It would warm the place up.
Exhibitions are anticipated in Moscow and Monaco.
RR Auctions, that in 2012 had a spectacular year, is doing even better in 2013. Bobby Livingstone, speaking on behalf of the company said, “unique and interesting collectibles are hot right now. This market is helping us to set records.” Truman would agree.
