Being offered for sale this month is the ultimate piece of ephemera for the field of books. This one pertains to the great twentieth century writer Truman Capote, noted for In Cold Blood, and the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's, among other titles. Some claim he helped write To Kill a Mockingbird, but that's just rumor. For those who want to own the ultimate Truman Capote collectible, on September 23, you will have a chance to buy Truman himself. Literally.
You won't have to worry about violating the 13th amendment proscription against slavery, or the Emancipation Proclamation. Capote has been dead for over 30 years. What is for sale is Capote's remains. Truman Capote's ashes will be auctioned off in Los Angeles on September 23.
There is a story behind this. There has to be. Capote was a personality. Quite short, opinionated, and with an odd voice, he became a favorite of talk show hosts in the 1960's. He was the polar opposite of his Alabama neighbor and reclusive author Harper Lee. Among the shows on which he regularly appeared was Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. He became friendly with Carson (to whatever extent it was possible to become friends with the ultra-reclusive Carson), and his wife at the time, second wife Joanne Carson. Johnny and Joanne divorced in 1972. He had a roving eye. Carson would marry twice more. However, while celebrity wives often are shunned by "friends" when no longer a connection to a famous person, Capote remained a loyal friend to Joanne Carson. They couldn't have been closer, though not physically romantic. Capote was gay.
Indeed, Capote would have a writing room in Joanne Carson's California home. He encouraged her to write an autobiography, edited what she wrote, and pushed it to his publisher. Joanne never got beyond the first chapter. She wanted to write something upbeat, but publishers wanted dirt. Years later, Carson's estranged former lawyer wrote all of the dirt imaginable about Johnny Carson and had no trouble getting it published. Joanne only wanted to say nice things about her former husband.
Capote's lifestyle matched his personality. He burned himself out. The official cause of death on August 25, 1984, at the age of 59, was a combination of liver disease, phlebitis, and intoxication from multiple drugs. He died in Joanne Carson's home. Three days later, his body was cremated. Some of the ashes went to his lover, Jack Dunphy, the rest to Joanne Carson. When Dunphy died in 1992, his share of Capote's ashes, along with his own, were scattered over a lake where they lived. Only Joanne's share of his ashes remain.
Capote lived an interesting life, which his remains continued after his death. In 1988, his ashes were stolen from a Halloween party hosted by Mrs. Carson. That sounds properly ghoulish for a Halloween celebration. A few days later, they were returned – thrown onto her back steps from a car. Not surprisingly, no one took credit. Other attempts were made to steal Capote's remains. Joanne became paranoid over their theft. She declined an invitation a few years back to bring them and herself to an opening of Breakfast at Tiffany's in New York for fear they would be stolen again. For whatever reason, Joanne found possessing Capote's remains comforting. Unlike Johnny, Capote never left her.
Joanne herself passed on in 2015. She was 83. With that, the guardian of Capote's last remains was left in limbo. What to do with them? The answer is what is being done with other artifacts from her estate, including many items related to Capote. They are going up for auction. They will be sold at Julien's Auctions in Los Angeles. The auction house evidently felt a little squeamish at first about selling someone's remains, but got over it. According to Vanity Fair, the auction house's CEO explained that despite some concerns about appearing disrespectful, they believed the publicity-seeking and shock-loving Capote would have gotten a kick out of this (if he were still kicking). And if Christie's could sell Napoleon's penis, this is downright tame.
If you would like to bid on Truman Capote's ashes, here is a link. They come in a tasteful, carved Japanese wooden box. There is also a box from the Westwood Village Mortuary, dated August 28, 1984, with a label noting what it contained. Julien's has placed an estimate of $4,000 - $6,000 on it, but I suspect this is a significant low ball. Look for serious Capote collectors to bid this one up. After all, like Capote when he was alive, this is a one of a kind.
Forum Auctions Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper 29th May 2025
Forum, May 29: Darwin (Charles). On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, first edition, John Murray, 1859. £50,000 to £70,000.
Forum, May 29: Astronomy.- Apianus (Petrus). Cosmographicus Liber a Petro Apiano Mathematico Studiose Collectus., first edition, Landshut, 1524. £40,000 to £60,000.
Forum, May 29: Bound for Jean Grolier.- Negri Stefano. Stephani Nigri Elegantissime è Graeco authorum subditorum translationes, uidelicet., first edition, first issue, Milan, 1521. £15,000 to £20,000.
Forum, May 29: Gill (Eric). Eve, number 1 of 50, hand-coloured wood-engraving, signed at foot in pencil, [1926]. £6,000 to £8,000.
Forum Auctions Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper 29th May 2025
Forum, May 29: America.- Warre (Capt. Henry James). Sketches in North America and the Oregon Territory, first edition, Dickinson & Co., 1848. £25,000 to £35,000.
Forum, May 29: Wodehouse (P.G.) Psmith USA, autograph manuscript of his novel "Psmith Journalist", signed and dated at end and dated "11 November 1909, Hotel Earle, 103 Waverley Place". £15,000 to £20,000.
Forum, May 29: Women.- Wollstonecraft (Mary). A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: with Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects, first edition, uncut in original boards, 1792. £6,000 to £8,000.
Forum, May 29: Mathematics.- Whitehead (Alfred North) and Bertrand Russell. Principia Mathematica, 3 vol., first editions, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1910-13. £20,000 to £30,000.
Ketterer Rare Books Auction May 26th
Ketterer, May 26: Th. McKenney & J. Hall, History of the Indian tribes of North America, 1836-1844. Est: €50,000
Ketterer, May 26:Biblia latina vulgata, manuscript on thin parchment, around 1250. Est: €70,000
Ketterer, May 26: M. Beckmann, Fanferlieschen Schönefüßchen, 1924. Est: €10,000
Ketterer Rare Books Auction May 26th
Ketterer, May 26: A. Ortelius, Theatrum orbis terrarum, 1574. Est: €50,000
Ketterer, May 26: M. S. Merian, Eurcarum ortus, alimentum et paradoxa metamorphosis, 1717-18. Est: €6,000
Ketterer, May 26:PAN, 9 volumes, 1895-1900. Est: €12,000
Ketterer Rare Books Auction May 26th
Ketterer, May 26: Breviarium Romanum, Latin manuscript, 1474. Est: €15,000
Ketterer, May 26: Quran manuscript from the Saadian period, Maghreb, 16th century. Est: €10,000
Ketterer, May 26: E. Hemingway, The old man and the sea, 1952. First edition in first issue jacket. Presentation copy. Est: €3,000
Ketterer Rare Books Auction May 26th
Ketterer, May 26: Flavius Vegetius Renatus, De re militari libri quatuor, 1553. Est: €3,000
Ketterer, May 26: K. Marx, Das Kapital, 1867. Est: €30,000
Ketterer, May 26: Brassaï, Transmutations, 1967. Est: €6,000
Doyle The Collection of Mary Tyler Moore June 4, 2025
DOYLE: Peter Max, Portrait of Mary Tyler Moore (Versions 1,2, 5, 6), 2001. Estimate $10,000-15,000
DOYLE: The iconic screen-used wall-mounted "M" from The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Estimate $5,000-8,000
DOYLE: The Mary Tyler Moore Show by Al Hirschfeld. Estimate $4,000-6,000
Doyle The Collection of Mary Tyler Moore June 4, 2025
DOYLE: Annie Leibovitz presents Mary Tyler Moore and Dick Van Dyke for Vanity Fair. Estimate $4,000-6,000
DOYLE: Al Hirschfeld presents Mary Tyler Moore and Dick Van Dyke in the CBS Wednesday Night Lineup. Estimate $4,000-6,000
DOYLE: Richard McKenzie, Portrait of Mary Tyler Moore. Estimate $1,000-2,000
Doyle The Collection of Mary Tyler Moore June 4, 2025
DOYLE: Three Original Bill Hargate Costume Designs for The Mary Tyler Moore Hour. Estimate $600-800
DOYLE: The famous Bonnie and Clyde "Wanted" broadside. Estimate $500-800
DOYLE: Ticket to the Final Episode of the Mary Tyler Moore Show Estimate $400-600
Sotheby's Sell Your Fine Books & Manuscripts
Sotheby’s: The Shem Tov Bible, 1312 | A Masterpiece from the Golden Age of Spain. Sold: 6,960,000 USD
Sotheby’s: Ten Commandments Tablet, 300-800 CE | One of humanity's earliest and most enduring moral codes. Sold: 5,040,000 USD
Sotheby’s: William Blake | Songs of Innocence and of Experience. Sold: 4,320,000 USD
Sotheby’s: The Declaration of Independence | The Holt printing, the only copy in private hands. Sold: 3,360,000 USD
Sotheby's Sell Your Fine Books & Manuscripts
Sotheby’s: Thomas Taylor | The original cover art for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Sold: 1,920,000 USD
Sotheby’s: Machiavelli | Il Principe, a previously unrecorded copy of the book where modern political thought began. Sold: 576,000 GBP
Sotheby’s: Leonardo da Vinci | Trattato della pittura, ca. 1639, a very fine pre-publication manuscript. Sold: 381,000 GBP
Sotheby’s: Henri Matisse | Jazz, Paris 1947, the complete portfolio. Sold: 312,000 EUR
One of a Kind Auctions Rare Autograph and Documents Ending May 29th, 2025
One of a Kind Auctions, May 29: George Washington Three Language Ship's Paper West Indies Trade Voyage.
One of a Kind Auctions, May 29: An Extraordinary Archive of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry: Over 60 Historic Documents, Naval Commissions, Family Papers, and Photographic Material Spanning the 19th Century.
One of a Kind Auctions, May 29: Abraham Lincoln Appointment for Vice-Consul of Russia.
One of a Kind Auctions Rare Autograph and Documents Ending May 29th, 2025
One of a Kind Auctions, May 29: John Adams Signed Mediterranean Scalloped Top ship's passport.
One of a Kind Auctions, May 29: Thomas Jefferson and James Madison Signed Ships Paper.
One of a Kind Auctions, May 29: Herman Melville RARE -ALS (Moby Dick Author).
One of a Kind Auctions Rare Autograph and Documents Ending May 29th, 2025
One of a Kind Auctions, May 29: Apollo 10: Flown Flag and Patch Display with Crew-Signed Covers from the Collection of NASA Engineer Clark C. McClelland.
One of a Kind Auctions, May 29: James Garfield Rare Signature as President - Possibly the largest Autograph as President almost 6 inches long!
One of a Kind Auctions, May 29: Walt Disney Autograph over 7 inches in Length.