Rare Book Monthly
Articles - November - 2006 Issue
Upcoming Auction: The Private World of Truman Capote
Being famous doesn't get you a good passport photo.
And then there is the jewelry. Don't look for cufflinks in this melange and don't think understated pearls either. Think three Margaritas and go from there.
There are photographs and they are personal, and almost painful. There is Capote at five, a child in Alabama circa 1927, who in time became the author, the subject of gossip, the wry wit. Someone will buy this photograph and say "you could see it coming." A photograph of his mother Nina in 1936 suggests extraordinary complexity, a necessary image in serious character studies of mother and son. There are also candid shots and supporting evidence for all those who hate to throw anything away. See! Someone is going to buy this stuff someday. Capote's someday is almost here.
The understated collector may be inclined to buy his prescription glasses. If your prescription does not match his you may also want to buy a cane. You'll need it. And then there are the hats and scarves. There are many. Wear one and only you will know its provenance. Like Paul Neuman who used to drive a VW with a Porsche engine under the hood the secret is in knowing what others would never guess. In that respect Capote was quite different. He intended to keep you guessing.
To view this sale click here: Bohams Sale 14244
