Major Auction of Oscar Wilde Manuscripts, Letters, and Photos at Bonhams

Bonhams has announced a major sale dedicated to Oscar Wilde's life and works which will take place on February 18.

It will feature the collection of noted Wilde collector, bibliophile, and former dealer in Oriental antiques Jeremy Mason who has been collecting Wilde memorabilia for the last 60 years.

Highlights of the collection include:

• a portrait of Wilde by famous New York photographer Sarony taken in 1882 with the author in his velvet coat, knee-breeches, silk stockings, and patent leather shoes
• a first edition of Salome inscribed by Wilde in French to his collaborator, the American poet Stuart Merrill
• an autograph letter signed to critic Ada Leverson, dated February 1895, thanking her for a glowing review of the first night of The Importance of Being Earnest and another signed from Wilde to Violet Fane on vegetarianism
• the 1900 bill for flowers at Oscar Wilde's funeral made out to Robert Ross amounting to 77 francs submitted by Maison Helbig of Paris
• two unpublished letters to a child, Beatrice Faudel-Phillips, in which Wilde warns that "People who break their engagements .....eventually become so stout, that their waistcoats don't fit them, and the Doctors don't allow them to eat whipped cream, ices, or indeed sweet things of any description" and describes himself as a "wall flower" who does not dance any more
• The Picture of Dorian Gray (London, Ward and Lock, 1891) and The Ballad of Reading Gaol (Leonard Smithers, 1898), both signed by Wilde
• material relating to Wilde's lover Lord Alfred Douglas

Jeremy Mason began collecting Wilde collecting when he bougth actor Ernest Thesiger's first edition copy of The Importance of Being Earnest. "The collection just grew from there and now contains books, letters and manuscripts from each period of Wilde's life from childhood, school years, America, his fame as an author, the theatre 'golden years', and the tragedy and exile," he said. "Most importantly the collection has been enhanced by the inclusion of evocative items of ephemera which have added colour to the Wilde story and were so important to me when deciding which other items to add."