Casablanca Piano for Auction this Autumn

[Mirosae]

At Bonhams. Lucky new owner. If you get it "you must remember this...a kiss is just a kiss"..

[Mirosae]

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Maybe I am the only one who cares. .i might buy me a new piano then..

[CSM]

You have a link to the auction Rosa?

[Mirosae]

Not on the Web just yet. It is the November Auction....here is one of the articles on this. .

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/jul/22/casablanca-film-piano-auction-bonhams

[CSM]

Not on the Web just yet. It is the November Auction....here is one of the articles on this. .

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/jul/22/casablanca-film-piano-auction-bonhams

Thanks...expected to break $1 million...As Time Goes By indeed

[Mirosae]

I really have mixed feelings about this auction. it could go to a private collection never to be seen again ...

[jayn_j]

I really have mixed feelings about this auction. it could go to a private collection never to be seen again ...

Well, nothing is forever.  I see items being sold out of museum collections all the time into private hands, but I also see items going from private to museum collections as well.

An acquaintance of mine has an interesting hobby.  He is quite wealthy and runs a publishing company.  He spends years building a definitive collection of something.  Once he feels it is complete, he catalogs it and publishes a book.  He then sends it on a museum tour and when the tour completes he auctions it off at one of the major houses and starts a new collection.

I saw his collection of significant scientific papers, including DaVinci notebooks, Einstein working papers, early Manhattan project material, etc.

Later, he showed me his newer collection of medieval Islamic ceramics.  That has now been exhibited and sold as well.

The point is that at least some of these private collections are not hidden away, and for some collectors the thrill is in building the collection, and not so much in hoarding it.

[Mirosae]

^Good point.Yes sir.  True that some great private art collections can be seen in museums like the Museum Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, which i cannot believe it is all a private collection.

But I am more sceptical with large pieces like pianos.

I assume this will go to either: Mr Dollarov in Russia. Mr Dollar-Ying  in China.

Never to be seen again.

[CSM]

^Good point.Yes sir.  True that some great private art collections can be seen in museums like the Museum Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, which i cannot believe it is all a private collection.

But I am more sceptical with large pieces like pianos.

I assume this will go to either: Mr Dollarov in Russia. Mr Dollar-Ying  in China.

Never to be seen again.

You can still see it next time you watch Casablanca

[Mirosae]

You can still see it next time you watch Casablanca

True. I will watch it. Once or twice a year !

[erik1925]

I really have mixed feelings about this auction. it could go to a private collection never to be seen again ...

It is coming out of a private collection right now, after quite a number of years. TCM had a series of short interviews with the current owner/consignor over the summer, when this auction was being discussed on the channel. He has owned it for many years and felt it was time to pass it forward to the next generation of Casa/Bogie/Bergman admirers. If I recall, the current owner is a doctor.

http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/22196/preview_lot/4720865/

http://www.bonhams.com/press_release/17142/

[Mirosae]

It is coming out of a private collection right now, after quite a number of years. TCM had a series of short interviews with the current owner/consignor over the summer, when this auction was being discussed on the channel. He has owned it for many years and felt it was time to pass it forward to the next generation of Casa/Bogie/Bergman admirers. If I recall, the current owner is a doctor.

http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/22196/preview_lot/4720865/

http://www.bonhams.com/press_release/17142/

Must find this doctor. Need my Piano prescription pronto.. !

[Mirosae]

It's interesting to see how it looks like in person. Didn't realise it had all that flowery look. I will still take though..

[erik1925]

The piano sold today for: $ 2.9 Million !! (hammer)

One thing that several people observed when I was there looking at it...

The piano looks like it was completely repainted at some point. Every detail and color was vibrant and fresh, and it showed no signs of scratches, scuffs, or even tiny chips or dings.



And the main entrance doors to Rick's Cafe sold for: $ 92,000.00 (hammer)

[Neo]

I just mentioned those in the post-auction thread, also.

Good question about how much of the piano has been restored since the film.  It really is an impressive piece of history.

[erik1925]

The piano having been repainted-- this was being discussed among a small group when I was there.

That a prop from a film, being leaned on, glasses set on it, being stored in the prop dept, rolled around and bumped into set walls, chairs, etc and props are not always carefully handled.

And for it to look as pristine as it did a couple weeks ago... and without a single scratch anywhere.

Plus the paint looked too fresh and vibrant. And it may have been used in another, later film, and could have been totally repainted or even stained, for example, if the production needed a piano without that original pattern.

[CSM]

I always thought that piano was white for some reason!

[Mirosae]

 

[erik1925]

The piano was housed in a special custom made acrylic case.... no touching or sitting on the bench...lol

here's a pic I snapped:

[Mirosae]

Quite right. No patty fingers!!

I think it is beautiful.  Though  a bit disappointed it looks a bit too new and shiny...

[wonka]

When was it restored?

Bigger question is why was it restored?

[erik1925]

Dont know when it was restored.. and maybe it was also beat to hell (if it had remained in its original painted condition), after years of being shuffled around and stored (scratched, nicks (there actually were a few deep chips and nicks on some corners, at the top of the piano and on the bench, that had this Not been re-painted, would have shown the exposed wood in those damaged areas).

But these small areas of damage were also painted the same peach color as the rest. It basically looked like it was painted yesterday (not literally, of course, but it had that freshly painted look to it).

[wonka]

That's a shame.

[Ari]

The piano looks like it was completely repainted at some point. Every detail and color was vibrant and fresh, and it showed no signs of scratches, scuffs, or even tiny chips or dings.


And the main entrance doors to Rick's Cafe sold for: $ 92,000.00 (hammer)

Thats NUTS, although I guess its not the piano thats valuable but what it "is".
But everyone knows not to do this to even somewhat valuable things (polish a coin, or whatever).

Shame, buyer should play the bloody thing also.

[Neo]

Thats NUTS, although I guess its not the piano thats valuable but what it "is".
But everyone knows not to do this to even somewhat valuable things (polish a coin, or whatever).

Shame, buyer should play the bloody thing also.

In the auction description, it says Moroccan paint restoration executed in the early 1980s under the direction of Warner Bros. studio, and I think Jeff's right, that the whole piano was repainted.  

As Jeff also said, it could've been repainted at some point for use in another movie, or something similar, and then in the 80s, they decided to try to return it to how it originally was.

It would have been a lot cooler, with its original patina, IMO.  I'm starting to see why there's a trend with a lot of older stuff, that some of the most sought after items are those that are still in their original condition.  It's still an awesome piece, of course.