The book collection owned by the late Rolling Stone drummer and dubbed as the 'best collection of modern first editions' is set to go under the hammer at an auction in London.
- Jul 16, 2023
AceShowbiz - Charlie Watts' modern literature collection is being listed for auction - and one of the tomes is expected to fetch up to £300,000. The Rolling Stones drummer - who passed away in August 2021 aged 80 - was a huge bibliophile, amassing an impressive collection of several first editions, including one of "The Great Gatsby", which features a message from the author F. Scott Fitzgerald to MGM Screenwriter Harold Goldman.
"For Harold Goldman, the original 'Gatsby' of this story, with thanks for letting me reveal these secrets of his past," the inscription reads.
The book, which has an estimated price of £200,000 to £300,000, leads the upcoming Christie's auction, which will take place in London on September 28, and an online sale will run from September 15 to 29. Charlie's books have been described as the "best collection of modern first editions" that have come to auction in the past 20 years.
Another item set to be auctioned includes Welsh poet Dylan Thomas's copy of his first collection, "18 Poems", and there are first editions of Agatha Christie, PG Wodehouse, and James Joyce works.
Mark Wiltshire, a books and manuscripts specialist at Christie's, told The Guardian newspaper the collection reflects "an incredibly sensitive curiosity about the very best of literature."
Late star Charlie's jazz memorabilia, including an annotated printed score for George Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess", is also being auctioned off.
Following Charlie's death in August 2021, his Rolling Stones band members Sir Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood described him as the "heartbeat" of the group.
They said in a joint statement, "Charlie was the heartbeat of the Rolling Stones for nearly 60 years, he was totally unique and devoted to jazz and literature from boyhood. He was the quintessential English gentleman and his absence is a great loss for us all. We miss him hugely."
Charlie's wife Shirley died in December aged 82.
