Stephen Sondheim's Thesaurus Just Sold for More Than $25,000
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Just this week, the late Stephen Sondheim's personal collection went up for auction.
Given that Sondheim was an iconic composer and lyricist, known for his work on for West Side Story, Gypsy, Follies, Sweeney Todd, and Into the Woods, a number of pieces of Broadway memorabilia featured in the sale from Doyle Auctions, but it also included antique furnishings and puzzles. In total, the auction brought in over $1.5 million.
While some of the items sold nod to Sondheim's professional accomplishments, they also give us a glimpse into his personal life. Highlights include his gold record for the soundtrack of the 1961 film adaptation of West Side Story (sold for $44,800), and the gold record for the 1957 original Broadway cast recording of the same show (sold for $28,800). Manuscripts from Into the Woods with the lyrics, "Care the things you say, Children will listen..." sold for $25,600, and another with the lyrics "Into the woods, it's time to go/I hate to leave, I have to, though..." sold for $16,640.
Notably, loud gasps from the auction audience were emitted as the first of four volumes of Sondheim's thesaurus collection sold for $25,600, and the second lot of his crossword books sold for the same amount. Also from his personal collection was a stack of personalized Crane stationery, coupled with a signed spiral notebook, which sold for $15,360. His Blackwing pencils (from the 1940s-1950s) sold for $6,400. "I use Blackwing pencils. They don't make 'em anymore, and luckily, I bought a lot of boxes of 'em," Sondheim once said according to a press release.
The theater world legend is best remembered for his musical compositions which were considered complex and challenged the traditional conventions of musical genres. He passed away in his Connecticut home in 2021, and his Manhattan townhouse was put on the market last year.
To view the full results, visit doyle.com.
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