The collection are just one of the lots on offer at Christie’s auction of Popular Culture: Film and Entertainment Memorabilia which takes place on 23 November 2011.
Addressed to Dean’s on-off girlfriend of two years, Barbara Glenn, the letters provide candid accounts of his private life before becoming a star, sent from out-of-town tryouts for The Immoralist in Philadelphia and from behind the scenes of his first foray into Hollywood, the celebrated East of Eden.
The emotional letters, which reveal the strains of Dean’s work and their long distance relationship, are to be offered along with copies of unpublished private family photographs of the couple directly from the son of Barbara Glenn – filmmaker Keith Gordon.
Neil Roberts, Head of Popular Culture says the auction house “is honoured to be offering these unique letters for auction for the very first time, providing a tangible insight into the mind of the film star James Dean.
“The letters have been treasured for nearly half a century, and will be sold during the 80th anniversary of his birth. They reveal a private side of Dean‟s character far removed from his public persona – the young man who became a screen legend – a lonely, insecure, and caring person, dedicated to his craft.”
The full sale catalogue will be available mid-October at www.christies.com/calendar