Icons in Ink | The Clive Bullimore Collection of Autographs

Clive Bullimore, a former stockbroker, dedicated more than 70 years of his life to amassing this expansive autograph collection, making it a testament to his unwavering passion. Commuting from Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire to his job at the London Stock Exchange during the week, Clive would spend his Saturdays scouring London’s smart hotels, theatres, record stores, and TV studios in pursuit of celebrities. Armed with tips gathered from the press, and weekly exchanges of information with fellow autograph enthusiasts, he would often rely on sheer luck when visiting the BBC studios. For the Hollywood stars who rarely ventured to the UK, Clive would reach out by sending letters accompanied by stamped addressed envelopes, requesting signed photographs or personal notes.

^{Clive & Margaret Bullimore}

Even after retiring in 1992, Clive continued his autograph-collecting endeavours, utilising the internet as a valuable resource. However, he still embarked on travels to meet actors, musicians, sports personalities, politicians, and other notable figures face-to-face, documenting numerous encounters over the years. Clive’s autograph hunting was interrupted when the Covid lockdown was announced and he subsequently spent the next two years in isolation with his wife, during which time he meticulously organised the collection and made the decision to prepare it for sale.

^{The Who full set: six autographs on white card (£300-500)}

This vast collection encompasses over 100,000 autographs from around 60,000 different individuals, divided into 600 lots across three distinct categories. Among the offerings are approximately 100 lots of individual autograph albums, each featuring multiple and diverse signatures. These albums include notable names such as Jack Bruce (Cream), Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran), Slash (Guns N’ Roses), Robin Gibb (Bee Gees), and Suggs (Madness). Another example contains signatures from Elaine Paige, Colin Firth, Yoko Ono, Meat Loaf, Jean-Claude Van Dame, and many more.

^{Harry Potter: forty-six autographs on white card, 10.5 x 15cm, including Alan Rickman, Richard Harris, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham-Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Zoe Wanamaker, Timothy Spall, John Hurt, Richard Griffiths, Warwick Davis, Dawn French, Frances de la Tour, Gary Oldman and Eric Sykes (£300-500)}

Of particular interest to science-fiction enthusiasts are collections from Star Trek, Doctor Who and Star Wars amongst others. There is also a series of signed photos and flyers by actors from the James Bond franchise, including the signatures of Sean Connery, Roger Moore, George Lazenby, and Pierce Brosnan. An intriguing addition to this lot is a set of seven postcards, each signed by Moore, one for each of his Bond films.

^{DIANA ROSS (SIGNED): Secrets of a Sparrow, Memoirs (£100-150)}

Notably, nearly half of the photographs in the collection were taken by Clive himself and included is a compilation of 71 different photos featuring female musicians, including Nana Mouskouri, Dolly Parton, Linda McCartney, Diana Ross, and Dame Vera Lynn.

^{AUTOGRAPH PHOTOS & FLYERS (MUSIC): approximately one hundred and fifty (£150-250)}

The sports section of the collection encompasses three autographs from George Best and a majority of the 1966 World Cup-winning team. Additionally, there are 68 lots of vinyl records, many of which are early pressings, signed by one or more of the artists responsible for their creation. Noteworthy among them is a copy of ‘Let It Bleed’ by The Rolling Stones, signed by Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, and Ronnie Wood, and a collection of 40 video cassettes, records and CDs by the Spice Girls, mostly signed by one or more members of the quintet.

^{Rolling Stones original line-up: four autographs on white card, 10.5 x 15cm, comprising Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor (£250-350)}

Among the collection’s personal connections is Clive’s multiple encounters with the late Amy Winehouse. The auction includes a sheet of card inscribed with ‘Hiya Clive! Happy new year Amy xx’ and a copy of the single ‘Take the Box’ inscribed with ‘Hi Clive! Nice to see you again! God bless Amy xx’.

^{Amy Winehouse autograph, 'Hiya Clive enjoy the show! Love Amy x', on large white album page, 15 x 21cm (£500-800)}

The Clive Bullimore Autograph Collection promises to captivate both avid collectors and enthusiasts of 20th-century popular culture. With its sheer volume and diversity, it is a true testament to Clive’s dedication and serves as a time capsule of the era’s iconic figures.

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