American Icon John Wayne’s Costumes, Awards and Documents in First Ever Public Auction This October

Memorabilia from John Wayne’s Personal and Professional Archives now being Cataloged by Heritage Auctions for Los Angeles Public Auction, Exhibitions in Dallas and New York

John Wayne's Golden Globe for True Grit

(Dallas, TX) April 5, 2011 — The family of legendary actor John Wayne will be offering an expansive collection of never-before-released personal and professional memorabilia from the movie star’s personal archives for public auction this fall. Among the items in the collection are one of the iconic black eye-patches worn by John Wayne in his 1969 Academy Award® winning role in True Grit, the cowboy hat he wore in the film’s 1975 sequel, Rooster Cogburn, and more than 400 other costumes, scripts, personal documents and awards that will be available to fans for the first time.

John Wayne Enterprises (www.JohnWayne.com) has appointed Heritage Auctions (www.HA.com), the world’s third largest auction house, to conduct the first ever single-owner auction from John Wayne’s personal archive. Public exhibitions of the John Wayne collection will be held in Dallas, Texas, September 16 – 18, 2011, and in New York City, September 23 – 25, 2011. The auction will take place at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles and online, October 3 – 6, 2011.

“My father’s fans were very important to him. He was open and accessible to them, and making these items accessible to the public is something that feels right,” said Ethan Wayne, President of John Wayne Enterprises. “Museums have large collections of my father’s personal property, and our family has had a chance to select and keep items sentimental to us. There is no need to keep this memorabilia locked away when it can be enjoyed by his fans.”

“The John Wayne collection is a time capsule of classic Hollywood and U.S. history that has remained carefully preserved by his family since John Wayne died 32 years ago in 1979,” added Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions. “We anticipate attracting a wide range of people to the auction, from serious collectors and loyal fans to movie fans and the simply curious.”

Among the additional items in the auction are John Wayne’s Golden Globe award for Best Actor for his role in True Grit; costumes from such movies as Sands of Iwo Jima and The Green Berets; and more than 50 movie scripts from such celebrated John Wayne films as True Grit, The Green Berets, Stagecoach, Rio Lobo, Hellfighters and The Sons of Katie Elder. Many of the scripts are annotated with John Wayne’s handwritten notes.

Personal items include John Wayne’s cowboy boots and cowboy hats; saddle and stand; personal correspondence with U.S. Presidents and Hollywood’s biggest stars of the era; correspondence and awards related to his affiliation with the University of Southern California; John Wayne’s driver’s license, passport and American Express card.

Pre-sale estimates range from $100 to $50,000 each depending on the item. Items offered in the auction will be accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from the Wayne family and Heritage Auctions.

For more information on the auction and exhibitions, contact Heritage Auctions at (800) 872-6467 or visit www.HA.com.

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