A remarkable treasure trove owned by Hollywood royalty Douglas Fairbanks Jr sold for a total of £18,800 yesterday <April 22> at Hansons Auctioneers’ Penshurst saleroom.
The star lot, which attracted interest from around the world, was a Cartier clasp owned by the star, which sold for £10,500, well beyond its guide price of £1,000-£1,500.
The haul had belonged to the famous star’s grandson – Tunbridge Wells builder Nick Weston – who had kept it under the bed for decades.
A rare original Disney celluloid, from the 1952 film Pluto’s Party with a handwritten dedication from the legendary animator, Walt Disney sold for £3,200, beating its pre-sale low estimate of £2,000.
On the rostrum Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons auctioneers, told the packed saleroom: “From Douglas Fairbanks Jr to Walt Disney it doesn’t get more Hollywood than that.”
The signed animation had been given to Nick Weston by the famous cartoonist when he was a baby.
He said: “It was grandad’s dad, Dougie Snr, who was very close to Walt Disney, but that friendship continued with my grandfather. Hence both my elder brother and I received signed celluloids when we were very young.”
Talking about the sapphire and diamond clasp, dated 1930, which sold for £10,500, the 61-year-old continued: “I didn’t realise it was by Cartier, that was something spotted by the valuer.”
An 18th-19th century Indian quatrefoil carved jade box, also exceeded expectation – having been expected to sell for £200-£300 – it fetched £1,500.
While an 18th-century tea and coffee set, sold for £840, selling to a buyer in Shanghai.
A silver salt cellar, dated 1808 by Paul Storr, one of England’s most prestigious Regency-era silversmiths, sold for four times its low estimate of £100 to hammer at £400.
Charles Hanson said: “Even without their incredible provenance directly linking this collection to one of Hollywood’s greatest stars, these were exceptional pieces which attracted worldwide interest with one of them now making its way to China. We were delighted with the result.”
Mr Weston is the son of the Fairbanks Jr’s eldest daughter, American-born debutante and socialite Daphne, who moved to the UK in 1948 and from whom he inherited most of the collection.
A silver beaker, which sold for £190, was engraved with the name Daphne, while a set of three gold tie pins, worn by the star of The Prisoner of Zenda, sold for £170.
Born in 1909, the younger Fairbanks followed in his father’s footsteps appearing in films such The Prisoner of Zenda (1937), Gunga Din (1939), and The Corsican Brothers (1941). He was also first married, briefly, to actress Joan Crawford.
Nick has warm memories of family holidays at Fairbanks’ Palm Beach mansion and at their plush Fifth Avenue apartment, with his grandfather and grandmother Mary Lee Fairbanks.
He said: “All the pieces in this month’s sale were given to me by my mother who died in 2016. They have been under the bed for decades collecting dust, so it was time to give them another home.”
Justin Matthews, regional director of Hansons Kent and Sussex, said: “It was an exceptional sale and great to bring some true Hollywood glitz to Kent.”
Auction Details
Auction: The Penshurst April Auction including: Titanic Related Memorabilia, Property of Douglas Fairbanks Jnr Family, Silver, Jewellery, Watches & Fine Art
Auction date: 22nd April 2026 | 10am
Location: Hansons’ Kent Saleroom
Auction contact: [email protected]
Catalogue/bidding: www.hansonslive.co.uk | www.the-saleroom.com
