Fans of Frank Sinatra will have the chance to bid for items which once belonged to the late crooner when a collection of art and furniture from his first wife’s estate goes under the hammer.
Sinatra, one of the defining voices of 20th century popular music, married Nancy Barbato in New Jersey in 1939, before he became famous.
They had three children, including singer Nancy Jr, before divorcing in 1951 following Sinatra’s multiple affairs.
Sinatra, known as Ol’ Blue Eyes, died in 1998 at the age of 82. Nancy died in 2018 at the age of 101.
Now, items from her estate are going on sale in California, giving fans and collectors the chance to bid on the couple’s former possessions.
Highlights of the Julien’s Auctions sale in Beverly Hills include fine art collected by the Sinatras during the 1940s, including a painting of a snowy New York street by American impressionist Guy Carlton Wiggins, which is estimated to fetch between £46,000 and £61,000.
A bronze bust of Sinatra’s head by artist Robert S Berks, given by the late singer to Nancy, has a guide price of between £2,300 and £3,800.
A Steinway & Sons grand piano, purchased by the Sinatras in 1949 and said to have been played on or sung next to by artists including Nat King Cole, Sammy Cahn and George Burns, is expected to fetch between £23,000 and £38,000.
Furniture from the Sinatras’ estate in the hills of Los Angeles is also up for sale.
Jason Preston, of Jason Preston Art Advisory & Appraisals, said: “This tasteful and deeply personal collection of fine and decorative art and other collectables allows us to glimpse behind the curtain at the humble beginnings of the Sinatras as a dream-filled young couple from New Jersey who went on to lead glamorous lives in Hollywood, theirs becoming one of the most recognisable surnames on Earth, permanently synonymous with la dolce vita.”
Sinatra was married four times, including to actresses Ava Gardner and Mia Farrow.
At the time of his death, he was married to model Barbara Marx.
Nancy never remarried after divorcing Sinatra.
Speaking in 2015 about her grandparents’ relationship, AJ Lambert said: “I know he never stopped loving her. And I know she never stopped loving him.”
The auctions of items from Nancy Sinatra’s estate will take place live and online at Julien’s Auctions gallery in Beverly Hills on December 17.