Stephen Sondheim’s Possessions to Be Auctioned

Doyle auctioneers and appraisers has announced that it will hold an auction of items belonging to the late composer Stephen Sondheim on Tuesday, June 18, at 10am.

A puzzle enthusiast with a taste for Victorian and Edwardian curiosities, Sondheim amassed a collection of antique board games and coin-operated machines, which will be sold at auction alongside various pieces of furniture. The auction catalog will be available on May 20, with the public invited to view the exhibition from June 14 through 17 at Doyle in New York. Highlights are already on display at the auction house’s website.

Sondheim composed some of the most notable musicals of the 20th century, including Company, Follies, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, and Assassins. He died in 2021, leaving behind a sizable estate, including a Manhattan townhouse and a Connecticut country home. The antiques and collectibles to be auctioned come from those properties.

The first item featured for auction is Sondheim’s Gold record for the recording of West Side Story, for which he wrote the lyrics. Doyle estimates the value between $1,000 and $1,500.