Flannie

TERENCE STAMP

Until 25 June, Bonhams auctions a collection of iconic and intimate items belonging to Terence Stamp. A glance at these pieces reminds us that he was one of the most stylish artists in England during more than 60 years.

A Louis Vuitton rigid ‘Alzer’ suitcase,

circa 1950/60,
serial no. 848039, with Avenue Marceau 78 label to the interior, front with previous owner’s initials ‘F.V.P’ (Frederik Van Pallandt), with Terence Stamp’s travel tags attached to the handle including: three BA executive club cards (1x silver, 2x bronze) for Terence H Stamp, penthouse priority Queen II tag, with keys, restored by LV with accompanying card, together with magazine where it is pictured

Frederik Van Pallandt was a Dutch singer best known as the male, guitar-playing half of the singing duo Nina & Frederik, which was together from the late 1950s to the late 1960s. Frederik and Terence Stamp starred together in the obscure 1975 French science fiction film ‘Hu-Man’, directed by Jérôme Laperrousaz. Stamp played the lead role of Terence, while van Pallandt played a character named Frédérik in a story about experimental time travel.

Claire Tole-Moir, Head of Popular Culture at Bonhams, adds:

“Terence Stamp was not only an incredible actor whose long and varied career gave us many celebrated performances, he was also a defining figure of London in the swinging sixties, emblematic of a certain style and charm. From Stepney to Mayfair, Stamp was a true Londoner. From the photographs of Terry O’Neill, Terence Donovan and David Bailey to his relationships with Jean Shrimpton and Julie Christie, and friendship with Princess Diana, this sale showcases the many sides of Terence Stamp, from costumes and scripts to his own furniture and fashion pieces, personal letters and era defining photographs.”

Jean Shrimpton and Terence Stamp were an iconic couple of the « Swinging Sixties » (c. 1964–1967), embodying the style and spirit of the era. A celebrated supermodel and an emerging film star, they attracted constant media attention and were widely regarded as one of London’s most glamorous pairings.

While Stamp later described Shrimpton as the love of his life, their relationship – though intense – lasted only a few years. Shrimpton reflected that her feelings were more rooted in an infatuation with his appearance, whereas Stamp remembered her as his first ‘steady girlfriend’. Their relationship came to an end when Shrimpton decided to leave, feeling that Stamp struggled to express the depth of his emotions. The split deeply affected him, coinciding with a downturn in his acting career and prompting him to step back from Hollywood for a time.

Born in Stepney, East London, in 1938, Terence Stamp came to prominence in the 1960s alongside fellow working-class actors, Albert Finney, Michael Caine (with whom Stamp once shared a flat), and Tom Courtenay. His first film role came in 1962 when Stamp was cast as the titular character in Peter Ustinov’s adaptation of Herman Melville’s Billy Budd, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. With a background on the stage, in 1964, Stamp went to Broadway to star in Bill Naughton’s Alfie. He later turned down the film adaptation, instead recommending his friend Michael Caine for the role. Stamp then starred in William Wyler’s The Collector (1965), an adaptation of the bestselling novel by John Fowles, winning the best actor award at that year’s Cannes Film Festival.

This was soon followed by a role in Joseph Losey’s Modesty Blaise (1966) opposite Monica Vitti. The next year, he appeared in one of his standout roles, as Sergeant Troy in John Schlesinger’s adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd, which was soon followed by appearance in Ken Loach’s ‘kitchen sink’ drama Poor Cow.

In 1968, Stamp moved into Italian cinema staring in Federico Fellini Spirits of the Dead and Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Teorema. He then starred as Arthur Rimbaud in Nelo Risi’s A Season in Hell (1971).

Following the end of a much-publicised relationship with the supermodel Jean Shrimpton, Stamp spent long periods over the next eight years at an ashram in Pune, in Maharashtra, India, meditating and studying the teachings of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.

He returned to the limelight as the arch villain General Zod in Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980). Then followed Oliver Stone’s Wall Street (1987), and Steven Soderbergh’s The Limey (1999). In 1994, in a departure from anything he had done before, Stamp starred as a drag queen in Stephan Elliott’s cult comedy classic The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994).

Stamp starred in a diverse array of films in later years including Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), Song for Marion (2012), and Tim Burton’s Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (2016), Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho (2021). Before he died, he reprised his role in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert 2, which is set to be released later this year.

ICONIC VESTIAIRE

Terence Stamp: A Reid & Taylor Three-piece Grey Suit worn as ‘Thompson’ in The Adjustment Bureau

Jacket with Scabal Silver Gander by Reid & Taylor label, Scotland, matching waistcoat with same Reid & Taylor label, together with matching trousers with Loro Piana label STAMP T. and dated 9-09-10, with brown Thurston braces, together with a photo still from The Adjustment Bureau picturing Terence wearing an identical suit, No size

A Three-piece Green/Yellow Checked Suit worn for his role as ‘Frank Troy’ in Far from the Madding Crowd

Warner-Pathé, circa 1967,
matching jacket, waistcoat and trousers, each with L & H Nathan label with Terence Stamp’s name to the inside, accompanied by a photograph of Stamp in the suit taken by Tony Richmond

Terence Stamp: A Grey ‘Prince of Wales’ Check Anderson & Sheppard Suit worn by Terence Stamp for his role as ‘Sir Larry Wildman’ in Wall Street

20th Century Fox, 1987,
custom-made, cotton double-breasted suit jacket, matching trousers with label to inside leg reading Anderson & Sheppard, 30 Saville Row, London, ‘C5078 T.STAMP ESQ’, label also dated 22/4/87, together with grey braces with brown leather straps