Margaret Fonteyn’s ballet shoes and a theatre costume said to be painted by Matisse are set to go under the hammer this month.
The items were collected by Walter Johnson, from Furness, and are being sold by 1818 Auctioneers.
Walter, now in his 80s, performed on the London stage and later lectured on musical theatre, literature and antiques.
Over 30 lots from Walter’s collection feature in the auction.
Valuer Annia Zalewski, 1818 Auctioneer’s textile expert, said there were some truly unique items, making valuing their worth tricky.
Annia said: “For instance there’s a vibrant hand painted silk costume from Stravinsky’s le Rossignol at Covent Garden. Thought to be from the first production and painted by Matisse. It could attract bids of between £800 to £1,200, but it could easily make much more.
“There’s also a rare folio of 10 black, white and gold prints depicting the early 20th century legendary Polish-born Russian ballet dancer Vaslav Nijinsky. I’ve valued that at £600 to £800.
“And a pair of ballet shoes, said to have been worn by Margot Fonteyn, accompanied by five postcards showing the iconic British ballet dancer, could go for £400 to £600.
“It’s a very special collection. Walter’s school friends may have had a hand in helping him to amass it. Edward Mariam and Victor Hackett worked in the costume department at Covent Garden and Victor went on to become a renowned designer and costume maker.
“It’s already attracting lots of interest and Walter is keen for these unique items to find a new home.”.
After completing his National Service in the Royal Army Medical Corp, Walter stayed in the south to study at Harefield Hospital. But he was also drawn to the theatre and to acting and was trained in singing and dancing at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Walter went on to perform at the 20th Century Theatre and the Rudolph Steiner Theatre. Also an expert in literature, antiques and musical theatre he lectured for Lancashire and Cumbria colleges.
Walter gave TV interviews too. For ITV Granada in 1966 on the Furness Abbey Mystery Plays, in which he appeared. In 1968 ITV Border interviewed him as a ceramics expert, as did ITV Thames in the 1980s on Josiah Wedgwood. At the age of 80 in 2016 he retired from lecturing having visited 336 towns, villages and cities in nine countries.
