Stanley Kubrick's personal archive items are set to go on sale at an upcoming auction next year. Among these items is the infamous axe used by Jack Nicholson in "The Shining," which could sell for between £30,000 and £50,000. The collection also includes other notable pieces such as a prop from "2001: A Space Odyssey" estimated to fetch up to £800,000, blue dresses worn by the Grady sisters expected to sell for between £40,000 and £60,000, and various annotated scripts of Kubrick's films.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-06,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Bonhams in London will auction the axe used by Jack Nicholson's character, Jack Torrance, in Stanley Kubrick's 1980 horror film The Shining. The axe, which appears prominently when Torrance tries to murder his wife Wendy with it, is estimated to sell for between £30,000 and £50,000. Other items from the auction include two blue dresses worn by the Grady twins and a clapperboard used during filming. The sale will also feature the Star Child prop from Kubrick's 1968 science fiction film 2001: A Space Odyssey, expected to fetch between £600,000 and £800,000. The auction will start with exhibitions in New York and Los Angeles before moving on to Paris and concluding in London from February 3rd onwards. Kubrick’s stepdaughter Katharina said the auction offers insight into his creative journey and influences on future filmmakers.
Written for “Shining Prop Auction” on 2026-10-06,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
Items from director Stanley Kubrick’s personal archive are to go to auction for the first time next year.
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Items → go → time
Kubrick, considered one of the greatest film-makers of all time, is known for works including 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), A Clockwork Orange (1971) and Eyes Wide Shut (1999).
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Kubrick → consider → 2001
The axe used by The Shining’s Jack Torrance (Nicholson) is estimated to sell for £30,000 to £50,000,
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axe → use → 50,000
In the film, Jack slammed the axe through a bathroom door as he attempted to murder his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) after losing his mind while staying at the Overlook Hotel.
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he → slam → Hotel
Other items for sale include the Star Child prop from 2001: A Space Odyssey, which is expected to fetch between £600,000 and £800,000.
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which → include → 600,000
The Star Child appears as a glowing foetus in the final scene of the 1968 science fiction epic.
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Child → appear → epic
Among the other memorabilia are the blue dresses worn by the Grady sisters from The Shining, which are expected to fetch between £40,000 and £60,000.
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which → wear → 40,000
Kubrick’s annotated copy of the film story treatment of Journey Beyond The Stars, the original working title of 2001: A Space Odyssey, is estimated to sell for between £30,000 and £50,000.
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copy → annotate → 30,000
The director’s annotated script for Lolita (1962) is expected to fetch between £40,000 and £60,000, while the annotated script for Spartacus (1960) is expected to sell for £20,000 to £40,000.
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script → annotate → 40,000
Other items include a clapperboard used on the set of The Shining, estimated to sell for £10,000 to £15,000, and the “Born To Kill” helmet from Full Metal Jacket (1987), estimated at the same price.
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items → include → price
Kubrick’s Taylor-Hobson Cooke Speed Panchro Director’s viewfinder, an optical tool used by cinematographers and bearing his initials “SK”, is also expected to sell for between £10,000 and £15,000.
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viewfinder → use → 10,000
Kubrick’s director’s chair could fetch between £8,000 and £12,000, and a cloak used in Eyes Wide Shut could fetch between £3,000 and £5,000.
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cloak → fetch → 3,000
His stepdaughter Katharina Kubrick said: “I believe Stanley is one of the few film directors whose life and movies continue to be extensively studied and revered, influencing, encouraging and inspiring current and new generations of movie-makers.
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life → say → makers
“Like all great artists he wasn’t afraid to ‘push the envelope’ to achieve his uncompromising vision in his quest to make beautiful, thought-provoking films.
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he → push → films
“His movies have stood the test of time and will continue to be relevant to our shared humanity as long as people love the art of great cinema.
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people → stand → cinema
“We are proud to be able to share with you some of the items from this unique collection, which we hope will find new homes and be cherished until it is time to pass them on to the next generation of film lovers.”
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it → share → lovers
Claire Tole-Moir, head of popular culture at auction house Bonhams, said: “A true visionary, Kubrick’s incredible influence cannot be overstated, and Bonhams is delighted to be able to bring his collection to auction.
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Bonhams → say → auction
“This is a landmark moment to get closer to some of the most iconic films ever made, explore Kubrick’s creative process and get to know more of the man behind the camera.”
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This → get → camera
The auction will take place on February 3, with an online auction ending on February 4 at 12pm.
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auction → take → pm
The Aporia
