They helped create some of Pink Floyd’s most recognisable music, shaping solos heard on albums such as The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall.
asserted
They → help → Moon
Yet in 2019, the guitarist decided to part with more than 120 pieces from his personal collection, sending them to auction at Christie’s in New York.
asserted
guitarist → decide → York
The sale brought in $21,490,750, and Gilmour donated the proceeds to ClientEarth, an environmental law charity working to tackle climate change and protect nature.
asserted
Gilmour → bring → nature
Christie’s described the event as the most valuable musical instruments sale in auction history at the time.
asserted
Christie → describe → time
For Gilmour, the decision was not simply about finding new homes for cherished guitars.
asserted
decision → find → guitars
He hoped their next chapter could help support a future in which people could continue to make music on a liveable planet.
uncertain
people → hop → planet
Many had accompanied Gilmour through decades of recording and performance, becoming part of the sound and history of Pink Floyd.
asserted
Many → accompany → Floyd
They included Fender Broadcasters, Esquires, Telecasters and Stratocasters, instruments he had chosen for their distinct qualities and kept over the years.
asserted
he → include → years
The most famous was the 1969 Fender Stratocaster known as “The Black Strat.”
asserted
famous → know → Strat
Gilmour used it on landmark Pink Floyd albums including The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals and The Wall.
asserted
You → use → Moon
When it sold for $3,975,000, it set a world auction record for a guitar, according to Christie’s.
uncertain
it → sell → Christie
The sale also featured a guitar used on “Wish You Were Here,” along with instruments connected to Gilmour’s solo work and other Pink Floyd recordings.
asserted
You → feature → work
Each item carried a story that went beyond its make or model.
asserted
that → carry → make
For fans, the instruments offered a tangible link to the music; for collectors, they represented rare pieces of rock history.
asserted
they → offer → history
A record-breaking auction
Pink Floyd's quote of the day shows that reality is defined by our perceptions and actions.
asserted
reality → break → perceptions
Christie’s held the auction in New York on June 20, 2019.
asserted
Christie → hold → June
The collection sold in its entirety, raising $21,490,750, or about $21.5 million.
asserted
collection → sell → 21,490,750
The auction attracted bidders from 66 countries and ran for eight hours, reflecting the worldwide interest in Gilmour’s instruments.
asserted
auction → attract → instruments
The Black Strat drew the most attention, but it was not the only guitar to command an extraordinary price.
asserted
it → draw → price
The sale established multiple records and became a landmark event for musical instruments at auction.
asserted
sale → establish → auction
Christie’s called it the largest and most comprehensive guitar sale of its kind.
asserted
Christie → call → kind
Gilmour had announced before the auction that all proceeds would go to ClientEarth.
asserted
proceeds → announce → ClientEarth
The decision gave the event a purpose beyond collecting and memorabilia.
asserted
decision → give → collecting
Every bid contributed to an environmental law organisation whose work is often less visible than frontline conservation, but which seeks to change the rules and decisions that affect the natural world.
asserted
that → contribute → world
ClientEarth uses law to address environmental problems, including climate change and the protection of nature.
asserted
ClientEarth → use → nature
Rather than operating as a traditional advocacy group alone, it works with lawyers, scientists and policy experts to challenge harmful practices and strengthen environmental protections, as per reports.
asserted
it → operate → reports
In its June 2019 announcement, ClientEarth said Gilmour had donated the money raised from the collection to support its efforts to tackle the climate crisis.
asserted
Gilmour → say → crisis
The organisation’s chief executive, James Thornton, called the gift an extraordinary boost to its work using the law to address environmental problems.
asserted
executive → call → problems
Gilmour explained his motivation in a statement shared by ClientEarth.
asserted
Gilmour → explain → ClientEarth
He described the global climate crisis as humanity’s greatest challenge and said he hoped the sale would help the charity use the law to bring about real change.
asserted
charity → describe → change
He added that he wanted a civilised world that would continue for future generations, where guitars could still be played and songs could still be sung.
uncertain
songs → add → generations
Gilmour’s instruments had helped produce work that reached millions of people.
asserted
that → help → people
By giving away the auction proceeds, he turned that cultural legacy into support for an organisation seeking lasting legal and policy change.
asserted
he → give → change
Letting the guitars move on
Gilmour later said the guitars had been very good to him, but that it was time for them to move on.
asserted
them → let → him
The sale meant parting with instruments that had accompanied him through important moments in his career, including the creation and performance of music that remains part of Pink Floyd’s legacy.
asserted
that → mean → legacy
For the buyers, the guitars became prized possessions.
asserted
guitars → become → buyers
For ClientEarth, their sale provided resources for environmental work.
asserted
sale → provide → work
The auction transformed objects with individual histories into a single, substantial donation.
asserted
auction → transform → donation
That decision also brought attention to the role of environmental law.
asserted
decision → bring → law
Climate change and biodiversity loss can feel too large for individual action, but legal challenges and policy changes can influence how governments and businesses respond.
asserted
governments → feel → action
…and 9 more, not listed.
The Aporia
