STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Some other news now. The late owner of the Indianapolis Colts, Jim Irsay, collected instruments played by Bob Dylan, the Beatles, Miles Davis and other legends. When he died last year, his family contacted Christie's auction house to make close to 400 items available, and they are up for auction this month.
NATHALIE FERNEAU: Jim Irsay was a remarkably passionate collector. I think he's most well known for his guitar collection. And I think a great example of that is Kurt Cobain's Fender Mustang that was used in the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" music video.
(SOUNDBITE OF NIRVANA SONG, "SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT")
FERNEAU: I'm Nathalie Ferneau and I'm head of sale for the Jim Irsay collection at Christie's. I mean, that's a music video that I think really resonates with an entire generation, and right in the middle of it all is Kurt Cobain on this blue guitar. It's what Cobain was touring with and then actually famously smashing up. The evidence of that incident is still visible on the guitar.
(SOUNDBITE OF NIRVANA SONG, "SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT")
FERNEAU: I think another highlight is Tiger. So that's Jerry Garcia's really recognizable guitar.
(SOUNDBITE OF GRATEFUL DEAD SONG, "TOUCH OF GREY")
FERNEAU: Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. It's called Tiger 'cause it has this beautiful crouching tiger on the front of it. This real art piece is how the band would describe it, and they treated it with kid gloves 'cause it was really Jerry's baby.
(SOUNDBITE OF GRATEFUL DEAD SONG, "TOUCH OF GREY")
FERNEAU: Jim Irsay, he had this massive music collection, but it's more than just that. He was collecting all across pop culture from the 20th century - literature, sports. So one of my favorite lots in the collection - we have Secretariat's Triple Crown saddle.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Secretariat's on the inside by a head.
FERNEAU: This is, of course, the saddle that Secretariat wore in 1973, so he was wearing it for the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness. And Secretariat's performance in the '73 Belmont has yet to be replicated. It was such a resounding victory, winning by 31 lengths.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: But Secretariat is all alone. He's out there almost a 16th of a mile away from the rest of the horses.
FERNEAU: One of the really special pieces in the sale is the Jack Kerouac scroll for "On The Road."
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
JACK KEROUAC: So in America, when the sun goes down...
FERNEAU: It is 120 feet long. And it is a scroll that has been taped together so he could write continuously. And if you look at the script, you can see, you know, where he's overwriting, he's crossing things out, he's whiting areas out. But in general, I mean, he's writing it in one shot.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
KEROUAC: I think of Dean Moriarty, I think of Dean Mo-ri-ar-ty.
FERNEAU: I think this collection really elevates, you know, what pop culture means to all of us. You went to hold Johnny Cash's guitar. They want to see Wayne Gretzky's 500th gold jersey because, you know, these are objects that belong to their heroes.
INSKEEP: Nathalie Ferneau of Christie's, who has an interesting job. The auction house will host three live auctions of the Jim Irsay collection this month. An online sale began last week. And she says a portion of the proceeds go to charities Irsay supported.
(SOUNDBITE OF BEATLES SONG, "THE END") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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