An Exhibition of property from The Estate of Greta Garbo at The Museum of Style Icons17/09/2012

Museum of Style Icons, Newbridge: Friday Sept 28th - Friday Nov 16th

Greta Garbo - Style Icon, Modern Woman, Hollywood Actress - continues to fascinate the world.

Greta Garbo, Hollywood Legend

No other woman had a greater impact on her craft or on style than that of Hollywood icon Greta Garbo. A force within the Hollywood industry and a style setter in both fashion and the role of women, Garbo was always captivating. One of extraordinary beauty, intelligence and confidence, it was Garbo who set many standards for women both in film, fashion and business. Sometimes misunderstood but always intriguing, Garbo was a Swedish beauty with stunning good looks, an impeccable ability to dress in the unexpected and a starlet who transcended off the screen in each and every one of her 28 films.

For the first time ever, Julien's Auctions and the Estate of Greta Garbo will offer an opportunity to experience the personal collection of film star Greta Garbo. This extraordinary World Tour of the Property of Greta Garbo will commence in the Newbridge Silverware Museum of Style Icons, where in excess of 100 personal artifacts will go on public display from Sept 28th - Nov 16th. As a special guest of Newbridge Silverware, Mr. Derek Reisfield, great nephew of Greta Garbo and producer of an award-winning documentary on Garbo will officially open the exhibition to the public on Friday, Sept 28th. (The Full World Tour Schedule is below)

The collection features the personal clothing, accessories, furnishings and other personal property that has never been available before and rarely seen by others. Even after her death, Garbo continues to fascinate the public. Her impressive impact from silent film to talking pictures and her stylish confidence, to this day, speaks to legions of fans around the world as Garbo is the name most often associated with true beauty, style and method acting.

Garbo was born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1905. It was in 1920 when working at a local department store that she was discovered and starred in two advertising shorts. From there she appeared in several European films. In 1925 she starred in Joseph Pabst's renowned film Street of Sorrow that solidified her position as one of the premier actresses in Europe. She then moved to California and starred in her first American film, The Torrent which opened in 1926 and made Garbo an international star. She went on to make seven more films for MGM Studios and demonstrated the new potential for women in the modern world. Many of her films were controversial at the time of their release but that did not stop Garbo, who even took on the heads of powerful film studios when it came to negotiating her own contracts. She made 28 movies from 1922-1941 and in 1956 was named "the most beautiful woman that ever lived". She received four Academy Award nominations for Best Actress and in 1954 received her Academy Award for her unforgettable performances.

The very personal collection which will be on exhibit and then offered in the sale includes clothing items designed by Valentina Schlee, then Garbo's neighbor and friend and later wife of Garbo's lover, George Schlee. Garbo's close relationship with Valentina led to much speculation during her lifetime and controversy when it was revealed that Garbo's affair with Valentina's husband George had carried on. Garbo was also one of the very first woman to appear in clothing and accessories from Emilio Pucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Lilly Dache, Givenchy, Mr. John and others. Many pieces from these designers and personal choices from Garbo herself are included in the sale and tour. In addition to her film history, Garbo sat for a number of portraits from a wide range of well known photographers. Personally owned publicity portraits from Garbo's films by photographers George Hurrell, Clarence Sinclair Bull, and Ruth Harriet Louise are also part of the exhibit and sale. Other highlights will include vintage designer clothing and accessories; the clothing ensembles consisting of the classic turtlenecks, trousers, trench coats and sunglasses. Garbo became known for this stylish figure seen walking through the streets of New York. Furniture, art and decor from Garbo's New York apartment are also among the highlights. Items from her home in Sweden and of her Swedish heritage are also part of the unprecedented collection and very interesting personal books, albums, documents and signed and inscribed items.

Greta Garbo, personal property at the Museum of Style Icons

After World War II Garbo moved to New York where she lived until her death in 1990. She had considered projects well into her fifties but after signing a contract in 1947 never made another film. The assertive and feminine woman known to all as Greta Garbo set styles in fashion and beauty for decades. To this day Garbo conjures up instant thoughts of iconic style, wicked ambition, confidence and extraordinary talent. The tour and sale will tell the incredible story of Greta Garbo, Film & Style Icon.

In partnership with Julien's, Derek Reisfield will sail on the November 20 Transatlantic Crossing of Cunard's flagship Queen Mary 2. Reisfield will be a featured speaker in the ship's Insights Programme, providing a look into Garbo's life, her film career and her position as a cultural icon. In addition, select items of Property from the Estate will be exclusively available for auction to guests sailing on this Southampton to New York voyage. Several Garbo travel-themed affects, which will be included in the general auction following the voyage, will be on prominent display for guests to view throughout the Crossing.

The Property from the Estate of Greta Garbo Worldwide Exhibitions Schedule - October & November 2012

Newbridge Silverware Museum of Style Icon's, County Kildare, Ireland - Dates: Sept 28th - Nov 16th. Hours: Monday-Saturday 9:00am-6:00pm Sundays 11:00am-6:00pm

November 2012: Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2, Transatlantic Crossing, Southampton to New York Dates: November 20-27, 2012

Julien's Auctions, Beverly Hills, California Dates: December 10th - 13th Hours: Monday - Thursday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

NOTES:
ABOUT GRETA GARBO: (1905-1990). Greta Lovisa Gustafsson, was a Swedish film actress. Garbo was an international star and icon during Hollywood's silent and classic periods. Many of her films were sensational hits, and all but three of her twenty-four Hollywood films were profitable. Garbo was nominated four times for an Academy Award and received an honorary one in 1954 for her "luminous and unforgettable screen performances". She also won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress in both Anna Karenina (1935) and Camille (1936). In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Garbo on their list as one of the greatest female stars of all time.

ABOUT THE NEWBRIDGE SILVERWARE MUSEUM OF STYLE ICONS: Located onsite at the Newbridge Silverware Visitor Center, the Museum of Style Icons is a permanent exhibition dedicated to design and style excellence. The Museum showcases artifacts associated with some of the most legendary icons of film and music including Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, Bette Davis, the Beatles, Michael Jackson, Gloria Swanson, Princess Diana and many more.

In association with Juliens Auctions, the Newbridge Silverware Museum of Style is the exclusive Irish Showcase for many of the most notable auctions in the Entertainment Industry. Previous Auction Highlights include U2, Bob Hope, collections from the Estate of Marilyn Monroe and Michael Jackson.

ABOUT JULIEN'S AUCTIONS: With expertise specializing in entertainment memorabilia, Julien's Auctions has quickly established itself as the premier auction house in high profile celebrity and entertainment auctions. Julien's Auctions presents exciting, professionally managed and extremely successful auctions with full color high quality auction catalogues unlike any other auction company. Previous auctions include the collections of Cher, U2, Barbara Streisand, the estate of Marilyn Monroe and many more. Official website is www.juliensauctions.com.

ABOUT CUNARD: Cunard Line, operator of the luxury ocean liners Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth, has long been synonymous with the quest for new discoveries and the epitome of British refinement since the company's first paddle-wheeled steamer, Britannia, crossed the Atlantic in 1840. Cunard voyages bring together like-minded travellers who seek a civilised adventure and relish the Cunard hallmarks of impeccable White Star Service, gourmet dining and world-class entertainment. Today, Cunard offers the only regularly scheduled trans-Atlantic liner service and continues the legacy of world cruising which it began in 1922.

ABOUT MR.DEREK REISFELD: Mr. Derek Reisfield is the Chairman and CEO of Greta Garbo & Company, Inc. and Co-President of Harriet Brown & Company, Inc., the company which holds the intellectual property derived from the Estate of Greta Garbo. Derek is an international strategy expert and private investor who specializes in Internet, Media, Telecommunications and Consumer Products. Derek Reisfield is Chairman, CEO and Founder of BBN Networks, Inc., the leading business-to-business digital advertising and marketing services company, (www.bbnnetworks.com).

Mr. Reisfield is the co-founder of several firms, including founding Chairman of Marketwatch, (www.marketwatch.com), and Managing Director of i-hatch Ventures, (www.i-hatch.com). He has been instrumental in the development of several successful firms, including Strands, (www.strands.com), Every Baby Company, (www.eebee.com, and Sportsline,(www.sportsline.com). Derek served as the founding President of the Digital Media Division of CBS, (www.cbs.com), and he was the Vice President, Business Development of the CBS Corporation and its predecessor, Westinghouse Corporation. Mr. Reisfield was also the Co-Founder of the Media and Telecom practice of Mitchell Madison and a leader of McKinsey & Company's Media and Telecommunications practice.

Derek is a member of the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Zoological Society, and he was until recently a member of the board of the Creative Visions Foundation, which funds documentary films and other creatively driven projects.

Derek Reisfield was graduated from Wesleyan University, where he won the Davenport Prize, and he received his Masters degree from the Annenberg School of Communications at USC where he was awarded a merit scholarship.