The Architecture of an Icon: Inside Diane Keaton’s Personal Archive
The late actor’s personal effects, from original scripts to menswear and self-made collages, go under the hammer in New York.
Bonhams is set to auction the personal archive of the late actor Diane Keaton in New York City, running from 29 May to 9 June 2026. Titled "Diane Keaton: The Architecture of an Icon," the sale offers a comprehensive look at the career of a prolific actor, home design aficionado, and collector known for her distinctive sartorial choices and eclectic interests. The event follows a preliminary viewing in West Hollywood, where specialists uncovered further ephemera, including signed photographs of Al Pacino tucked beneath a massive collage.
Anna Hicks, head of private and iconic collections at Bonhams, describes the collection as a "file cabinet" of Keaton’s mind, reflecting her lifelong habit of pinning objects of fascination to walls. Keaton began creating collages in her 20s while acting in Broadway productions such as Hair, viewing the practice as a personal habit rather than a formal art form. The auction spotlights these self-made works as significant cultural artefacts, featuring a large-scale piece that covers nearly an entire wall and includes items such as Parisian photo booth snaps, Victorian mugshots, and bingo cards.
The sale encompasses over 150 items of clothing, highlighting Keaton’s preference for menswear and tailored pieces from designers including Thom Browne, Comme des Garçons, Gucci, and Ralph Lauren. Many garments show signs of wear, underscoring her well-known practice of re-wearing her most beloved articles, a rarity in Hollywood. Notable lots include a trademark black bowler hat, a sequined Gucci suit, and the Ralph Lauren suit worn to the 2020 Oscars.
Beyond fashion, the archive features original scripts for films such as Annie Hall and Book Club, with marginal notes revealing Keaton’s internal character analysis. Her personal art collection includes works by David Wojnarowicz, Maynard Dixon, and Ed Mell, alongside a drawing by Jack Nicholson. The display also includes idiosyncratic items such as stylised car crash photography, models of veneer teeth, and antique dentistry equipment photographs, arranged to mirror the domestic environments she curated.
Bonhams is conducting four separate sales dedicated to different aspects of Keaton’s identity, with the New York live sale on 8 June serving as a culmination of these efforts. The exhibition presents a layered view of Keaton’s observational gifts and the multitudinous interests that captivated her, offering a tangible connection to the mind of an icon who amassed objects for their intrigue rather than their potential value.