Le Cirque Auction Puts New York’s Socialite History on the Block
The iconic restaurant is selling everything but the kitchen sink. These lots are worth a look.
The late Sirio Maccioni hams it up in a 1981 photo with ladies who lunched. (From left: Kathryn Penske, Ivana Trump, Muffie Bancroft, Anne Arledge, Anna Moffo Sarnoff, Cristina DeLorean, Maria Kimberly, and Patricia Kluge.)
Photographer: Slim Aarons/Getty Images
Sirio Maccioni, the ringmaster of Le Cirque who died last year at 88, used to half-joke that all he really did was stop people from stealing the famed restaurant’s schwag: marked ashtrays, coffee cups, and silverware. Anyone who has ever wanted a memento will have opportunities through May 12 as Black Rock Galleries hosts an online auction to sell many of the original contents from Le Cirque over the course of its multiple locations from 1974–2018.
The 314 lots range from plates and aprons to a silver-plated carving trolley. As with any auction, it’s always good to have a professional who can distinguish the best items from the pedestrian. As the co-author of Sirio’s autobiography, I’ve spent much of my life with all of these items and can happily direct you.