[Fleming, Ian]--Walther

Walther air pistol, LP Model 53, serial number 054159, 24cm barrel with black finish, manufacturer’s fitted presentation case with sight elements, some minor marks;
[together with]
letter of provenance from original owner and later reproduction photograph showing Sean Connery holding the air pistol

Christie’s South Kensington, James Bond sale, 14 February 2001, lot 250 (£14,100)
Christie’s South Kensington, Popular Culture sale, 25 November 2010, lot 102 (£277,250)

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

For the second James Bond film, From Russia with Love, it was decided to shoot a publicity image of Sean Connery with his Walther pistol. The publicist Tom Carlile devised a series of poses and the photographer David Hurn was commissioned for the photo shoot. When Connery arrived at the photo studio, together with Tom Carlile and representatives from United Artists, it was discovered that nobody had brought James Bond’s small Walther automatic pistol.

Hurn recalled that “by chance it happened that I practised air pistol target shooting as a hobby and the pistol I used was a Walther. It was decided between Tom and myself, that… we would use my pistol for the pictures and presumed that should anyone have doubts on their seeing the name Walther on the gun they would be reassured… In theory Tom should have had the long barrel of the air pistol removed by airbrushing during the designing of the actual poster – in practice, for reasons, unknown, this was never done.”

The series of publicity shots was used for From Russia with Love (1963) and then the following three films: Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965) and You Only Live Twice (1967).

Hurn notes that “the picture of Sean Connery holding the gun across his chest or alongside his face became the most famous of all Bond images”.