Freddie Mercury's 'I'm Going Slightly Mad' video worn wig and associated accessories, 1991

Freddie Mercury’s 'I'm Going Slightly Mad' video worn wig and associated accessories, 1991

a bespoke brunette wig made by theatrical wig makers ‘Wig Specialities’ for Freddie Mercury to wear in Queen’s video for 'I’m Going Slightly Mad', 1991 – the wig unlabelled but with printed number ‘1137’ to interior of mesh cap; and a sturdy brown cardboard box with stapled seams, the lid inscribed in black felt pen ‘Wig’; with a milliner’s head of cream cotton with riveted metal collar stamped ‘56’ and wood and metal base – 30 cm. high;

- and a pair of exotic ostrich feather fans designed and hand-tailored by Diana Moseley in Egyptian-style, the densely-layered premium quality South African ostrich feathers dyed in peacock feather hues of purple, turquoise, green and yellow, each with curved padded clutch handle of turquoise silk with two corresponding decorative silk tassels attached each embellished with gilt brocade and beads with stylised lotus petals holding extravagant ostrich feather pom-poms in corresponding colours – fans: 53 x 94 cm. tassels: 43.5 cm. long - the fans made in circa 1988 to match the large ostrich feather bedspread Diana Moseley had designed for Freddie’s bedroom suite at Garden Lodge which is briefly seen on screen when Freddie threw it around himself in the video three years later. 

(qty 5)

According to Diana Moseley who styled the costume for the video, it was make-up artist Derry Hawes who oversaw the Rudolph Valentino look of Freddie’s appearance in the 'I’m Going Slightly Mad' video and his eccentric style, so in keeping with the song’s lyrics in which his wig played a significant part. On the day of the shoot the wig’s long thick locks were cut and styled by a handsome hair-stylist called Derek from King’s Road hair salon Smile, which pleased Freddie enormously.

'I’m Going Slightly Mad' was the last Queen video in which Freddie had significant creative input and played a dominant, expressive and very active role, chasing his absurdly dressed band mates around and fully embracing the video’s surreal theme. See lot 279 for the rest of the outfit Freddie wore in this video.

In conversation with Diana Moseley in July 2023 she recounted how she had painstakingly created the two ostrich feather fans in this lot, the pom-pom tassels in particular were immensely fiddly and time-consuming to make. Originally the fans had been wall mounted in Freddie’s bedroom on mahogany poles to which they were attached by brass clips. She suspected that Freddie frequently removed the fans from the poles to play with them. It is very tempting to envisage Freddie using these fans in Burlesque fashion. 

See lot 279 for the costume worn by Freddie in this video.

LITERATURE

‘Freddie Mercury – The Great Pretender, A Life In Pictures’, Welbeck, 2012, illus. p.140.

SPECIAL NOTICE

No right to reproduce or commercially exploit the copyright or other intellectual property

or image rights in any lot is included with the sale of the lot (including but not limited to

song lyrics, sketches, drawings and garment designs). Queen Productions Limited, Queen

Music Limited and other rights holders reserve all their rights.

No right to exhibit in public or reproduce this lot is included with the sale of this lot

without the prior written consent of Queen Productions Limited, who shall act in good faith

to consider any such requests.