DJ Kool Herc's soundsystem sold at Christie's auction for more than $200K
Memorabilia from hip-hop pioneer DJ Kool Herc went up for auction at Christie’s in a collection billed as ‘The Birth of Hip-Hop’
DJ Kool Herc's soundsystem brought in $201,600 at Christie's auction.
The system sold at the Christie's auction on August 18 for more than its estimated value of $100,000–150,000. Other things that once belonged to Kool Herc, including his vinyl collection, and numerous items connected to the history of hip-hop were also sold during the auction.
According to Christie's, Kool Herc, whose real name is Clive Campbell, used it as his "main working soundsystem" from the middle of the 1970s through the 1980s and it stands for an important collection of equipment assembled and used by Herc during the heyday of his career as a DJ.
The Bronx-based DJ is known for playing a crucial part in the birth of hip-hop through his events at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx in the 1970s.
“Following his purchase of the Acoustic PA System in 1973, he continued to build his sound system, adding additional components over the years. Perhaps the most significant early addition was GLI 3880 mixer, which replaced the eight-channel acoustic mixer, allowing Herc to more easily switch between his two turn tables (rather than using two hands to manually switch channels),” reads the British auction house’s item description.
“The 300 Watt McIntosh amplifier provided sufficient power to fill a room, playground, basketball court or a park with sound - solidifying its reputation as one of the most dominant soundsystems in the Bronx during the 1970s.”
The soundsystem comprises 2 Technics SL-1100a turntables, a GLI 3880 mixer with GLI 1000 equalizer, a Mcintosh Mc-2300 stereo power amplifer, 2 speaker cabinets with 6 inch speaker array, 2 subwoffer cabinets and a folding table.
The collection included a contract for a party held by the DJ, a self-portrait, disco balls and a film projector and other smaller personal items like clothing and pairs of sneakers along with the soundsystem.
The full collection and the realised prices of all the items can be seen at Christie’s website.
