Entertainment Memorabilia

Cole Porter’s Own Backgammon Set. One of America’s beloved composers and lyricists, Porter wrote some of the most popular musical shows. A few of his popular works include “Kiss me Kate,” “I Love Paris,” “C’est Magnifique,” “Silk Stockings and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.” He loved to gamble and play backgammon so much, he even wrote a song with the lyrics “For the Fortune I lost when you taught me backgammon…” This backgammon set, sold with accompanying accessories, is imprinted with his name on both the set and the case – with the box in which he kept the pieces and wrote his name on the cover. This set comprises an encased portable backgammon board, folded to 22” x 14” x 2”. Lock at one edge, two hinges at other end. Hinges are detached from one side. The points re black and red, wood lightly chipped, boards soiled. The 22” x 14” sides are black leather, and one side, near the lock, bears the imprint “Cole Porter” in silver. Brown canvas carrying case, with tears. Lock and leather handle are intact. A 4” x 1” leather strip has been stitched onto the canvas beneath the handle, imprinted “Cole Porter.” Dice shaker cups, 15 green and 15 cream color Bakelite backgammon checkers, in addition to 14 cherry red and 13 butterscotch yellow checkers are included. There also are two pair of .75” dice and a pair of .5” dice as well as a large 1.5” black doubling cube not original to the set, and other items. The dice and cubes were stored by Porter in a brown box on which he had penciled “Cole Porter” in upper case letters, which he then crossed out and penciled “Envelopes Only.” Together with notarized provenance statement from person who personally acquired this item from the Cole Porter home.