Goodbye, Michael Jackson: The King of Pop Returns to Neverland

In April, I went to opening day of the exhibition of  Michael Jackson's more than 1,000 estate items that were on exhibit in Beverly Hills prior to going to auction.  In retrospect, I'm glad I went.

What drew me there in the first place: one entire volume of the five-volume auction catalog was entitled Garden Statuary and Outdoor Furniture.  I saw it as a rare chance for readers to participate in something timely, utilitarian (planters), decorative, celebrity-glitzy, eccentric, historic and unprecedented.  Some items, like planters, had a starting bid of under $100. My thought: our Pool and Patio visitors will love this. Maybe even get a chance to bid for a pot or garden statue in the online part of the auction.

When I returned home later that night, I learned that the auction had been cancelled.  According to the Julien's Auctions website, the singer had a "change of heart" about parting with his vast and eclectic collection, which was from his Neverland Ranch.  Michael Jackson left the Neverland compound in 2006 after one of his infamous court trials. Back in its heyday, the 2,800-acre compound boasted an amusement park, zoo, gardens, statuary, furnishings and unique outdoor art and collectibles. And that was just the outside stuff.

I found the collection extraordinary and revealing of its owner: treasures from a once-brilliant career and fantasy-like items that were somewhat surreal.  If his possessions brought him joy,  I hope he had a chance to revisit the collection before his death.  Enjoy this photo gallery of the late pop star's unique collection of outdoor artifacts, along with an interview featuring Darren Julien, president and CEO of Julien's Auctions, the celebrity auction firm that invested several months of work and $2 million to make the exhibit and auction possible.

Photo Copyright Lisa Hallett Taylor, April 2009