Singular limited edition display consisting of a large swatch of floral print wallpaper from Capone’s offices at Chicago’s Lexington Hotel, as well as two small pieces of Nile Green and purple tile from his bathroom. Items are presented in an ornate oval wooden frame with two small pins, a Capone medallion, and a small descriptive sticker, to an overall size of 13.5 x 15.5. Four photos are affixed to the reverse of the frame, including one of the bathroom before demolition. In fine condition, with some chips to frame.
When, decades later, souvenir hunters slipped inside the building to salvage whatever was convenient, Capone’s personal bathroom was of particular interest, made-to-order from imported Nile Green tile with its purple-tiled towel and robe holders. The bathroom opened off the short hallway leading to Capone’s circular office, and the hall itself was decorated with garish ‘tropical’ wallpaper that likely was inspired by Capone’s visits to his ‘summer’ estate on a inland island near Miami, Florida. In this assortment, a small section of the wallpaper and two pieces of the bathroom—from the green tile and the purple robe holders—are framed in what was left of an old gold-colored mirror found lodged behind a giant rusty safe, door half open, in a room across from the bathroom. A silver-colored medallion and rectangular sticker, both bearing the embossed likeness of Capone, were made for the late Harold Rubin who had intended to market Lexington items under the trade-name Chicago Legends, but these pieces never made their way into circulation. Accompanied by a letter of authenticity from well-respected gangland historian Bill Helmer. RR Auction COA.
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