Strong start for Hepburn auction

Katharine Hepburn won four Oscars during her career

Personal items owned by screen legend Katharine Hepburn have sold for almost $1.8m (£984,000) at auction.

Among the 222 lots sold at Sotheby's in New York were some of the late actress' own paintings, as well as clothing, studio photographs and furniture.

A diamond and sapphire brooch given to her by Howard Hughes fetched $120,000 (£65,650) - six times its estimate.

Scores of other items belonging to Hepburn, who died at the age of 96 last June, will be auctioned on Friday.

Film contracts

The two-day sale of the four-times Oscar winning actress' possessions had been expected to reach $1m (£555,000) - but that figure was surpassed on the first day.

The auction, including personal effects such as credit cards, film contracts and her telephone, offers a glimpse into the life of the intensely private star.

Leila Dunbar, of Sotheby's, said: "We are absolutely thrilled with the results from the first session... but it is completely understandable given Miss Hepburn's worldwide celebrity and stature."

Other amounts paid on Thursday included $27,000 (£14,800) for the cream-coloured velvet dress Hepburn wore when she married Ludlow Ogden Smith in 1928. The marriage lasted six years.

A silver cigarette box engraved with the signatures of the rest of the cast from the Broadway production of The Philadelphia Story sold for $57,000 (£31,200).

Trust fund

And two cancelled cheques made out to Hepburn's former voice coach sold for $2,280 (£1,250) and $2,400 (£1,300).

The auction was attended by about 400 people, with numerous internet and telephone bidders.

Craig Bowley, who runs the box office at a Broadway theatre, bid unsuccessfully on several items before securing an armchair for $3,200 (£1,750).

He said: "We just renovated our apartment. We'll put it in a prominent place."

The sale continues on Friday with more furniture, artwork, and film memorabilia.

Money raised from the sale will go into a trust for Hepburn's family.