"Dad was a pack rat," daughter Linda Hope told The Associated Press. "He loved to collect things. Even when he wasn't conscious of collecting, people would give him things. They would be brought home, listed, photographed and placed in storage. There are 11,000 items in his memorabilia collection."
Now keeper of the family flame, Linda Hope, 68, made the first public announcement of the Bob Hope Estate Auction on a recent sunny morning at the comedian's longtime compound in North Hollywood — 7 acres of mansion, office building, swimming pool, greenery and short-hole golf course. A selection of the items to be auctioned were spread atop two large tables.
"A lot of the things will go to the Library of Congress," Linda explained in a lounge where her father gave many an interview over lunch, including to this reporter. "Most of the paper goods will be going there, scripts and photographs and other things that Dad donated before he died. The Library isn't interested in three-dimensional items."
