Auction exposes Greta Garbo's personal effects

(Reuters) - She was known for her beauty and for preserving tooth and nail her privacy. But this year, fans of actress Greta Garbo will have a chance to purchase some of her over 800 wardrobe and décor items, including the bed where she slept.

Julien's Auctions auction house announced Wednesday that it will sell furniture, artwork and clothing - like a dress she wore for dinner with President John F. Kennedy, or an inflatable snowman she kept in her room for fun. The auction will take place December 14-15 in Beverly Hills, California.

"She's forever seductive, mysterious and over time, and very modern, " her nephew Derek Reisfield told Reuters.

The Swedish actress began her career still in silent cinema in 1927, and knew how few artists make the transition to the spoken medium. It was nominated four times to the Oscar, but only received the statuette in 1954, for the set of the work. He stopped making movies in 1941, and then had a very discreet life in New York, until he died in 1990 at the age of 84.

Reisfield said the family had begun thinking about the auction of the objects at the time of the actress's centennial, which took place in 2005. "We realize that we really have to take responsibility for trying to strengthen and protect her legacy, " he said.

The 853 objects to be auctioned will be on display from September 29 at a museum in Kildare, Ireland, and in November will be shipped to the US aboard the Queen Mary 2.