Did you know that the musical hit Bohemian Rhapsody by the British rock band Queen could have been titled as ‘Mongolian Rhapsody’? And that the band’s most loved member Freddie Mercury had an eye for detail in the history of fashion, so much so that he understood the boundless opportunities for creativity by selecting materials with which he knew he could create some spectacular outfits, while also being able to move freely on stage. From stage costumes, handwritten lyrics, fine and decorative arts, Japanese art, precious objects and a trove of personal belongings, there’s a display revealing a new side of the global icon, Freddie Mercury, in his never-before-seen private collection at Sotheby’s exhibition and auction series. The exhibition at Sotheby’s London galleries is up all throughout August with six auctions in September.

As the chief songwriter and vocalist for the rock band Queen, Mercury had gone beyond the realms of a musician or performer. His dazzling creativity was nothing less than a global cultural phenomenon. The contents of Freddie Mercury’s London home, Garden Lodge in Kensington, West London, all lovingly cherished and cared for over the last three decades by Mary Austin, one of Mercury’s closest and most trusted friends, are revealed in this exhibition, while celebrating Mercury’s rich and multi-faceted life and passion.

For instance, one of Mercury’s lyrics and writings reveal that he originally planned to call the song ‘Mongolian Rhapsody’, before crossing out Mongolian and replacing it with ‘Bohemian’ — rhythmically similar but with a different resonance. There is also an unseen trove of Mercury’s handwritten working drafts for Queen’s immortal hits with pages revealing the genesis of a roll call of Queen songs — most created during a burst of great creativity in the mid-1970s — which, almost 50 years on, continue to resonate throughout contemporary culture.

“The rare survival of the manuscripts provide fascinating insights into how his songs were developed and put together, as well as reminding us of their musical complexity and sophistication. The pages bear witness to the many hours he put into perfecting his craft, as he experiments and plays with language, hones and shapes the lyrics and harmonies for songs which have always been there in our lives”, says Dr Gabriel Heaton, Sotheby’s books & manuscripts specialist. Revealing an alternative title and narratives for Queen’s greatest commercial hit: The Autograph Working Lyrics for Bohemian Rhapsody from circa 1974 is estimated at £800,000-1,200,000; Handwritten working lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody are estimated at £800,000-1.2 million, written in black and blue ballpoint pen and pencil, this early draft for Bohemian Rhapsody encompasses all sections of this most ambitious of Queen hits, one of the most globally beloved and streamed songs, with almost four billion streams across Spotify and YouTube alone, and the third best-selling UK single of all time. There’s also a completely unseen, unrecorded red notebook from the early 1970s, which was one of his prized possessions, dating back to the period before Queen were signed as a band. As well as including his own working lyrics (Stone Cold Crazy, Liar, and Keep Yourself Alive) the notebook reveals which songs by other artists Queen were performing at the time, with set-lists for early gigs featuring Elvis Presley’s Jailhouse Rock and The Rolling Stones’ Stupid Girl. It also includes doodles, designs for Queen’s logo and fragments of unpublished songs. All the notes are written across 42 pages in total with coffee stains on the cover.

There’s a section of Mercury’s sensational costumes relating to songs and promotional video for which he commissioned designer-friend, Wendy de Smet to create a catsuit and bolero of ivory satin. An Indian miniature painting dating back to the 16th century is part of this collection. The Mughal folio from an ‘Akbarnama’ depicting a prince on horseback with his entourage is said to be reflective of the flamboyant artist’s Indian Parsi ancestry.