The Collection of
Douglas S. Cramer 

Douglas S. Cramer

Cramer was a visionary art collector and television producer, known for creating some of the most successful television programming in history. He was the producing partner of Aaron Spelling and also served as the head of Paramount Television, but beyond these accolades he helped create and produce such iconic shows as Star Trek, The Brady Bunch, Wonder Woman, and Dynasty--programming at the heart of the American zeitgeist during the 1960s-2000s. 

Ultimately, however, Cramer’s passion was art collecting, and, together with his beloved husband Hugh Bush, Cramer built a collection of some of the leading contemporary artists of his time, always following the guiding principle of buying what he loved. Cramer’s passion for art collecting became such an integral part of his life that it led to close friendships with many of the artists he collected, from Ellsworth Kelly to Jasper Johns. Cramer was able to seamlessly combine both his professional and art worlds; he, for example, incorporated Roy Lichtenstein’s signature pop-art style in the Batman television series and convinced Andy Warhol to make a guest appearance on The Love Boat.  

Alongside building one of the most important collections of contemporary art, Cramer consistently gave back to the art community, becoming one of the founders of the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art and a member of the board and head of the important Painting and Sculpture Committee for the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He also donated a number of major works to numerous prominent institutions, including MoMA, The Whitney Museum of American Art, MOCA LA, and the Tate Modern. 

In order to reach the broadest audience for this special group of works, the Douglas S. Cramer Collection will be featured in an online-only sale at Bonham’s, running April 20-27^th.  All property will be available to be viewed at Bonhams Los Angeles location during and prior to the sale. Most works are offered without reserve, offering collectors at every stage of their collecting journey the opportunity to bid in this sale and own a work once in the iconic collection of Douglas S. Cramer.