Famous Beds That Made History

EIGHT MOST ICONIC BEDS At the end of the day, when you're tired and ready to drop, nothing beats fresh sheets and a warm, cozy bed. As Marilyn Monroe said, "The nicest thing for me is sleep" and it seems many people around the world feel the same. This has resulted in some of the most beautiful, unique and strange beds where the famous, the powerful and the literary have laid down their heads throughout history. Have a look at our definitive list of the ten most iconic beds. JOHN & YOKO'S PROTEST BED The 'bed-in' was John Lennon and Yoko Ono's famous protest of the Vietnam war. Inspired by non-violent 'sit-in' protests, the two spent a week in bed in HAIR PEACE BED PEACE. both Amsterdam and Montreal in 1969. The events were filmed and later turned into a documentary movie titled 'Bed Peace'. The Amsterdam bed-in coincided with the couple's honeymoon, their overall popularity and exposure insured that their message reached a wide audience. When people say newlyweds spend their honeymoon in bed, we don't think this is what they media have in mind! THE CRADLE OF THE KING OF ROME VINCENT VAN GOGH'S 'BEDROOM IN ARLES This opulent crib was the bed of Napoleon's only heir Napoleon II who would later become the emperor of France. The magnificent piece was a This particular bed could be considered rather boring compared to the others on our list if it was not for the fact that Vincent Van Gogh slept in it. In fact, he collaboration between a number of liked the bed so much that it featured in three of the artist's paintings. His prominent including the sculptor Pierre-Philippe Thomire, 19th century artisans bedroom at the Yellow House in Arles, the silversmith Charles France, was the subject of many of Van Gogh's paintings between 1888 and 1889, including Van Gogh's Chair', another of the artist's iconic pieces. The striking colours, bold brushwork and unusual perspective of 'Bedroom in Arles' give us unparalleled insight into Van Gogh's life and work. Nicolas Odiot and the painter Pierre-Paul Prud'hon and was given as a gift to Napoleon Il's mother, Empress Marie Louise. The young emperor also received a 101 cannon salute on the day of his birth, but we think he probably appreciated the bed more. ELVIS PRESLEY'S HAMBURGER BED This iconic, heavy velvet bed is considered a piece of rock and roll memorabilia. First designed for Elvis Presley, it hosts a number of modern gadgets including a television and stereo build right into the headboard. Christened the 'hamburger bed' by Elvis's daughter Lisa Marie due to is general bun like appearance, the bed resided in the Country Music Hall of Fame until 2007. It was later sold on eBay for a staggering $50,000. Given the stars love of burgers in later life, this bed was definitely fit for the king. TRACEY EMIN'S 'MY BED' This messy bed is also a work of art that has been exhibited in the Tate Gallery by British artist Tracey Emin. Titled 'My Bed', the piece is categorized as 'confessional artwork' as it represents the artist's bout depression after a bad breakup. The bed is displayed in a state of abject disarray; the sheets rumpled and stained with numerous objects strewn on and around it including condoms, old underwear and magazines. The bed eventually bought by the advertising mogul and art collector Charles Saatchi for £150,000. with suicidal was BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS THE GREAT BED OF WARE The 1971 Walt Disney classic musical, 'Bedknobs and Broomsticks', is based This colossal oak four poster bed constructed by the carpenter Jonas Fosbrooke in 1580 on two books by the author Mary Norton and features a very unusual was originally housed in the White Hart Inn in Ware, bed. In the film, three children are evacuated to Dorset during The Blitz to live with Eglantine Price, an apprentice witch. Eglantine enchants a bedknob that will transport the children to any location they wish when attached to the antique bed and the witch and the children fly off on a magical adventure. England. Measuring ten feet by eleven feet, the gigantic bed could reputedly sleep 15 people comfortably. In the 19th century, the bed was moved to another Ware inn, the Saracen's Head, and after a brief stint in a pleasure garden in the 1920's, is now on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. RON MUECK'S 'IN BED' This huge bed sculpture is occupied by an equally gigantic pensive woman. It is the work of Ron Mueck, an Australian born sculptor based in London who is famed for his hyperrealistic creations of people in both emotional and physical states of exposure rendered on a massive or tiny scale. AWooden-furniture-store.co.uk