Hollywood
Life-sized Taylor Swift cardboard cut-out to be auctioned off for charity
The auction will raise funds for the UK transgender youth charity ‘Mermaids’.
A life-sized cardboard cut-out of popstar Taylor Swift will be auctioned off for charity in memory of transgender teenager Brianna Ghey.
The cutout has become a local icon for Manchester tram users after being displayed in a flat window looking out across the tracks near the Cornbrook Metrolink stop since 2017.
However, after flat owner Red Redmond said that they were moving to Sheffield, hundreds of people rallied to save the cut out of the popstar so it could remain in place. Now, Redmond has since decided to auction ‘Tram Taylor’ for a charity called Mermaids.
Mermaids is a charity that supports gender variant and transgender youth. The auction will be in memory of the 16-year-old Ghey, who was stabbed to death in a park in Warrington in February.
When is the auction?
‘Tram Taylor’ is estimated to fetch £150 in the auction. Viewing begins Tuesday, April 11 from 10:00 a.m to 5:30 pm. The auction done by Adam Partridge Auctioneers will begin on April 12.
Redmond, a self-professed Taylor Swift fan who was gifted the cardboard figure, initially said that Ghey had a “big impact” on people. They said that the outpouring of support with vigils held across the UK and Ireland in response to her death “really touched” them.
The comedian previously said that the cutout had “been there so long, she’s just become a bit of an icon”. Redmond has since purchased a new cutout for their old flat.
Included in the flat
However, Swift’s cardboard legacy lives on, a clause in the tenancy agreement in the Cronbrook flat means that the new tenants must display it in the window.
Redmond explained that they “wanted to keep the legacy going as long as possible.”
Estate agents for the flat have advised prospective tenants that the cardboard singer “must stay in place.”
“Join in on the online Manchester sensation that has been providing tram commuters happiness each morning,” the listing notes.
The flat comes unfurnished with the exception of the cardboard Swift and includes two bedrooms, an ensuite bathroom, and a balcony.
“Reeds Rains are extremely excited to market one of Manchester’s most iconic apartments for the very first time, the infamous Tram Taylor that has been greeting commuters for the last five years,” the listing notes.