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This article discusses the spectacle and publicity that surrounded the exhibition and auction of the Fonthill Abbey in Wiltshire, which was home to writer and traveler William Beckford. When Beckford decided to sell the Fonthill Abbey and its contents due to low finances, an open house of the property thrust it to the national spotlight, and led magazines and papers to write about the Fonthill's opulence. Publicity led to the two portrayals of the Fonthill Abbey, which included one on its iconic grandeur and monetary value, and another on its proprietary and comfortable character. It is said that because the house, as well as its extension of private collections, was opened to the public for financial gain, the architectural vision was undermined by the publicity that surrounded the sale.