Madonna's CV and rejection slip are up for grabs

She is one of the biggest female icons of the 20th century, but there was a time when Madonna sent out CVs only to be greeted by rejection letters.

An auction of Madonna memorabilia at Sotheby's on Wednesday will include a letter sent by a New York industry executive, who realised the singer had the potential to be a "strong artist" yet rejected her demo tape.

Jimmy Lenner, a record company president, was encouraging but would not sign Madonna. He said: "In my opinion, the only thing missing from this project is the material. I like 'I Want You', 'Get Up' and 'High Society', but I did not like 'Love on the Run' at all."

Mr Lenner added: "I do not feel that she is ready yet, but I do hear the basis for a strong artist. I will pass for now, but I will wait for more."

The collection of memorabilia took about 10 years to amass and is being sold by a Manhattan shop called Gotta Have It! ­ a London branch is due to open later this year.

Bob Schagrin, the co-owner, said: "We are big believers in Madonna's collectability. She has been a star for 20 years now, and the way she has reinvented herself is unprecedented. We believe she's a pop cultural icon."

One of the 70 lots in the sale is the electronic keyboard that Madonna used in the hit song "Get Into the Groove". She also used it to compose some of her other early hits including "Borderline", "Lucky Star" and "Holiday".

The lots will document the way that Madonna, who has just completed a sell-out British tour, brushed off the early rejections to become one of the most successful pop acts. Years before putting together her demonstration tape, as a student at Michigan University she dreamt of escaping to New York.

Also in the sale is a postcard to Madonna's friend, Ondina Sweet, written from Detroit, which shows that while she was enjoying an exciting social life the lure of New York was very strong. "If I can get the money I really want to go to New York," she wrote. "If not for fame and fortune, at least for the experience."

In 1978 she finally arrived, with just $37 (£26), a winter coat and a suitcase to her name. She famously hailed a cab in New York and told the driver: "Take me to the centre of everything."

Acting was the first goal for Madonna, whose singing and song-writing skills were listed merely as "other talents" at the beginning of the career outlined on her CV.

She had already posed for Playboy magazine, and taken part in a low-budget, soft-porn film called A Certain Sacrifice at the age of 20, as well as having appeared on stage and in two commercials, the résumé reveals.

Wisely, she refused to take the rejection of her first songs to heart and continued to persevere at a musical career.

She eventually released "Everybody", her inaugural single, in 1981, and the rest is history. The CV, the demo tape and the rejection letter are included in a single lot, with an estimated guide price of £2,000.

The auction of Madonna memorabilia, which will be launched on Sotheby's website ­ sothebys.com ­ on Wednesday with bids accepted until 1 August, is expected to raise a six-figure sum.