Video and audio footage of Elvis Presley's last live performances will go under the hammer later this month.

The gigs, which took place in Omaha, Nebraska and Rapid City, South Dakota shortly before his death in 1977, were professionally filmed and the lot includes multicamera concert footage, dressing room videos, shots of the icon and his then-girlfriend Ginger Alden, and pictures from both events.

The auction, which stipulates that the content of the film reels is "not for reproduction, broadcast and/or publication", will take place on July 26 and 27 at the Mecum Celebrity Items Auction at Santa Monica's Barker Hangar and the lot is expected to fetch a staggering amount of money.

Alanna Nash, author of several important books on Presley, explained that the lot will be especially enticing to collectors of the Elvis memorabilia: "It’s not immediately known if they contain material not already seen on pirated versions, [but] the four-and-a-half hours, even in black and white, would certainly be integral to those intent on deciphering the last days of a once and future king."