Sotheby's to Sell Property From Homes Belonging to the Family of
President John F. Kennedy Hyannis Port, Martha's Vineyard, New
Jersey, New York, Virginia NEW YORK, Nov. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/
-- Sotheby's announced today that it will sell fine and decorative
arts from the home of President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy in Hyannis
Port as well as other family homes in Martha's Vineyard, New
Jersey, New York City and Virginia. The auction, which will include
more than 600 lots, will take place in Sotheby's New York galleries
from February 15-17, 2005, with the pre-sale exhibition opening on
Wednesday, February 9th and extending through 1:00 PM on February
14th. An illustrated catalogue, which is available beginning today,
will feature never before seen interior photographs of the Kennedy
homes as well as seldom seen candid images of the Kennedy family.
The auction is expected to bring in excess of $1 million. The
property is consigned by Caroline Kennedy, who in her introduction
to the catalogue, wrote: "After my mother died in 1994, my brother
and I were faced with the task of deciding what to do with her
possessions, and after careful consideration, we sold some of them
in 1996. In the intervening years, and the death of my brother, I
found myself again with more houses and belongings than I could
possibly use or enjoy. As we did before, I have given anything of
historical significance to the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation
which will make it accessible to scholars and to the public, and I
have kept those things that mean the most to me and to my
children." A portion of the proceeds from the auction and the sale
of the catalogue will go to The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation
and other charities. Hyannis Port, Massachusetts Senator and Mrs.
Kennedy purchased the shingle-clad residence in Hyannis Port in
1956. Adjacent to two other homes owned by the Kennedy family, the
three houses formed a compound of six acres on Nantucket Sound. It
was in this home in November 1960 that John F. Kennedy learned he
had been elected President when his daughter woke him up saying
"Good morning, Mr. President." The residence then served as the
summer White House while President Kennedy was in office. It was a
warm and informal environment, furnished by Mrs. Kennedy with
American furniture, folk art, hooked rugs, ceramics and Sandwich
glass. A significant portion of the furniture and decorations in
the Kennedy's Hyannis Port home was part of a collection of
furniture and folk art purchased by the Kennedy family from Gerald
Shea, a highly-regarded dealer in American decorative arts in the
1950s and 60s. Among the works from the Shea Collection to be
offered is a Portrait of Captain Platt out of Portsmouth, with a
Clipper Ship in the Distance, attributed to Frederick Mayhew, circa
1830, which hung behind President Kennedy in an official portrait
taken during the summer of 1960. Captured in that iconic
photograph, which would eventually grace the cover of the November
16, 1960 issue of Life Magazine, the painting of a sea captain is
estimated to sell for $7/9,000 (lot 196). Also from the Shea
Collection is a Federal Walnut and Cherry Worktable, New England,
early 19th century (lot 17, est. $800/1,200); a Baroque Fruitwood
Armchair, early 18th century (lot 18, est. $1,500/2,000); a Queen
Anne Maple Flat-Top Highboy, New England, circa 1740 (lot 57, est.
$4/6,000); and a William and Mary Turned-Maple and Pine-Topped Oval
Tavern Table, New England, early 18th century (lot 14, est.
$200/300). Among the other works of fine art associated with
Hyannis Port is The Breakwater by American artist Ogden Pleissner
(1905-1983), a beautiful watercolor of the harbor with a plaque on
the reverse, "Presented by Hyannis Port Neighbors, 1965. In memory
of John F. Kennedy" (lot 41, est. $8/12,000); and The John F.
Kennedy House in Hyannis Port, a watercolor by Elizabeth Mumford,
which is signed and dated 1980 (lot 1, est. $1/1,500). Jacqueline
Kennedy and her mother-in-law, Rose Kennedy, both enjoyed
collecting Sandwich Glass -- the term which originally referred to
glass made by the Boston & Sandwich Glass Co. on Cape Cod, but
over time, came to encompass glass made in the United States in the
19th century. The auction will include numerous lots of glass
tablewares from the 19th century and later, including a Group of
Six Mold-Blown and Pressed Cobalt-Blue Glass Tablewares (lot 75,
est. $500/700); and a Group of Five Amethyst Glass Tablewares (lot
78, est. $250/350). Among the other tablewares and ceramics to be
offered are a Copeland, Spode 'Italian Pattern' Part Service, late
19th and 20th century, comprising 235 pieces and estimated to sell
for $3/5,000 (lot 98); various groupings of Table Linens, including
pale blue napkins monogrammed JBK (lot 180), with estimates ranging
from $100 to $600; a Davenport Porcelain Botanical Dessert Service,
second quarter 19th century (lot 594, est. $3/5,000) and a Group of
Twenty-Five English and American Pewter Wares, from the Shea
Collection, 18th century and later (lot 183, est. $1/1,500).
Martha's Vineyard In 1979 Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis bought a large
piece of almost completely undeveloped property on a rise
overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in Martha's Vineyard and designed
and built a house to be used primarily during the summer. Inspired
by the vernacular of a New England seaside cottage, the house had a
shingled exterior with a central front door and chimney. The main
rooms on the ground floor opened directly towards the sea with
extensive patios and picture windows. It was furnished with New
England Country furniture, rag rugs and masses of books,
reinforcing its place as a private retreat for family and friends.
Complementing the country furniture and decorations from Martha's
Vineyard are fine examples of American and English Marine art,
among which is a pencil and colored pencil drawing of The Vineyard
Sound Light Ship No. 7, American School, 19th / 20th century (lot
154, est. $4/6,000). Also of a nautical theme is a painting of An
American Sailing Ship Near Hong Kong, Chinese School, 19th century
(lot 158, est. $10/15,000); and a painting of the ship Horace B.
Parker, by American artist W.E. Shibbs (lot 208, est. $4/6,000),
which can be seen in photographs hanging above the fireplace in the
dining room. From the ground-floor living room, which had a
breath-taking view of the water, is a small oil painting by
Augustus John, Portrait of the Artist's Wife Dorelia Before a
Banner, executed circa 1910-1911 (lot 159, est. $20/30,000) and a
charming Pair of Hand-Colored Seashell Etchings, circa 1800, (lot
156-157, est. $400/600). New Jersey Beginning in 1965, Mrs. Kennedy
began to spend weekends with her children about an hour from New
York in the heart of New Jersey hunt country. The family rented and
then bought a simple home in Peapack, New Jersey - a converted barn
in a valley which was ideally situated for riding and fox hunting.
A keen horsewoman since her early childhood, Mrs. Kennedy soon
joined the Essex Hunt, which was established in 1870 and
incorporated in Peapack in 1913. The layout of the house was
centered around a large room used as the living room and dining
room. In addition to several bedrooms upstairs, there was also a
library filled with floor-to-ceiling bookcases as well as an area
off the kitchen where riding boots and tack were kept. A Provincial
Paneled Pine Wall Cupboard (lot 389, est. $2/3,000) is among the
furniture from the New Jersey residence to be offered. Also
included are a Pair of Bleached Wood Coffee Tables, 20th century
(lots 410-411, est. $600/800 each); a lovely Pair of
Wrought-and-Gilt Iron Wall-Mounted Pricket Sticks, with
leaf-decorated scrolling arms (lot 408, est. $200/300); and a
Painted Ribbed Pottery Lamp (lot 506, est. $100/150). Demonstrative
of Mrs. Kennedy's passion for horses is a painting of The Hunting
Party at Chantilly, by the Circle of Van der Muelen, which is
estimated to sell for $15/20,000 (lot 409). Virginia In the 1990s
Mrs. Onassis began to spend more time riding in Virginia and in the
countryside where she had foxhunted as a First Lady. She rented a
small cottage near Middleburg, not far from "Wexford", the house
she had built when President Kennedy was in The White House. The
cottage was furnished with country antiques accented by French
toile wallpaper. It provided an escape from the city, and a return
to a community filled with happy memories. The presence of horses
in Mrs. Onassis' life is evidenced by a group of riding tack and
horse blankets included in the auction. Turn-Out Rugs, Show
Coolers, Rain Sheets and Blankets (lots 520-524), all bearing the
diamond pattern monogram of JOK will be offered. Among a Group of
Tack is a bridle, several bits, a martingale, a leather lead rope
and a shipping halter with a plaque reading Town Clown. (Estimates
range from $75 to $300. Lots 531A-C.) Also included is a Blue
Acrylic Tack Trunk with a white monogram, JOK (lot 530, est.
$800/1,200). Among the equestrian-inspired art included in the
Kennedy's residences is a lovely depiction of a Ladies Hunter
Class, by American artist Henry Koehler (lot 528, est. $5/7,000).
New York Mrs. Onassis lived at 1040 Fifth Avenue on the Upper East
Side of New York for 30 years in a 17-story building designed by
Rosario Candela, widely considered to be one of the foremost
designers of luxury apartment buildings during the 1920s and 30s.
The living room, dining room, library and master bedroom looked out
on to the Central Park Reservoir, which was later renamed in Mrs.
Onassis' memory. Mrs. Onassis loved having fires in the three
fireplaces and simple arrangements of cornflowers in the spring,
dried hydrangeas in the fall and lady apples in the winter. The
refined and sophisticated decoration was based on Gallic
inspiration, with French fabrics, furniture and paneling, true to
her great interest in and love of France and its culture. Among the
items from the New York apartment to be offered are a
Tortoiseshell-Painted and Gilt-Wood Long Mirror, last quarter 20th
century (lot 547, est. $2/3,000); Studies of a Bison and a Gnu, by
Aert Schouman (lots 571-572, est. $3/5,000 each); a Pair of Louis
XVI Gray-Painted Suede- Upholstered Bergeres en Cabriolet, last
quarter 18th century (lot 582, est. $6/8,000); a Painted and Wood
Drafting Table and Rush-Seat Stool, 20th century (lot 580, est.
$600/800); and a Chinese Metal Mounted Red-Lacquered Gilt Decorated
Writer's Box (lot 581, est. $400/600). White House The auction will
also include a selection of furniture and decorations from the
private family quarters of the White House when the Kennedys were
in residence. Among the items to be offered is a Victorian Mahogany
and Upholstered Chaise Longue, late 19th century, from Mrs.
Kennedy's Dressing Room in The White House (lot 372, est.
$400/600); a Set of Eight Louis XVI Style Gray-Painted Dining
Chairs (lot 354, est. $2/3,000); a Louis XV Style White-Painted
Serpentine-Front Chest of Drawers, from The White House Nursery
(lot 373, est. $1,500/2,000); and a Swiss Continental Pine Armoire,
mid-19th century, exuberantly painted with wood graining, marbling
and flower-filled urns (lot 380, est. $2/3,000). President
Kennedy's well-known love of the sea was reflected in some of his
possessions. His collection of scrimshaw has been well documented
and he also collected Maritime art and ship models. Some of these
were displayed in the Oval Office -- varying from whaling rowboats
to a model PT109, the boat he commanded in World War II. Among the
ship models included in the auction is an American Painted Wood
Ship Model of The Clipper Ship Ann McKim, mid-20th century, made by
John J. Flynn (lot 388, est. $500/700). President Kennedy was given
a sailboat, "Victura", for his 15th birthday by his parents, and it
would play an important role throughout his life. He won races on
it when he was a boy and drew doodles of it when he was President.
Included in the sale is one of the limited edition prints of Jamie
Wyeth's enduring image of John F. Kennedy Sailing in Victura, which
was commissioned to celebrate the dedication of the John F. Kennedy
Library, October 20, 1979 (lot 387, est. $800/1,200). Present in
all of the Kennedy homes were the rocking chairs which had been
recommended by Dr. Janet Travell to ease President Kennedy's severe
back pain. In 1955, while he was still a senator, John F. Kennedy
acquired the first of what came to be called a "Kennedy" Rocker.
During his Presidency, these chairs were in various locations,
including The White House, Hyannis Port, Hammersmith Farm in
Newport, on the Presidential Yacht the Honey Fitz and his parents'
home in Palm Beach. A Turned Oak and Brown-Painted Rocking
Armchair, North Carolina, 20th century (lot 53, est. $4/6,000) will
be included in the February auction. Portraits The Kennedys shared
a passion for the arts and throughout their lives and formed
relationships with many artists. Aaron Shickler was initially
engaged by Jacqueline Kennedy to paint portraits of her children in
1968. Subsequently, she asked him to paint her official White House
portrait as well as that of President Kennedy. The auction will
include a number of works by Shickler including John and Caroline
Reading: A Study, from 1968 (lot 160, est. $3/5,000); a jewel-like
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in a Sailboat (2 x 3 ins.) (lot 165,
est. $3/5,000); and Portrait of Jacqueline Kennedy with Caroline
and John Jr., 1968, which was painted in the living room of Mrs.
Kennedy's Fifth Avenue apartment (lot 569, est. $8/12,000). The
sale will also include four works by her friend, the German artist
Franz Bueb (1919-1982), including Portrait of Jacqueline Kennedy, a
pen and ink drawing, which is estimated to sell for $2/3,000 (lot
330) and Portrait of Jacqueline Kennedy in a Straw Hat, in pen and
ink with watercolor, which also carries an estimate of $2/3,000
(lot 331). During the Presidential campaign, William Walton, a
close friend of the Kennedys, was a pivotal figure in the victories
in Wisconsin and West Virginia and was the campaign coordinator in
New York. Originally from Jacksonville, Illinois, he went to
Washington to work for Life and then the New Republic. He left
journalism to devote himself to being an artist, and over time, his
style evolved from figurative to abstract. Included in the auction
are a number of works by Walton including Old State, a pen and ink
sketch of an estate, inscribed on the reverse, "For Jacqueline
Bouvier Kennedy from William Walton, May 29, 1963" (lot 318, est.
$700/900); and Statue of Andrew Jackson on Horseback, inscribed on
the reverse, "Andrew Jackson saluting JFK on his 46th birthday"
(lot 319, est. $500/700). A later, more abstract work will also be
offered, The Benign Sign for JBK, which is estimated at $200/300
(lot 317). Jacqueline Duheme painted a series of charming,
miniature pictures of the trip President and Mrs. Kennedy took to
Paris in 1961. Subsequently, Ms. Duheme gave this series to the
Kennedys and was invited to travel with the First Lady and her
sister, Princess Lee Radziwill, when they went to India and
Pakistan in 1962. Princess Radziwill lived in London at the time
and following their trip, Mrs. Kennedy stopped there for two days
on her way back to Washington. In Resting Up, London. March 26,
1962, Duheme has captured Mrs. Kennedy asleep in her sister's
house, being visited by her nephew and his dog (lot 367, est.
$500/700). Photographs Among an interesting group of photographs to
be offered is a charming image of John F. Kennedy and John Jr. in a
Rowboat, taken by an anonymous photographer, circa 1962 (lot 671,
est. $200/250). Also included is the iconic image by George Tames,
entitled 'The Loneliest Job' (JFK in the Oval Office), which shows
the President, in a moment of reflection, leaning over his desk in
The White House. Signed, dated and annotated, N.Y. Times in ink in
the margin, the image was published in The New York Times Magazine
on February 19, 1961, and is estimated to sell for $500/700 (lot
384). Stanley Tretick, best known for his series of photographs
taken of the Kennedys which were published in Look Magazine between
1960 and 1964, is represented by a photograph of the Kennedys
entitled Hyannis Port, November 1960 (lot 375, est. $500/700).
Several signed photographs of Senator and Mrs. Kennedy Campaigning
in Oregon and West Virginia by Jacques Lowe (estimates ranging from
$700 to $1,000) are also included (lots 673,676, 677, 679, 680).
Books Books were an integral part of the life of Jacqueline Kennedy
Onassis. From childhood onwards, she was an avid reader, amassing
several thousand books over her lifetime. Working with books later
became her profession and for two years she worked as an editor at
Viking and then, from 1978 until her death in 1994, she was an
editor at Doubleday. The February auction features books from the
shelves of all of the residences mentioned, their myriad topics
reflecting the wide range of interests --history, art,
architecture, design, literature, travel, politics and The White
House, among other topics-of their reader. Among the volumes are a
Group of Books Relating to American Politics and Policy, each
bearing the Presidential bookplate of John Fitzgerald Kennedy (lot
114, est. $500/700); a Group of Books by or about John F. Kennedy,
including Profiles in Courage, Inaugural Edition (lot 122, est.
$300/500); and a group of various editions of White House Guides,
including approximately two from the Kennedy Presidency years, one
from President Johnson's administration, fourteen from President
Nixon's, one from President Ford's and one from President Carter's
(lot 120, est. $100/200). Other books to be offered include a Group
of Books Relating to France and French Literature (lot 465, est.
$400/600); a Group of Books Relating to Textiles (lot 464, est.
$100/200); a Group of Books Relating to India (lot 476, est.
$150/250); and a Group of Books by or Edited by Jacqueline Kennedy
Onassis (lot 459, est. $300/500). Books and magazines which are
indicative of Mrs. Onassis' interest in fashion and design include:
Approximately 35 issues of Architectural Digest (most bearing
annotations in Mrs. Onassis' hand) (lot 478, est. $100/200); a
Group of Apollo Magazines dating from 1977-1994 (lot 479, est.
$100/200); a Group of Magazines including several issues of
Connoisseur and The Magazine Antiques (lot 486, est. $100/200) and
a Group of Books Relating to Haute Couture, including Valentino,
inscribed "To Jackie/ with all my friendship/ and admiration/
Valentino/ Sept 1982" (lot 469, est. $100/200). A book which is
representative of Mrs. Kennedy's thirst for knowledge and
wide-ranging interests is Mai-Mai Sze, The Tao of Paintings, A
Study of the Ritual Disposition of Chinese Painting, 1963. In 1966,
Mrs. Kennedy took a course of ten lessons in Chinese Painting and
Calligraphy during a trip to Honolulu, Hawaii. This book was
presented to her by her instructor, Hon Chew Hee, with a lovely
inscription and is offered together with two photographs of Mrs.
Kennedy taken while she was studying (lot 281, est. $250/350). A
charming memento from years spent in The White House is a
three-ring binder entitled TOM KITTEN alias TOM TERRIFIC /THE WHITE
HOUSE CAT. Comprising nine 8 x 10 gelatin prints of Tom Kitten,
Caroline Kennedy's cat while she lived in the White House, the book
also bears the floral bookplate of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (lot
119, est. $100/200). Jewelry The sale will feature a small
selection of jewelry and precious objects belonging to Mrs.
Onassis. Highlights include pieces by Van Cleef & Arpels, among
them a Lapis Lazuli and Diamond Bracelet and Earclips (lot 657,
est. $3/5,000) and a Colored Stone and Diamond Girl Brooch (lot
658, est. $1,200/1,500). Other pieces include a Silver-Topped Gold,
Sapphire and Diamond Flower Brooch (lot 661, est. $12/15,000); an
Art Deco Rock Crystal Sapphire and Diamond Bow Brooch (lot 662,
est. $6/8,000); a Black Velvet, Diamond, Coral and Emerald Purse,
Cartier (lot 656, est. $3/4,000) and a Faberge Gold and Enamel
Triptych Miniature Frame, circa 1900 (lot 664, est. $15/20,000).
The Catalogue The catalogue will be available for purchase
beginning December 1, 2004 by logging on to
http://www.sothebys.com/, or by calling (888) 752 0002. Catalogues
can also be purchased at Sotheby's galleries in New York and London
and will be necessary to attend the exhibition, given the
significant interest anticipated. Admission to the exhibition will
be granted to a random selection of those who purchase the
catalogues from December 1, 2004 through January 10, 2005. The
price for the catalogues is $50 plus shipping and handling. Further
questions concerning catalogue sales should be directed to (212)
894 1399. Press Preview There will be a Press Preview on February
8, 2005 and press credentials will be required. Further details on
the Press Preview will be distributed in mid-January. For more
information, please contact Sotheby's Press Office at (212) 606
7176 DATASOURCE: Sotheby's Holdings, Inc. CONTACT: Diana Phillips,
Matthew Weigman, Lauren Gioia, or Patricia Fox Madara for Sotheby's
Holdings, +1-212-606-7176, fax: (212) 606 7381 Web site:
http://www.sothebys.com/
Copyright