Post Sale: Kennedy Winter White House Hindman Auction

Kennedy Winter White House Auction Draws History and Culture Enthusiasts to Palm Beach for Competitive Bidding

On January 23, 2016, Leslie Hindman Auctioneers sold furniture and decorative arts from the famed “Winter White House” in Palm Beach, Florida. The historic collection was consigned by Mr. and Mrs. John Castle, who purchased the home and much of its contents from the Kennedy family in 1995.

153 lots were offered at the Saturday auction, which drew hundreds of local and national participants to Leslie Hindman Auctioneers’ Palm Beach saleroom. Global attention leading up to the sale prompted many to participate via phone and online bidding platforms, increasing competition for the coveted Kennedy items. The sale totaled nearly $500,000, including buyer’s premium, greatly exceeding expectations.

Many of the sale’s highlights were property closely related to John F. Kennedy. It was at the Palm Beach residence where he recovered from back surgery, penned Profiles in Courage and appointed much of his cabinet. Popular items include a pair of Venetian style walnut twin beds where the future president slept alongside his brother Joe, and later Jackie Kennedy, which sold for $20,000 against a presale estimate of $3,000 – 5,000. The walnut framed massage table where the President took massages to relieve his back pain sold for $10,625 against a presale estimate of $2,000 – 4,000. A pair of green faux leather chairs from the bedroom where John F. Kennedy stayed sold for $6,250 against a presale estimate of $300 – 500.

The 18-foot Kennedy family dining room table sold for $16,250, estimated at $4,000 – 6,000, while the Spanish Baroque style dining chairs sold for $17,500, estimated at $3,000 – 5,000.

Also of interest was furniture that was original to the home when built by Addison Mizner in 1923 for department store magnate Rodman Wanamaker. This furniture remained in the home through the Kennedy years. Representative of this collection is a pair of William and Mary style side tables, which sold for $10,625 against an estimate of $500 – 700. Also from this group is an Italian painted hall bench that sold for $9,375, estimated at $3,000 – 5,000.

The Coromandel screen that was reportedly owned by Sir Winston Churchill’s daughter and offered to Mrs. Rose Kennedy in exchange for her fur coat sold for $16,250 with a presale estimate of $2,000 – 4,000.

Decorative items drew interest such as a pair of Venetian glass mirrors, which sold for $38,750 (estimated at $2,000 – 4,000). The Bob Davidoff Kennedy family portrait on Easter Sunday sold for $6,250 against a presale estimate of $1,000 – 2,000.

With so much history, from a Kennedy residence to the Kennedy administration to historic architecture and decorations, the Property from the Winter White House auction offered something for every Kennedy enthusiast or collector of furniture and design.

The consignors, Mr. and Mrs. John Castle, were committed to preserving the home’s history and its contents when purchased from the Kennedy family. That commitment will continue to live on through buyers across the globe. Leslie Hindman Auctioneers is proud to have brought this important collection to auction, which adds to the arsenal of high profile, single-owner sales the Chicago-based auction house is known for.

Top 10 Lots

426_11 A Pair of Venetian Glass Mirrors