Remember the photograph that went viral back in 2021 of Joe and Jill Biden visiting Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, in which the Bidens looked like giants kneeling next to the Carters, who were both seated? The pair of upholstered armchairs in that famous image now could be yours.
Christie’s is holding an online auction that includes personal items from the estate of President Jimmy Carter, after the former President died in December at the age of 100. The auction will run through January 27.
The Carters’ belongings—which also include two peanut scarves worn by the former First Lady, a group of ties worn by President Carter, and a handwritten letter from Jimmy to Rosalynn—will be sold alongside American art and artifacts from the Rockefeller family and the Bruce and Doranna Wendel Collection, in an auction dubbed The American Collector.
“This [collection] is interesting because these objects, many of which are created by Jimmy Carter, are humble in nature,” says Julia Jones, an associate specialist at Christie’s. “These are things they really lived with—you can see it and feel it. They’re handmade and really loved.”
Not surprisingly, there has been a lot of interest in the Carter auction. Steeple, a painting by President Carter, already has more than 30 bids with 13 days left, Jones says, and will sell for well above its estimated price of $6,000 to $8,000. Another painting that’s been popular, Mountain Waterfall, also has bidders offering more than the $6,000 to $8,000 price Christie’s predicted.
The bidding for many items starts at $100. It’s estimated that the former President’s birthday note to his wife—which reads, “It’s nice to be growing old together with you”—will sell for $2,000 to $3,000.
Members of the public can register on the Christie’s website. Bidding is open now and is expected to start surging around 48 hours before the auction closes at 11 AM on the last day, January 27. There is a 27 percent buyer’s premium attached to all final bids.
