Kennedy Family Furniture Is Up for Auction This Weekend
Photo courtesy of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers
Getting a sense of what life was like for President John F. Kennedy isn’t hard when his birthplace is right around the corner in Brookline. But if you’ve ever been interested in decorating like the Kennedy family, an auction being held at their Florida home this weekend is a place to start.
The house in Palm Beach was a favorite vacation spot (aside from Hyannis Port, of course) for the President, First Lady Jackie and their children. It’s referred to as the “Kennedy Winter White House” because of frequent visits from cabinet members and military personnel—the Navy and the Secret Service even renovated it for safety precautions. Aside from guests like Vice President Lyndon Johnson, Frank Sinatra and Arnold Schwarzenegger also stopped by.
More than one hundred pieces of furniture and decorative art will be available at the auction, including a pair of Venetian style walnut beds where John F. Kennedy slept alongside his brother Joe (and in later years, Jackie Kennedy.) Other highlights include the Louis XV provincial-style mahogany banquet table where the Kennedys dined, and a walnut-framed massage table that John F. Kennedy utilized for his back problems.
The Kennedy Winter White House in Palm Beach, Florida / Photo courtesy of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers
Built in 1923 by architect Addison Mizner, the Winter White House was in the family for 62 years. The home served as the permanent residence of Joseph and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, where President John F. Kennedy visited, often with his siblings. He once spent time recovering from back surgery at the house—and it’s where he wrote his inaugural address and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Profiles in Courage.
In 1995, the home and much of its original furnishings were sold to Mr. and Mrs. John Castle. But when the home was recently sold once again, the Castle family kept hold of the furniture and are auctioning some true gems. Peruse some of the pieces below, even if only to dream about them.
A pair of Venetian-style twin walnut beds / Photo courtesy of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers
A walnut-framed massage table / Photo courtesy of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers
A Louis XV provincial-style mahogany banquet table / Photo courtesy of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers
A set of fourteen Spanish Baroque-style walnut dining chairs / Photo courtesy of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers
A Coromandel eight-panel floor screen / Photo courtesy of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers
An Italian walnut Savonarola chair / Photo courtesy of Leslie Hindman Auctioneers
The auction via Leslie Hindman Auctioneers will take place Saturday, January 23 at 12 p.m., 1608 South Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, Florida. See lesliehindman.com for more information.
