Sotheby's unveils the Private Collection of Kathryn & Bing Crosby
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Ville d'Avray. Courtesy Sotheby's.
NEW YORK, NY.—
Sotheby’s unveils Swinging on a Star: The Private Collection of Kathryn and Bing Crosby, which will be offered in a landmark auction on 18 December. The auction will be a headline event of Sotheby’s inaugural auctions at its new home in the iconic Breuer building on Madison Avenue. This exceptional sale offers an intimate glimpse into the lives, loves, and legacies of two Hollywood legends whose careers shaped the golden age of American entertainment.
Drawn from the Crosby family’s private holdings, the auction features an extraordinary array of treasures amassed over decades—from fine art and collectibles to rare Fabergé pieces and objects that reflect the couple’s shared life, travels, and passions. Together, these items illuminate both the glamorous world the Crosbys inhabited and the deeply personal stories behind their collecting.
From their serendipitous meeting on the Paramount lot in 1952—when a young Kathryn Grandstaff captivated multimedia star Bing Crosby—emerged a love story that spanned two decades, marked by both artistic achievement and personal devotion. Bing Crosby, with three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and an Academy Award for Going My Way, made history with his transformational contributions to music, television, and film, shaping the future of recording and broadcast media and remembered for his iconic roles in White Christmas and The Bells of St. Mary’s. Kathryn Grant, a celebrated actress with notable roles in The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and Anatomy of a Murder, was equally central to their shared legacy, playing an integral role not only in Hollywood but also in the personal and professional partnership they built together.
While their names are synonymous with Hollywood, Bing Crosby and Kathryn Grant were, above all, passionate collectors whose curated treasures tell the story of their remarkable lives and refined sensibilities.
“While Kathryn and Bing Crosby are celebrated for their groundbreaking contributions to film, music, and entertainment, their lives were far richer than the spotlight alone. As partners, collectors, travelers, and patrons of beauty, they gathered extraordinary works of art that reflect their passions, curiosity, and refined taste. This collection offers a rare glimpse into their personal story and enduring legacy—a vivid reflection of two lives that continue to inspire across generations.” -- Brnjamin Doller,
Sotheby's Chairman, Americas
Together, this sale celebrates not only the Crosbys’ extraordinary contributions to entertainment and culture but also the enduring spirit of their partnership, a true Hollywood love story reflected through the art and objects they cherished most. The exhibition will be open to the public at Sotheby’s New York galleries in the Breuer building (945 Madison Avenue) from 13-17 December, offering collectors an opportunity to experience these extraordinary works firsthand.
KATHRYN AND BING CROSBY
Bing Crosby was one of the most influential entertainers of the 20th century—an iconic singer, actor, and radio and television pioneer whose career spanned over five decades. With more than 2,000 commercial recordings, he remains one of the most recorded voices in history. Bing topped the charts 44 times, won an Academy Award for Going My Way, and starred in 104 films, including classics like White Christmas and High Society. A trailblazer in recording technology, he helped develop magnetic tape recording and videotape, shaping the future of broadcast media. Beyond entertainment, Bing co-owned the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team and founded the Bing Crosby Pro-Am golf tournament.
Kathryn Crosby (née Olive Kathryn Grandstaff) was a celebrated actress and television host who appeared in over twenty films, including The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and Anatomy of a Murder. After graduating from the University of Texas, she moved to Hollywood, where she met Bing Crosby during interviews for her column. The couple married in 1957 and had three children. Kathryn frequently appeared on Bing’s holiday specials and later pursued stage roles and charitable work, including hosting the Crosby National Golf Tournament.
Together, Bing and Kathryn Crosby’s enduring partnership and shared passions for entertainment, art, and philanthropy are reflected in the remarkable private collection now being offered by Sotheby’s.
A GLIMPSE INSIDE THE COLLECTION
The live auction will be presented as one sale in seven chapters, each highlighting a distinct facet of Kathryn and Bing Crosby’s lives and reflecting the major themes of their extraordinary collection. Additional sale contents will be unveiled in due course.
ARTS & LEGACY
A distinguished selection of fine and decorative art reflecting the Crosbys’ discerning taste and lifelong commitment to collecting works of beauty, craftsmanship, and cultural significance. This chapter offers an intimate view into their aesthetic vision and the objects that inspired them.
Sir Alfred James Munnings, P.R.A., R.W.S.
On the Moors
signed and dated lower right: A.
Munnings 1914
oil on canvas
Estimate upon request
Recognized as the leading equestrian painter of the 20th century and serving as President of the Royal Academy between 1944 and 1949, Sir Alfred Munnings is represented in the Crosby Collection by one of his grandest and most critically esteemed compositions. On the Moors (1914) belongs to the artist’s highly sought after series painting on Zennor Hill in Cornwall, a period when his dynamic depictions of riders and grazing animals reached new heights of expression. Its inclusion in Bing Crosby’s collection underscores the legendary entertainer’s discerning eye and careful connoisseurship, shining a new light on his enduring passion for great 19th-Century Art.
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot
Ville d’Avray
signed lower left: Corot
oil on canvas
Estimate upon request
A consummate example of the landscapes that secured Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot’s status as one of the most enduring names in French art history, Villa d’Avray shines a light on Bing Crosby’s discerning eye and deep appreciation for artistic lineages. With its fluid brushwork and signature palette of silvery greys, browns, and greens, the painting exemplifies the artist’s masterful rendering of nature which made him a cornerstone of the Barbizon school and a vital inspiration to generations of artists who came after him, including Camille Pissarro, Berthe Morisot, and August Renoir.
HOME ON THE RANGE
Bing Crosby is widely celebrated for his western-themed appearances and music, namely his lead role in the 1936 film Rhythm on the Range. His deep appreciation for the American western art genre perfectly embodies the entertainer’s affinity for western media, with pieces by Charles Marion Russell, Herman W. Hansen, Olaf Wieghorst, and even portraits of himself on horseback adorning his fine art collection.
SPEAKING TO BING’S COWBOY SPIRIT, HARRY CROSBY REMARKED:
“He loved nature, the outdoors, and was deeply committed to conservation and protecting habitat. He owned ranches throughout his early life, and as a young man, I would spend summers working on them—learning to ride horses and experience that way of life. In many ways, dad was a true cowboy at heart. He loved fly fishing, exploring the outdoors, and traveling widely. It was a vital balance to his incredibly strong work ethic.”
Charles Marion Russell
Indian Man & Woman on Horses
oil on canvas
25 by 35 ½ in. (63.5 by 90.2 cm.)
Estimate upon request
Charles Marion Russell is one of the most iconic names associated with American western painting. His renditions of cowboys, Native Americans, and western landscapes - captured through paintings, drawings and sculpture - make him one of the most widely celebrated artists in the western genre. This painting from the Crosby collection is emblematic of Russell’s dynamic style.
Herman Wendelborg Hansen. The Horse-Wrangler (Bringing in the Saddle Herd). Watercolor on paperboard 24 by 36 in. (61 by 91.4 cm.) Estimate upon request
Herman Wendelborg Hansen is widely celebrated for his illustrations of the American western frontier, with a particular strength for capturing horses in motion. The present work perfectly encapsulates Bing’s fascination with the cowboy culture of the American west that pervaded popular culture during his lifetime.
Reynolds Jones
Bing Crosby Ranch, Elko, Nev.
Charcoal on paperboard
30 by 40 in. (76.2 by 101.6 cm.)
Executed in 1956.
Estimate upon request
Several commissioned portraits in the collection showcase Bing and Kathryn Crosby’s personal style and everyday interests, including this iconic drawing of Bing on horseback. Illustrated from the family’s cattle ranch located just outside Elko, Nevada, the present work demonstrates Bing’s keen interest in ranching, horseback riding, and American western culture more broadly.
A LOVE STORY IN FABERGÉ
Exquisite Fabergé treasures, many gifted between Kathryn and Bing, celebrate their enduring romance and shared appreciation for artistry. Each object tells a story of intimacy, elegance, and the couple’s devotion to one another. Building on Sotheby’s unrivaled leadership in presenting the world’s greatest Fabergé collections — most recently demonstrated by the record-setting sale of the Castle Howard treasures — the Crosby Fabergé ensemble now takes its place among the most significant offerings to appear on the market in decades. Together, these works underscore not only the personal love story they embody, but also Sotheby’s continuing role as the preeminent destination for collectors of Fabergé masterpieces.
“One is this extraordinary lion—big, chunky, incredible. And then, right next to it, is this beautiful tiny little mouse made of sapphire—tiny but strong. One may look bigger than the other, but they are of equal strength and form. I think my mother, while she may have looked like a mouse, was as strong as a lion, and not to be underestimated.” – Harry Crosby
An Exceptionally Rare and Impressive Fabergé Jewelled Aventurine Quartz Model of a Lion St Petersburg, circa 1900. Estimate upon request
This regal piece of Fabergé is one of the largest hardstone works created by the firm. Housed in its original case, the only similar known piece is held in the Fersman Mineralogical Museum in St Petersburg. Fabergé was famous for its skillful and character-filled lapidary works and an inscription on the lion’s underside suggest this one would have originally cost the princely sum of 3,000 rubles.
A Rare and Precious Fabergé Jewelled Sapphire Model of a Mouse. St Petersburg, circa 1900 Estimate: $50,000 - $70,000
According to Harry Crosby, the Fabergé Mouse and its companion, the Fabergé Lion, symbolize the delicate balance of strength, grace, and resilience that defined his parents’ enduring relationship. While the lion represents power and might, it is the mouse that, in Harry’s view, embodies the quiet yet formidable strength of his mother. Though she may have seemed delicate— much like the soft, unassuming mouse—her true inner fortitude, he believes, rivaled that of the lion and was never to be underestimated.
A Fabergé Gold, Guilloché. Enamel and Pearl Photograph Frame Workmaster Viktor Aarne. St Petersburg, 1899-1903 Estimate: $15,000 - $25,000
Fabergé produced a range of enameled egg pendants, inspired by their iconic Imperial Easter Eggs, in an array of delicately fired guilloché enamel colors. This example is notably large and was crafted by Fabergé’s head workmaster, Mikhail Perkhin. Hinged and set with diamonds, it stands out as an especially remarkable and captivating piece.
A Rare Fabergé Jewelled Enamel Pill Box. Workmaster Henrik Wigström St Petersburg, 1904-1908 Estimate: $30,000 - $50,000
This intricately enameled pill box is stylistically related to the famous Imperial Rose Trellis Fabergé Egg, presented by Emperor Nicholas II to his wife, Alexandra Feodorovna, for Easter 1907. The Imperial Egg, now part of the Walters Art Museum collection, features similarly enameled roses intertwined with diamonds.
A Large Fabergé Jewelled Gold and Guilloché Enamel Egg Locket Pendant Workmaster Mikhail Perkhin. St Petersburg, 1899-1903 Estimate: $12,000 - $18,000
Fabergé produced a variety of enameled egg pendants, echoing their most famous creations— the Fabergé Imperial Easter Eggs—in a range of delicately fired guilloché enamel shades. This example is notably large and was crafted by Fabergé’s head workmaster, Mikhail Perkhin. Hinged and set with diamonds, it is an especially striking and exceptional piece.
A Fabergé Jewelled Nephrite and Pearl Tray in the form of a leaf Workmaster Henrik Wigström. St Petersburg, 1904-1908 Estimate: $12,000 - $18,000
Nephrite was favored for its beauty and durability and was one of the most popular materials chosen by Fabergé for his hardstone objets de fantaisie such as this tray.
LIVING WITH STYLE
A curated selection of furniture, silver, and decorative arts that shaped the Crosbys’ domestic life, reflecting their refined tastes and the elegance with which they entertained family, friends, and distinguished guests. This chapter offers a unique glimpse into the private world of the Crosbys, where these objects played a central role in both raising their family and welcoming visitors.
A Louis XV Style Gilt Bronze and Tulipwood, Kingwood and Bois Satiné Parquetry Tea Table Attributed to François Linke, Late 19th Century. Estimate: $15,000 - $20,000
A Waterford Crystal ‘Royal Tara’-Pattern Cut and Etched ‘K.G.C’ Monogrammed Glass Table Service, 2nd Half-20th Century. Estimate: $1,000 - $1,500
An Italian Baroque Style Walnut and Marquetry Chest of Drawers, incorporating 18th-Century Elements Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000
A Pair of Tudor Style End Tables, 20 Century, incorporating earlier Marquetry Panels, from Hearst Castle. Estimate: $3,000 - $5,000
ICONS OF A GOLDEN ERA
Memorabilia, awards, scripts, and ephemera that illuminate the Crosbys’ storied Hollywood careers, offering collectors a compelling window into the golden age of American entertainment and the enduring legacy of two of its brightest stars.
Sheraton Style Satinwood, Mahogany and Marquetry Grand Piano With ivory veneered keys by Erard, Paris, serial number 75447 stamped on left edge of soundboard, made for the English market February 1897. Estimate: $20,000 - $30,000
The piano was used in the 1956 film High Society for the musical number ‘Now You Has Jazz’ composed by Cole Porter and sung by Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong. It was later purchased by Bing and Kathryn for their Hillsborough home.
“We grew up with that piano—taking lessons and rehearsing there. It was truly the centerpiece of the house, always alive with music. Dad would have incredible musicians come up and perform—Joey Bushkin, among many others—and it was played by all sorts of artists over the years.” -- Harry Crosby
TIMELESS GLAMOUR: THE FASHION AND JEWELS OF KATHRYN CROSBY
Kathryn’s couture and jewelry, exemplifying her signature elegance and sophistication, offering a glimpse into the timeless style she brought to both the screen and her daily life.
Portrait of Mrs. Crosby Samuel Manning. Estimate upon request
An elegant portrayal of Kathryn Crosby, this portrait showcases her exquisite style.Set within a distinctly western landscape, the portrait further signals the couple’s affinity for ranch life and American western culture.
Gold, Azurmalachite and Turquoise ‘Sea Anemone’ Paperweight
David Webb
5 ½ by 3 ½ in.
Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000
Since 1945, David Webb’s striking, highly distinctive designs have featured prominently in the collections of East Coast society doyennes, Texas tastemakers and Hollywood’s elite. Known for his remarkable attention to detail, David Webb conceived statement-making jewels that project glamour, luxury and, in the case of this paperweight, a touch of whimsy.
This remarkable sculpture—composed of raw azurmalachite and turquoise cabochon —exemplifies Webb’s artistry and imaginative approach to precious materials.
Showcasing minerals native to the United States, the piece was originally conceived in 1962 as a diplomatic gift at the behest of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Webb went on to produce additional versions over the course of several years. The gold base’s textured tendrils enhance the organic aesthetic of the unpolished azurmalachite; the rope twist border, by contrast, is borrowed from the canon of classical design, a nod to the serious intent behind the gift.
Kathryn Crosby’s Wedding Suit, 1957 comprised of a matching slubbed silk-linen pale pink with floral silk lining dress, jacket with shoulder pads, coat, skirt, two pieces of extra lining fabric, and two framed photographs of Kathryn wearing the garments Estimate: $300 - $600
An enchanting piece of Hollywood history, this pale pink slubbed silk-linen ensemble was worn by Kathryn Crosby for her 1957 wedding to Bing Crosby. This lot includes a chic dress, tailored jacket, coat, and skirt, all beautifully lined in a delicate floral silk. Also included are two pieces of matching fabric and, most charmingly, two framed photographs capturing Kathryn in the ensemble on her wedding day.
WHEN IRISH EYES ARE SMILING: BING CROSBY’S PURSUITS
A celebration of Bing Crosby’s wide-ranging pastimes — from sporting triumphs to adventurous travels and personal curiosities — this chapter reveals a man whose life extended well beyond the stage and screen. Marked by creativity, curiosity, and a zest for experience, these treasured mementos illuminate the pursuits that brought Crosby joy, camaraderie, and lasting influence.
Portrait of Bing in Green Hat. Samuel Manning. Estimate upon request
Adorned with one of his signature hats, this striking portrait captures Bing’s likeness with a sense of warmth and familiarity. The artist completed a companion piece of Kathryn Crosby, also featured in the sale.
