Kathryn and Bing Crosby's love story is one for the ages. Both singer-actors redefined American pop culture and paved the way for the Golden Age of Hollywood, with a stellar oeuvre of truly pioneering performances. They tied the knot in a secret ceremony, becoming one of mid-century cinema's most illustrious power couples.
Their partnership was rooted in a mutual devotion to the arts. Their shared passion for entertainment, artistry, and philanthropy manifests in their private collection, meticulously curated from their earliest days of courtship.
This cherished treasure trove is now set to go under the hammer at Sotheby's in New York, arriving amid the festive season. It is indeed a fitting tribute to Bing Crosby's iconic "White Christmas", one of the world's most recognisable festive melodies and an enduring symbol of the joy, contemplation, and wistful nostalgia that defines the year's final stretch.
The upcoming auction channels this very essence: a convergence of history, affection, and refinement crystallised in the Crosbys' intimate treasures – their own 'White Christmas' brought to life.
Unveiling a Hollywood Legacy
The auction house has collaborated closely with the Crosby children to preserve the memorabilia of their parents – a duo whose influence raised generations of notable creatives and shaped entertainment beyond measure.
The private collection on offer is drawn directly from the Crosby family archives, with striking possessions the couple lovingly assembled over decades. From fine art to jewellery and furniture, each piece reveals a story of their shared passions and pursuits and the glittering life they led together.
The "Swinging on a Star" sale, valued at approximately $7 million, is a rare window into the private world of two Hollywood icons. Set to take place on 18 December at the Breuer Building – Sotheby's newly minted Upper East Side headquarters – the auction is perfectly timed for the season that Crosby made his own, promising an evening rich in both star power and sentiment.
Tokens of Their Love
The auction's centrepiece comprises furniture from the Crosbys' beloved Northern California estate – a Norman-style sanctuary near San Francisco where the Crosbys found respite from the limelight and continued to lead the rest of their lives in quiet contentment.
Among the standout pieces is the elegant satinwood piano immortalised in High Society, its keys once bringing to life Cole Porter's composition under the fingers of Crosby and Louis Armstrong. After filming, the Crosbys acquired the piano for themselves, and it now arrives at auction, estimated at $20,000 to $30,000. The home they made their own and cherished, recently sold for $25 million.
The Fabergé collection, however, tells perhaps the most personal story. Captivated by the exquisite craftsmanship of the jewellery house, Kathryn received an enamelled stickpin as her first gift from Bing – a gesture that ignited a lifelong tradition of gift-giving. Every little triumph and every milestone thereafter was commemorated with a piece from Fabergé, each a tangible memory of their life together.
Seven lots from the legendary Russian atelier feature in the sale. There's the pearl-set photograph frame finished in lime green enamel, preserving the couple in a tender embrace, and a lilac pillbox crafted in the spirit of the legendary Imperial Eggs. Most charming of all are two tiny showpiece companions: a quartz lion and a sapphire mouse, whimsical tokens of the laughter and affection that imbued every day of their life together.
Another deeply personal piece is a rare Patek Philippe dome clock in gilt brass, its surface featuring a cloisonné enamel rendering of a championship golf course. Presented to Bing by close friends on the 25th anniversary of the Pro-Am tournament hosted in his honour, the clock was a testament to his passion for the sport and his decades of charitable dedication. Part of Patek Philippe's distinguished Pendulette Dôme collection from the mid-20th century, the piece speaks to the Swiss house's virtuosity in cloisonné work and is estimated at $15,000 to $25,000.
Jewels Steeped in History
Kathryn's love of Fabergé was matched only by her ardent love for her personal trove of jewels, each piece a class apart in their craftsmanship and heritage. The sale's most storied pieces are undoubtedly a pair of 18th-century diamond dress trimmings with an imperial pedigree: they belonged to Catherine the Great herself. The work of Louis David Duval of Geneva, jeweller to the Empress from 1764 and a long-time resident of St Petersburg, these glorious relics carry within them the decadence of a vanished empire.
The first piece, dating to 1780, takes the form of ribbon-bound flower buds in closed bloom, their petals dotted with delicate old-cut diamonds and secured with gold pins, estimated at $20,000 to $30,000. Its companion, also from Duval's hand, depicts a blossom caught mid-opening, set in silver with gold fittings, and is valued at $8,000 to $12,000.
Once part of the Russian state jewels, these treasures entered the Crosby collection in 1967. For Kathryn and Bing, such jewels offered something beyond beauty: a tangible link to history and the grandeur of a bygone era.
About Kathryn and Bing Crosby
The couple's story began in 1953 on the site of Paramount Studios, where established legend met rising talent. Bing was already a household name with countless hit records and box office sweeps to his credit. Across five extraordinary decades, he dominated the charts with 44 number-one hits, claimed an Academy Award for Going My Way, and brought his easy charm to 104 films, among them beloved classics like White Christmas and High Society.
They married in 1957, four years after that first meeting – years during which Kathryn's ascent to stardom proved both swift and certain. She starred in over twenty films, including The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and Anatomy of a Murder, and regularly appeared on Bing's beloved holiday specials. Later, she turned her focus to philanthropy, hosting the Crosby National Golf Tournament and continuing the couple's legacy of giving back.
Final Thoughts
The Swinging on a Star auction celebrates both the Crosbys' profound impact on American culture and the enduring romance that shaped their lives together, exemplified through the treasures they held dearest.
Public viewing runs from 13 to 17 December at Sotheby's New York galleries in the Breuer Building, giving collectors the opportunity to relish these storied pieces in person before bidding opens on 18 December.
