RESULTS: The White House Years of Robert S. McNamara at Sotheby's New York
Yesterday’s sale of The White House Years of Robert S. McNamara – the personal archive of one of the most significant cabinet members in American history – brought a total of $1,008,571, almost doubling the low estimate (est. $505,500/775,300). With over 90% of lots sold, the sale was led by personal items from McNamara’s time in government, Two Kennedy Administration Cabinet Room Chairs, accompanied by an autograph letter of presentation signed by Jacqueline Kennedy, which sold for $146,500.
David Redden, Vice Chairman and Director of the Special Projects Department and today’s auctioneer, noted: “For two hours, the history of the 1960s became a vivid reality for those who participated in this auction. The sale was filled with extraordinary pieces from the remarkable life of this pivotal figure.”
Selling for $95,500, more than three times its high estimate, was the Cuban Missile Crisis Paper-Weightthat was presented to McNamara by President John F. Kennedy after the end of a thirteen-day standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union that nearly escalated into nuclear war. This is one of a series of silver paperweights commissioned by President Kennedy which he gave to members of the Executive Committee of the National Security Council, military advisors, and White House staff.
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