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The Private Collection of Kathryn and Bing Crosby Is Headed to Auction

Advance bidding is now open on items including scripts, costumes, and personal treasures from the Hollywood superstar couple’s storied lives

By Alexandria Sillo
A man and woman smiling while seated at a dinner table, surrounded by glasses and plates in a warmly lit setting.
Kathryn and Bing Crosby. Photo: Bing Crosby Enterprises

The full catalogue for “Swinging on a Star: The Private Collection of Kathryn and Bing Crosby” is now live for early bidding at Sotheby’s, where rare treasures from the Hollywood glamour couple will go on view ahead of the December 18 live auction. The Crosbys, who met on the Paramount lot in 1952, were passionate collectors of fine art and decorative objects, which is reflected in the eight-chapter sale, with each category focusing on distinct periods and themes of the golden couple’s lives and storied careers.

Black and white portrait of a woman with dark hair, wearing a patterned scarf and looking directly at the camera.
Kathryn Crosby in her wedding suit. Photo: Bing Crosby Enterprises
Beige vintage women's suit with a fitted jacket and matching skirt on a mannequin, accented by a floral scarf.
Kathryn Crosby’s 1957 wedding suit. Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby’s

In the “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling: Bing Crosby’s Pursuits” chapter of the sale, bidders will vie for trophies and personal memorabilia from Bing Crosby’s life, including his golf and hat accessories. In the “Timeless Glamour: The Fashion and Jewels of Katheryn Crosby,” buyers will have the chance to secure stylish treasures, including the 1957 wedding suit Kathryn wore at her marriage to Bing, and a Jean Louis bespoke red velvet Christmas ensemble she wore in the 1960s.

Green jade leaf-shaped dish with gold and pearl earrings placed inside.
A Fabergé Jewelled Nephrite and Pearl Tray in the form of a leaf, Workmaster Henrik Wigström, St Petersburg, 1904-1908. Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby’s
Decorative photo frame with a couple's portrait beside an ornately designed jewelry box on a reflective surface.
A Rare Fabergé Jeweled Enamel Pill Box, Workmaster Henrik Wigström, St Petersburg, 1904-1908. Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby’s
Orange marble lion figurine sitting beside a small blue and gray mouse sculpture on a reflective white surface.
An Exceptionally Rare and Impressive Fabergé Jewelled Aventurine Quartz Model of a Lion, St Petersburg, Circa 1900. Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby’s

Also available will be Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s Paysage d’après Corot (1898), Sir Alfred James Munnings On the Moors, (1914), and Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot’s Ville d’Avray, and many Fabergé treasures exchanged between the pair. Personal artifacts such as a Waterford cut glass table service engraved with Kathryn Crosby’s monogram, and various horse racing trophies repurposed as lamps, will also come to auction, as will a Sheraton-style Grand Piano that was used in High Society.

Ahead of the sale, the Crosby Collection will be on public view from December 13-17, at the auction house’s new Breuer Building location.

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Explore More from the Collection

The Mike Douglas Show (1975).

Photograph by Credit Bing Crosby Enterprises

Samuel Manning, Portrait of Mrs. Crosby.

Photograph by Courtesy of Sotheby’s

David Webb, gold, azurmalachite, and turquoise Sea Anemone paperweight.

Photograph by Courtesy of Sotheby’s

A Waterford crystal “Royal Tara”-pattern cut and etched “K.G.C” monogrammed glass table service, 2nd half-20th century.

Photograph by Courtesy of Sotheby’s

Sheraton-style grand piano.

Photograph by Courtesy of Sotheby’s

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot’s Ville d’Avray.

Photograph by Courtesy of Sotheby’s
Four people around a piano in an elegant room with chandeliers and paintings, two standing, one sitting at the piano, and another observing.
Portrait of a woman in blue on a wall with a wooden dresser, flowers, and vintage sconce lighting in a classic room.
Intricate mineral cluster with vibrant blue and green crystals adorned by ornate gold and turquoise decorations.
Three elegant crystal goblets with intricate designs and tall stems, showcasing a sophisticated and timeless style.
Antique wooden grand piano with intricate carvings and an open lid, accompanied by a matching bench on a concrete floor.
Landscape painting with trees, figures, and distant buildings in an ornate frame.
Four people around a piano in an elegant room with chandeliers and paintings, two standing, one sitting at the piano, and another observing.
Portrait of a woman in blue on a wall with a wooden dresser, flowers, and vintage sconce lighting in a classic room.
Intricate mineral cluster with vibrant blue and green crystals adorned by ornate gold and turquoise decorations.
Three elegant crystal goblets with intricate designs and tall stems, showcasing a sophisticated and timeless style.
Antique wooden grand piano with intricate carvings and an open lid, accompanied by a matching bench on a concrete floor.
Landscape painting with trees, figures, and distant buildings in an ornate frame.