DANVERS, MASS.- Part III of JG Autographs, Inc.’s online auction titled Collecting Camelot: The Kennedy Legacy, featuring 550 lots of autographs, photographs, ephemera, and artifacts relating to John F. Kennedy, Jackie, the Kennedy family, close associates and others, is online now (at www.JG.Limited). The auction will end on Tuesday, July 21st at 8:30 pm Eastern Time.

At the heart of the catalog is the remarkable archive of Benjamin A. Smith II, President Kennedy’s Harvard roommate, lifelong friend and former US Senator from Massachusetts. For the first time, items from this extraordinary archive are being offered publicly, having remained in the Smith family’s possession and never before exhibited or even made available to collectors.

“It has been a privilege working alongside Benjamin A. Smith III to bring his father’s treasured Kennedy keepsakes to auction,” said Jared Gendron, founder and president of JG Autographs, Inc.

Complementing the Smith archive is the renowned JFK philatelic collection of Edward Krohn. A respected collector and researcher, Krohn authored the John F. Kennedy Cover Catalog, the definitive reference documenting thousands of Kennedy-related postal covers and cachets. Many of the covers in this sale come directly from Krohn’s personal collection and are even illustrated in his landmark reference work. Included is a very rare Abraham Zapruder autographed cover.



Highlight lots are essentially the first 25 lots in the auction. Lot #1 is John F. Kennedy’s personally owned gray felt Henry the Hatter fedora hat, custom-made in Detroit and retaining its original black grosgrain ribbon. The interior sweatband is gold-stamped “JFK,” identifying it as having been specially produced for the President. The hat, which was personally presented by JFK to Benjamin A. Smith II, is the sale’s expected top lot, with an estimate of $12,000-$15,000.



Lot #2 is a copy of Why England Slept, autographed and inscribed by John F. Kennedy to Benjamin A. Smith II. Kennedy’s inscription reads, “To Ben Smith, a great guy and smart too, who gave me most of my information,” followed by his signature, “Jack.” Why England Slept originated as Kennedy's senior thesis at Harvard College and was later published as a book in 1940. It explored Britain’s delayed response to Nazi Germany. The estimate is $4,500-$6,000.

Lot #3 is a custom engraved sterling silver cigarette box presented by John F. Kennedy to Benjamin A. Smith II as a wedding gift from Kennedy and the four fellow ushers in Smith’s wedding to Barbara (“Sis”) Mechem. The handsome sterling silver box features a fitted wooden interior and an engraved “B.A.S.” monogram, surrounded by the engraved signatures of the five ushers, including Kennedy and Barbara’s brothers, Robert and John. Estimate: $2,000-$3,000

Lot #4 is Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s heartfelt two-page autograph letter (signed “Jackie”) to Barbara Smith, the widow of Benjamin A. Smith II, written from her residence at 1040 Fifth Avenue in New York and dated October 6, 1991. Included is the original mailing envelope addressed in Ms. Kennedy’s hand and bearing her initials “J.K.O.” Estimate: $1,250-$1,500



Lot #5 is a John F. Kennedy Runnymede Memorial Dedication photograph archive consisting of the personal album of Benjamin A. Smith II, containing 18 original Type I double-weight 8-inch by 10-inch photographs, including 15 original color photos and three original black-and-white photographs, documenting the dedication of the Memorial at Runnymede, England in May 1965.

The album captures Jacqueline Kennedy, Caroline Kennedy, John F. Kennedy Jr., Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Robert F. Kennedy, Edward M. Kennedy, and other dignitaries during the historic ceremony. One of the black-and-white photographs bears the backstamp of famed White House photographer Cecil Stoughton. The album is expected to realize $3,500-$4,500.



Lot #6 is a leather-bound commemorative volume personally presented by Jacqueline Kennedy to Benjamin A. Smith II, containing the official printed addresses delivered during the 1965 JFK Runnymede Memorial Dedication ceremony. The volume is gilt-stamped with the Presidential Seal and Smith’s initials “B.A.S.” and is inscribed by Jackie, “Dear Ben, Thank you for coming – for the last thing we all do together for Jack - with love, Jackie.” Estimate: $3,000-$4,000



Lot #7 is a Jacqueline Kennedy autographed typed letter addressed to legendary fashion designer Oleg Cassini, the man responsible for creating the iconic style that helped define the public image of the First Lady during the JFK administration. The letter reads: “It was most thoughtful of you to send me your perfume for Christmas. A wonderful present which I will certainly enjoy. With my thanks and best wishes for the New Year, as ever Jackie.” Estimate: $950-$1,200



Lot #12 is John F. Kennedy’s personally owned Duofold (Mohawk, N.Y.) Style 622 thermal “long johns” underwear, a surviving article of the President’s wardrobe that offers a rare and personal connection to the hidden medical struggles that defined much of JFK’s adult life. According to the provenance, the long johns date to Kennedy’s years as a US Senator and were in Kennedy’s possession until the early years of his marriage to Jackie. Estimate: $4,000-$5,000



Lot #15 consists of two authentic fragments of blood-stained leather removed from the rear seat of the Lincoln Continental SS-100-X, the limousine in which President Kennedy was mortally wounded in Dallas, Texas in 1963, housed in an antique rosewood and steel crucifix measuring approximately 2.5 inches by 4.5 inches. The crucifix is attributed by a previous owner as having been subsequently blessed after the relics were placed inside. The estimate is $1,500-$2,000.



Lot #17 is JFK’s White House photographer Cecil W. Stoughton’s Air Force One passenger manifest from the flight departing Dallas on November 22, 1963, documenting the occupants aboard the presidential aircraft following JFK’s assassination. The typescript lists the 41 passengers aboard Air Force One, including President Lyndon B. Johnson, Lady Bird Johnson, Jackie Kennedy, members of the Kennedy and LBJ staffs, and others. Estimate: $3,000-$3,500



Lot #18 is an Abraham Zapruder autographed First Day Cover honoring John F. Kennedy, issued May 29, 1964, on the official U.S. Postal Service memorial stamp commemorating the late president. The cover features the black-bordered “In Memoriam” cachet with Kennedy’s portrait, dates 1917–1963, and his famous “Ask not” quote, alongside the First Day of Issue cancellation from Boston. The cover is from the Edward Krohn philatelic collection. Estimate: $2,500-$3,000



Lot #24 is a bullet and spent cartridge case fired from the actual .38 caliber Colt Cobra revolver used by Jack Ruby to shoot Lee Harvey Oswald on November 24, 1963, in the basement of Dallas Police Headquarters. The display includes the fired bullet and its corresponding spent casing, housed in a wooden shadowbox-style framed presentation case. Estimate: $2,500-$3,000

“Those familiar with our company know that we have handled countless John F. Kennedy autographs and artifacts over the years, but this is undoubtedly one of the finest Kennedy auctions we have ever had the privilege to curate,” Jared Gendron said.

Bidders please take note: 30-minute extended bidding starts on Tuesday, July 21st at 8pm Eastern time. Starting then, the clock will reset for another 30 minutes each time a bid is placed on an individual lot. The 30-minute clock reset is unique for each lot, with every lot going into its own unique countdown during extended bidding.

To learn more about JG Autographs, Inc. and Part III of the Collecting Camelot: The Kennedy Legacy auction online now and ending on Tuesday, July 21st, or to register online to start bidding and buying, please visit www.JG.Limited.