Former Indianapolis Colts owner and billionaire businessman Jim Irsay acquired a stunning array of American heritage artifacts that are set to hit the auction block via Christie’s this summer.
The latest entry in the “Jim Irsay Collection” auction lineup casts a wide net across the history of America as the country prepares to toast its 250th anniversary, and the assortment of prized finds acquired by the late Super Bowl champion owner is nearly as impressive as the record-setting guitars auction from Irsay’s “Icons of Music” collection that were previously owned by David Gilmour, Kurt Cobain, Jerry Garcia and Bob Dylan.
Irsay joined the Colts in 1982 and oversaw the team’s 2007 Super Bowl victory, assuredly enjoying the fruits of his labor while building a remarkable personal collection spanning music and museum-worthy historical acquisitions.
Nearly 70 Americana items will go under the hammer at a live auctionon July 1st in New York City, including a broadside document serving as the first National Thanksgiving Proclamation. The lineup becomes ever-more impressive in its documentation of the country’s heritage. Incredibly, the collection includes what Christie’s calls the “first official facsimile of the original signed manuscript of the Declaration of Independence,” an auction item that could fetch as much as $2 million.
Ahead of the latest Irsay auction, the heritage-focused collection will also be on public display June 25th through June 30th at Christie’s New York. The auction lot traces an impossibly detailed timeline across the many chapters of America’s history, including a series of historical and personal objects connected to Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, along with an assortment of rare currency, reserve notes and two Mark Twain first edition books.
The auction also includes a set of used press circle tickets to Ford’s Theatre the night of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, and the lineup features personal effects like Lincoln’s pocket knife. Letters from George Washington and Thomas Jefferson are also expected to fetch anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000 (and possibly much higher sums).
The collection is both a fitting tribute to its owner and to the country at large, Irsay’s three daughters said in a joint press statement. “Our dad was a passionate collector, driven not by possession, but by a profound appreciation for the beauty, history, and cultural resonance of the items he curated,” said Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt, and Kalen Jackson, Irsay’s three daughters. “He considered himself a steward of the collection, not its owner. He loved acquiring important items from American history and was especially inspired by great leaders, great moments, and great stories.” As the country prepares to celebrate a momentous anniversary, the Jim Irsay Collection auction lineup at Christie’s offers a touching opportunity for reflection, not to mention an expensive chance to bid on a piece of history.