The presidential auction, which began on February 11 and ends on February 18, features items that embody the “lives and legacies” of former presidents and their families, the auction house said in a statement.
“Some of the most valuable presidential artifacts are presidential hair,†Livingston said. “In the 18th and 19th century, it was not out of place to take a lock of hair as a souvenir.”
Other items up for auction include a large portrait of President Abraham Lincoln and his son, Tad. The intimate portrait is “one of only three known specimens” of this size and pose, RR Auction said in the statement.
The former president’s college sweater was gifted to Lang by Jacqueline Kennedy as he filmed an outdoor portion of an interview with the first lady months after her husband’s assassination.
Numerous documents – including Andrew Johnson’s order for a day of mourning after Lincoln’s assassination, a lottery ticket signed by Washington, and typewritten letters signed by Eleanor Roosevelt – are among the other items featured in the sale to auction.
All items have been authenticated by experts, many of which come with letters of authenticity for an additional fee, according to RR Auction.