You Can Own Campbell Soup Heiress Dorrance “Dodo” Hamilton’s Treasures
Among the personal items that will be auctioned in April are a Cezanne, a Goyard custom-fitted trunk, and a jaw-dropping 16.5 carat emerald-cut diamond ring.
Photography courtesy of the estate of Dorrance H. Hamilton
The legacy of Dorrance “Dodo” H. Hamilton, the late Campbell Soup Co. heiress, is one of boundless philanthropy. But two auctions coming this spring reveal that she was also a woman of deep artistic passions and vast creative interests. A total of 157 items — all once owned by Hamilton — will be up for bid at Freeman’s. And there’ll be something for everyone, with estimates ranging from the low hundreds up into the millions.
Freeman’s will auction off the art and decorative and personal items on Sunday, April 29th, and her jewelry on Wednesday, May 9th. Both collections will be on display from April 21st to 28th at Freeman’s, 1808 Chestnut Street, Rittenhouse.
Here, a peek at Hamilton’s unique treasures:
Emerald cabochon-encrusted silk purse
Emerald cabochon-encrusted silk
Estimate starts at $500
Fact: An evening bag — this one hails from India — can never have too much geometric embroidery, silk and gold thread or emerald gems.
Goyard custom-fitted trunk
Goyard custom-fitted trunk
Estimate starts at $6,000
Goyard was founded in 1853, a year before Louis Vuitton, and handbag freaks have been obsessing over the two brands’ luxurious merits ever since.
Paul Cézanne’s La Vie des Champs
Paul Cézanne’s La Vie des Champs
Estimate starts at $1.2 million
This famed oil painting by the French master took a grand tour this winter from London to Hong Kong. “I had it buckled up for security in the airplane seat next to me,” said Freeman’s chairman Alasdair Nichol, who never left the painting’s side.
Art Deco diamond and rock crystal strap bracelet
Art Deco diamond and rock crystal strap bracelet
Estimate starts at $30,000
“If I had my choice, this would be my pick,” says Virginia Salem, head of jewelry at Freeman’s. The gemologist believes the long bracelet doubled as a choker.
Daniel Garber’s The Morning Train
Daniel Garber’s The Morning Train
Estimate starts at $200,000
This Impressionist piece depicts a scene along our very own Delaware River.
16.5 carat emerald-cut diamond and platinum ring
16.5 carat emerald-cut diamond and platinum ring
Estimate starts at $600,000
In all its sparkle and F-color splendor, this exquisite ring was featured on TV in Hong Kong while on the collection’s world tour.
Double sailor’s valentine
Double sailor’s valentine
Estimate starts at $1,500
The wild intricacy of this 19th-century love project surpasses all modern-day DIY craft jobs out there.
Kunzite ring
Kunzite ring
Estimate starts at $7,000
Not the most expensive piece in Hamilton’s jewelry collection, but certainly the boldest. Kunzite for the win.
Published as “Mm! Mm! Auction!” in the April 2018 issue of Philadelphia magazine.
