Items once belonging to the beloved late actress Betty White are going up for auction in Beverly Hills, including her director chair from the set of and the hit TV show’s first script, which White read to consider playing the role of Rose.
The items span White’s illustrious, seven-decade career as the “mayor of Hollywood,” as she was once dubbed. The sale, which runs through September 25 at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills and online via Julien Live, offers a collection of more than 1,500 items that include awards, scripts, clothing, furnishings, artworks, jewels, and personal items.
Highlights include a wide array of landscape and wildlife paintings, as well as a portrait of White from the 1950s (currently bid at $7,000), a pilot script for the show (estimated at $1,000 to $2,000), an envelope from White’s win at the 1976 Primetime Emmy Awards ($400-$600), a black and gold embellished Mignon gown worn by the actress to the Emmys in 1989 ($1,000-$2,000), and a vintage Van Cleef and Arpels gold flower brooch with diamond and blue sapphire details ($14,000-$16,000).
The Golden Girls pilot first draft script, read by White when considering taking the part of Rose ($1,000 – $2,000)
White’s magnetism and wry humor brought entertainment to millions of people around the world. She appeared on shows such as The Bold and the Beautiful, Boston Legal, and Hollywood Squares, in addition to the . She also appeared on the in 1979, where she joked about what it would have been like for Adam and Eve to divorce, and, at 88 years old, became the oldest person to host in 2010.
“Betty White was a beloved national treasure and a cross-generational icon who made us laugh for 80 years with her illustrious work on film, radio, and television classics,” said Darren Julien, president of Julien’s Auctions, in a statement.
A vintage Van Cleef and Arpels gold flower brooch seen in photographs of White ($14,000–$16,000). Courtesy Julien’s Auctions.
She was also a lifelong animal activist, relaying in interviews that she “had to do her show business to keep up with her animal business.”
White died in 2021, at the age of 99.
