Auction of Ruth Bader Ginsburg Items Raised $800,000 for the Washington National Opera

Update, 5/9/22: The auction of Ruth Bader Ginsburg items raised $803,650 for the Washington National Opera. The winning bids ranged from $850 to $55,000.

The opera's artistic director Francesca Zambello told the Associated Press the proceeds from the auction will be "a huge help this year as we try to cultivate the return of our audience."

Original, 4/13/22: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a devoted fan of the opera. Now, around 150 items owned by Ginsburg will be auctioned in support of the Washington National Opera.

Those items, now up for auction by the Potomack Company, include her black mink coat, a souvenir vase from President Barack Obama's inauguration, and a plate made by Pablo Picasso.

"It’s an opportunity to own something personal of hers and support the opera," Elizabeth Haynie Wainstein, the auction house’s owner, told the Associated Press. Per the AP, an online auction of Ginsburg’s books in January brought in $2.3 million, but this auction is estimated to bring in between $50,000 to $80,000.

The bulk of the items up for auction are from Ginsburg's personal art collection, including a print of "Red Orange Wall" by artist Josef Albers and sculptures by American artist Glenna Goodacre. Also included is a work by Paul Spera, Ginsburg's grandson, titled "Bubbie of Liberty" showing his grandmother on top of the Statue of Liberty. (Bubbie is the Yiddish word for grandmother.)

The opera was a longtime passion of the late Supreme Court justice, and a natural recipient of the proceeds of this auction. She frequently attended the Washington National Opera, and even appeared in a few performances in speaking roles. After her passing, a leading opera director, Francesca Zambello, said "She was our greatest advocate and our greatest spokesperson. She carried this art form."

"Most of the time, even when I go to sleep, I’m thinking about legal problems," Ginsburg said in 2015. "But when I go to the opera, I’m just lost in it."

In addition to making items available for this auction in benefit of the opera, Ginsburg's children Jane and James Ginsburg, recently donated three dozen objects to the permanent collection at the National Museum of American History. Those objects included her black robe, a monogrammed briefcase, and two of her famous collars.

View the full collection up for auction at The Potomack Company.

You Might Also Like

• 12 Weekend Getaway Spas For Every Type of Occasion

• What Your Favorite Champagne Brand Says About You

• Beauty Gurus Share Their Makeup Secrets for Older Women