Plainly Presidential: The Estate of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter
Signed Photograph, Living Presidents, Jimmy Carter Provenance
It is difficult to imagine a greater achievement than to be elected to the highest office in the land. For a politician, to become President of the United States is the culmination of decades’ worth of hard work as a public servant. But for our President Jimmy Carter, the 39th man to be elected to that singular position, the Oval Office was but a chapter in a lifetime of monumental achievements. Brunk Auctions is honored to present over 200 lots of personal property from the Estate of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, which includes paintings, photography, fly fishing items, furniture, jewelry, and a solid gold presidential medallion, on February 25, 2026, in an auction that provides the public an unparalleled opportunity to own things acquired or made by one of the most famous and influential people of this century and the last.
Unique Presidential Inaugural Proof 24kt Gold Medal, Jimmy Carter Provenance
The idea of a President’s star continuing to prove ascendant even after their time leading this nation has ended may seem somewhat unlikely. Indeed, some presidents seem to slip out of the public eye altogether. But in the case of Jimmy Carter, the presidency was a prelude to a life of great accomplishment. Unenviably, President Carter started his term in the wake of the Watergate scandal, when trust in the nation’s leadership was at an all time low. Over the course of his presidency, he had to deal with Soviet aggression, the Iranian revolution and accompanying hostage crisis, and a lackluster economy. But in spite of the obstacles, during his time in the White House, he demonstrated one of his most admirable qualities; a commitment to peace. The Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt are widely regarded as the crown jewel of his presidency and one of the greatest contributors to the hope for a lasting peace in the Middle East.
Despite a bid for reelection that ultimately didn’t bear fruit, President Carter remained undeterred in his commitment to his ideals of peace and global cooperation. He furthered peace efforts with North Korea, advocated for elections in Venezuela, and for human rights in South Africa; these were only some of his post-presidency diplomatic efforts. Perhaps most famously, he threw himself into humanitarian causes. His and Rosalynn’s role in the expansion of Habitat for Humanity cannot be overstated: the President, using his skills as a carpenter and woodworker, and First Lady even built and repaired houses personally, side-by-side. The Carter Foundation notes “by the time of his death, the couple worked on more than 4,400 homes in 14 countries.” This selfless contribution to charitable causes, unfaltering advocacy for peace, and unbounded generosity in sharing his time and efforts to benefit others all culminated in President Carter being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
Jimmy Carter Personalized Woodmere Fly Fishing Partial Tea Service and Dinner Service
We are honored to be offering some of his woodworking tools (featured above), furniture made by his own hands and books on the subject. Woodworking was, in many ways, an extension of his childhood in rural Georgia, where people were raised to make things with their own hands. Over the course of his hobbying, he made everything from desks and sofas, to rakes and pitchforks to use in his garden, to simple shelves, including one for fly rods that combined his passions for woodworking and fly-fishing. And each piece comes with a story. The previously-mentioned sofa was made by the President just after his naval service came to an end, and was kept in the Carters’ home until their passing. According to President Carter in his book The Craftsmanship of Jimmy Carter, “We still use it on our back porch, and it is my favorite place to sleep.” Regarding the desk, nicknamed “Miss Lillian” after Carter’s mother, the President had this to say in that same book When I was a child, we had a black desk in our living room. My mother regularly nursed on 20-hour duty, from 2:00 a.m. until 10 p.m. During her brief off-duty hours, she would leave lists of chores for my sisters and me on the desk. Later we teased her by claiming we thought the desk was our mother. I made this duplicate for my boyhood home, owned by the US Park Service.”
The Hour Before Daylight ‘Miss Lillian’ Black Painted Desk Built by President Jimmy Carter
Benchmade Yellow Pine Sofa Built By President Jimmy Carter
Two Wooden Garden Tools Made by President Jimmy Carter
Besides his presence on the world stage as president, diplomat, and humanitarian, Jimmy Carter was also an ordinary man who enjoyed everyday pursuits and hobbies. He and Rosalynn were both expert fly fishers, hunters and dedicated environmentalists. We are selling numerous fly rods and hunting and fishing gear, including turkey calls used in his favorite pursuit of turkey hunting. One rod in his collection in particular has an amusing story. The Oyster rod was originally meant to be used by the former president only once before being auctioned off for charity. However, Carter was so impressed with its craftsmanship that he wrote to the maker and told them that they’d have to make another, as he simply enjoyed the first too much to give it up. Another notable rod owned by the president is one made by renowned rod maker Walton Powell, which is rod #95 of 100 of Powell’s Ultimate series. The rods of the Ultimate series are known for being made of hand-selected culms of “perfect” Tonkin cane, and are a testament to Powell’s skill as a craftsman.
The President’s Business Card, Jimmy Carter Provenance
Jimmy Carter Personalized Oyster Bamboo Fly Fishing Rod in Leather Presentation Case
Jimmy Carter Personalized Carved Wood Peanut Form Fishing Lure
For all the power and privilege he enjoyed as the President of the United States, Jimmy Carter never let it go to his head or compromise his convictions. He entered the Oval Office a man wanting to do good in the world and lived the rest of his long life never ceasing in the pursuit of spreading that good as far as he could. He once said about failure, “Failure is a reality; we all fail at times, and it’s painful when we do. But it’s better to fail while striving for something wonderful, challenging, adventurous, and uncertain than to say, ‘I don’t want to try because I may not succeed completely.’”
We at Brunk Auctions invite you to join us for “Personal and Presidential: Mementos from the life of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter”, as part of our February 25 auction of Americana, to celebrate the lives of two people whose legacies transcended politics, and were built by their character and actions both in and out of office.
Jimmy Carter Made Fly Fishing Rod Shelf
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