Robin Williams’ personal collection of watches, artwork and Hollywood memorabilia fetched approximately $6.1 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York on October 4, 2018, four years after the actor’s death. Titled Creating a Stage: The Collection of Marsha and Robin Williams, the sale featured more than 300 lots collected by Williams and his former wife, Marsha Garces Williams, during their life together. The collection included personal watches, film-related objects, bicycles, furniture and works by prominent artists. The auction was also organised around a charitable purpose, with proceeds designated to support several organisations, including Juilliard, Wounded Warrior Project, the Challenged Athletes Foundation, the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Robin Williams’ personal collection spanned Hollywood and his personal interests
The auction offered a glimpse into Williams’ life beyond his screen performances. Alongside film memorabilia, it featured artwork, watches and objects reflecting his varied interests. Sotheby’s reported that the sale generated $6,088,250, exceeding the auction’s high presale estimate of $4.6 million.One of the collection’s most notable features was its range, from objects associated with Williams’ film career to works of art and items he had collected privately. The sale also included a Gryffindor robe worn by Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The robe was among the advertised highlights of the auction, which brought together more than 300 lots.
The watch from Dead Poets Society fetched $32,500
One of the most striking results was a gold-plated Hamilton wristwatch worn by Williams in the 1989 film Dead Poets Society. The watch, associated with his role as English teacher John Keating, had an inscription on its caseback identifying the actor and the film. It sold for $32,500, far above its presale estimate of $1,000 to $2,000. The result demonstrated the value collectors placed on objects with a direct connection to Williams’ performances. The actor’s film memorabilia attracted interest because it linked personal possessions with scenes and characters familiar to audiences.
A Good Will Hunting painting sold for $90,000
Artwork connected to Williams’ film career also attracted substantial bids. An original watercolour by director Gus Van Sant, featuring a man in a boat, sold for $90,000. The painting appeared in Good Will Hunting, the 1997 film in which Williams played therapist Sean Maguire opposite Matt Damon as Will Hunting.Van Sant had inscribed the artwork to Williams, making it both a personal possession and an object with a direct connection to the film. The painting’s final price substantially exceeded its presale estimate of $1,000 to $1,500. Williams won the Academy Award for best supporting actor for his performance in the film.
Proceeds supported education, veterans and healthcare
The auction was intended to benefit several charitable organisations supported by Williams and his family. They included the Juilliard School, where Williams studied, and the Wounded Warrior Project, which supports injured and ill military veterans. The Challenged Athletes Foundation, which helps people with physical disabilities participate in sports, was also among the beneficiaries.Other organisations included the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, which supports people living with paralysis and funds research, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which focuses on childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Human Rights Watch was also identified among the beneficiaries. The auction’s charitable purpose reflected the couple’s support for arts education, healthcare, disability-related causes and human rights.
Juilliard scholarship continued Williams’ legacy
Williams’ connection to Juilliard was particularly personal. He attended the performing arts school in New York before pursuing his acting career. Following the auction, a portion of the proceeds helped establish the Robin Williams Scholarship Fund as a permanent endowment, supporting future students at the institution.The scholarship offered a lasting link between the actor’s career and the school where he developed his craft. The auction therefore brought together two aspects of his legacy: the performances and personal objects that audiences associated with him, and the charitable support intended to benefit students and communities beyond Hollywood.