Babe Ruth to Marilyn Monroe: Christie’s Auction Showcases Dr. G.B. Espy Collection
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Christie's will auction over 400 pieces of vintage sports and Hollywood memorabilia, including items from Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Marilyn Monroe, and Elvis Presley in October.
After items being on display at The National Sports Collectors Convention, Christie’s and Hunt Auctions will celebrate one of the most remarkable private collections of sports and Hollywood memorabilia ever assembled when they present American Greats: Vintage Sports and Hollywood from the Dr. G.B. Espy Collection on October 22nd at Rockefeller Center.
A complementary online sale, Vintage Sports and Hollywood Online, runs October 10-24, with more than 400 lots spanning the legends of American sport, music, and film.
A Life of Service—and Collecting
The late Dr. Goodman Basil “G.B.” Espy III (1935–2024) was far more than a collector. An Alabama-born, Atlanta-raised OB-GYN, he delivered nearly 20,000 babies and volunteered on medical missions in Haiti, Kosovo, Africa, and the Middle East, providing care to underserved communities.
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His humanitarian drive and deep curiosity fueled a lifelong passion for history. Inspired as a boy while exploring his mother’s antique shop, Espy began collecting college football memorabilia and gradually expanded into baseball, Hollywood, and music—preserving stories that defined 20th-century America.
Icons of Sport and Screen
The collection is a panoramic portrait of American popular culture. While many pieces carry a Southern thread—Atlanta Braves, University of Georgia, and Georgia Tech, the scope is unmistakably national. Highlights include amazing artifacts from sports icons including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jackie Robinson, Ty Cobb, and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson.
For the non-sports collectors, personal treasures from Hollywood legends Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Clark Gable, Katharine Hepburn, and Buddy Holly take center stage.
Let’s take a look at some highlights of the awe-inspiring collection.
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Remembering Dr. Espy
Friends recall Espy as tenacious, generous, and endlessly curious—traits that shaped both his medical career and his collecting philosophy. For him, memorabilia was never about possession alone; it was about memory and meaning. His family now shares that mission by bringing the collection to auction, offering others the chance to preserve the stories he so carefully gathered.
Lucas Mast is a writer based in California’s Bay Area, where he’s a season ticket holder for St. Mary’s basketball and a die-hard Stanford athletics fan. A lifelong collector of sneakers, sports cards, and pop culture, he also advises companies shaping the future of the hobby and sports. He’s driven by a curiosity about why people collect—and what those items reveal about the moments and memories that matter most.
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