Auction spotlights items owned by iconic Atlanta family

From a charcoal portrait done by Norman Rockwell to a vintage platinum and diamond engagement ring, one-of-a-kind items belonging to one of Atlanta’s most iconic families will be up for sale this weekend.

Atlanta’s Ahlers & Ogletree Auction Gallery will host a virtual auction on Saturday, Feb. 26 featuring more than 400 lots from the Estate of Nell & Robert Woodruff

Robert Winship Woodruff was a Georgia native who served as the president of The Coca-Cola Company from 1923 until 1955 and continued to help guide the company until his passing in 1985. Woodruff married Nell Kendall Hodgson of Athens in 1912, and both were active in the community throughout their lives; the Woodruff name remains well-known in Atlanta thanks to places like the Woodruff Art Center in Midtown and the Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. 

Ahlers & Ogletree staffers say the items up for auction came from the couple’s quartet of homes, including their Tuxedo Road estate known as Windcrofte. Auction lots include a portrait of George Washington painted by fellow President Dwight D. Eisenhower (a friend of the Woodruffs) and a portrait of Robert Woodruff done by legendary artist Norman Rockwell. Also up for sale are Nell Woodruff’s Tiffany art deco jewelry and various pieces of Coca-Cola memorabilia.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, Saturday’s auction will be entirely virtual, and the public may attend for free. Live bidding begins at 10 a.m. — for more information on the auction and to view the lots, click here. And click the video player to check out our exclusive live preview of the auction on Good Day Atlanta!

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