Los Angeles – The collection of an important Montecito family will be offered as part of Bonhams Fine European Living sale on November 12 in Los Angeles. The collection of Ann and Pete Jackson, which features works of art, books, fine furniture, and silverware, will be offered with no reserve.

Bonhams specialist, Anna Hicks, said; "Throughout their lives, the Jackson family were champions of the Santa Barbara community through their philanthropy. They lived such interesting lives, surrounded by beautiful possessions, and we are very excited to offer highlights of their family collection at auction for the first time. Their old home, Rancho San Carlos, is almost unchanged from its heyday of the 1930s and 40s and represents a shining example of the gilded age of Santa Barbara. This is a rare opportunity to acquire wonderful pieces that were a part of this glorious history."

Highlights of the sale include:

• A Fine Gorham Art Nouveau Martelé Silver Six-piece Tea and Coffee Service Together with Matching Two-handled Tray by Gorham Mfg. Co., Providence, RI, circa 1900. Estimate: $20,000-30,000.
• The complete works of Abraham Lincoln,1807-1865. New York: Tandy Publishing Co., [1905]. Estimate: $12,000 - 18,000.
• A Pair of George III Terrestrial and Celestial Floor Globes in Mahogany Stands, Dudley Adams, 1808. Estimate: $15,000-30,000.
• Attributed to Bartolomeo Nazari (Bergamo 1699-1758 Milan) Portrait of a Gentleman. Estimate: $25,000 - 35,000.
• A Pair of George II Marble Top Carved Pine Eagle Consoles, 18th Century and Later. Estimate: $12,000-18,000.

The Jackson Family

"The Richest Girl in the Country"

Marcia Ann Gavit was born in 1906 in Albany, NY and came from a long line of artists and entrepreneurs. Her mother, Flora Myers Brady Gavit, died tragically in a train crash in 1912, when Gavit was just six. When her maternal grandfather, A.N. Brady, died the following year, she became a beneficiary of his substantial estate. Newspapers across America touted her as the richest girl in the country, while emphasizing how insulated she was from knowing it.

When her father, E. Palmer Gavit, moved to Santa Barbara with his second wife, they continued to live in comfort and privacy at Cuesta Linda, later known as Lotusland in Montecito. Rumor suggested that her stepmother, Marie Turner Gavit, and her future mother-in-law, May McElroy Jackson, conspired to engineer a marriage between their children – though letters between the betrothed reveal the true affection between the pair.

Ann, as she preferred to be called, married Charles Hervey Jackson, Jr. (aka Pete), in 1926. They built their dream home, Rancho San Carlos, during the Depression, with the help of renowned architects and designers, as well as skilled immigrant craftsmen. One of Ann's closest friends was Chicago interior designer Cornelia Conger. As the house was being designed and built, Cornelia made numerous trips to Europe to find just the right furnishings and accessories to complete it.

While construction was underway, Ann and Pete pursued their passions. They were avid polo players and played competitively across the country. Ann was instrumental in bringing women's polo to California. Over the course of 50 years, Ann bred, trained and raced more than 500 horses. She was an internationally acclaimed judge at dog shows, and had a successful business raising champion Kerry Blue Terriers and Springer Spaniels. The trophy room at Rancho San Carlos was a testament to their success.