Ocean conservation beneficiaries WildAid and Beneath the Sea will receive proceeds from the October 29 sale of Jaws memorabilia, typewriters, White House keepsakes, diving equipment, manuscripts, and other personal effects
This collection goes far beyond Jaws—it reveals Benchley as a writer, historian, diver, and environmental advocate. It’s less like an auction and more like a journey through his life’s narrative.— Jill Iorio
Over five decades after Jaws captivated readers, reshaped Hollywood, and altered how millions perceived the ocean, the personal belongings of the man who created that story are now headed to the auction block.
On Thursday, October 29, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. ET, Willow Auction House will host The Peter Benchley Collection: Jaws, A Life of Writing, A Legacy of Stories, featuring close to 300 lots drawn from the private holdings of Peter Benchley (1940–2006).
This sale provides an uncommon glimpse into Benchley’s multifaceted life—not just as the author of the blockbuster novel Jaws, but also as a presidential speechwriter, globetrotter, diver, collector, and marine preservationist.
All auction proceeds will go to WildAid and Beneath the Sea, funding marine conservation initiatives, ocean education, and underwater exploration.
Notable lots include original photographs and promotional items from the Jaws production, Benchley’s 1975 one-sheet movie poster for the film, his personal typewriters, books, research files, awards, and personal belongings, along with a Jaws T-shirt that director Steven Spielberg gave directly to Benchley.
Yet Jaws represented just one chapter in Benchley’s extraordinary career.
Prior to his success as a novelist, Benchley penned speeches for President Lyndon B. Johnson. The auction features White House photographs, presentation items, and personal materials tied to President Johnson and First Lady Lady Bird Johnson, including signed and inscribed photos.
Some of these pieces were displayed earlier in 2025 at the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Texas, during the exhibition From the White House to the Deep Ocean: LBJ, Jaws and Conservation. Among them are Benchley’s White House place card, his official identification badge, and personal desk accessories.
The sale likewise highlights Benchley’s family heritage. He was the son of author and artist Nathaniel Benchley and the grandson of humorist and writer Robert Benchley. The collection features paintings by Nathaniel Benchley and an original pen-and-ink caricature of the family by famed artist Al Hirschfeld.
Benchley also had a passion for amassing historical and artistic treasures. Among the standout items are a 13th-century French vellum Bible leaf, a royal decree bearing the signature of Philip II of Spain, documents tied to Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, and an early printing of The Massachusetts Spy.
His enduring love for the ocean runs throughout the entire sale.
Maritime pieces include Christopher Blossom’s Ship Allerton and Thomas Hoyne’s First and Saucy, each carrying a pre-sale estimate of $6,000–$8,000, in addition to marine paintings, maps, photographs, and nautical relics.
The auction also includes Benchley’s diving gear, a Henderson titanium wetsuit, shark teeth, fossils, and archaeological finds recovered by Peter and Wendy Benchley, such as objects linked to shipwrecks off Bermuda.
In the years following Jaws’ global success, Benchley became increasingly worried about widespread fear of sharks and devoted much of his later years to teaching the public about them and championing marine conservation efforts.
Photos showing Benchley swimming with sharks and manta rays, paired with his diving equipment and marine collections, trace the path of a man who authored the world’s most famous shark tale and became one of the ocean’s most dedicated protectors.
“This collection tells a much larger story than Jaws,” said Jill Iorio of Willow Auction House. “You see Peter Benchley as a writer, White House speechwriter, traveler, historian, diver and conservationist. There are things from his desk, things he wore, things he collected and even artifacts he recovered underwater. It feels less like an auction and more like walking through the story of his life.”
From a gift by Steven Spielberg to a White House place card, from literary works to objects retrieved from the sea floor, this collection offers an intimate link to the man behind a cultural milestone.
The Peter Benchley Collection: Jaws, A Life of Writing, A Legacy of Stories will be presented by Willow Auction House on Thursday, October 29, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. ET, in Lincoln Park, New Jersey, with online bidding also available.
Jill Iorio
Willow Transitions and Auction House
+1 862-895-5700
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Peter Benchley’s Jaws-related items up for bid at Willow Auction House
