Curtain from Carson’s Final Show Up for Auction

The curtain that graced the final episode of “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” is set to be auctioned off in honor of the late host’s upcoming 100th birthday on October 24.

Johnny Carson presided over this iconic talk show from 1962 until May 22, 1992. During its impressive 30-year run, he played a pivotal role in shaping late-night television, giving viewers unique insights into the lives of major stars who, at the time, were seldom seen.

Generations of fans, with an average viewership of around 17 million nightly, became captivated not just by the luminaries he interviewed but by Carson himself, whose charm and humor helped elevate many careers.

Carson passed away at the age of 79 due to respiratory failure after a long struggle with emphysema. He would have celebrated his 100th birthday next week.

In advance of this milestone, an auction is set up to sell the Technicolor curtain that fell during Carson’s last monologue, a piece of memorabilia being offered by Heritage Auctions.

The final taping was a special event, attended only by invited guests, allowing Carson to say goodbye in a more personal setting. He donned a sharp dark double-breasted jacket and red tie, seated on a simple stool against the dramatic backdrop of those iconic curtains.

As Heritage Auctions noted, the stool was a nod to Jack Paar, an earlier late-night host, and it was in front of these curtains that Carson delivered his last monologue to a select audience, as well as an estimated 50 million viewers at home.

While the final show featured the beloved ‘Home Base’ living room set, the most memorable moments were captured in front of these colorful curtains, made of “sparkling” polyester in shades of blue, orange, gold, lavender, and peach. A second set of curtains, which features a “cross-hatch diamond pattern,” will also be included in the auction.

The items up for auction are from the personal collection of Dr. Stewart Berkowitz, alongside various other notable memorabilia, including pieces from classics like Batman, The Honeymooners, and Gilligan’s Island.

This significant piece of late-night history currently has a starting bid of $5,500.

Other sets of curtains from different episodes have already been auctioned off, including one that is part of the “Johnny Carson: Immersive Experience” exhibit at the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York.