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Freeman’s | Hindman’s American Furniture, Folk and Decorative Arts auction on April 29, 2023, achieved a total of $1.47 million, with a strong sell-through rate of 81 percent, bolstered by post-auction sales. The event attracted significant interest, with over 200 visitors to the gallery and a reception hosted by the Fine Objects Society drawing 66 attendees. Buyers demonstrated a clear preference for items with well-documented provenance, exhibition history, and publication records, which Lynda Cain, vice president and head of the department, emphasized as critical for buyer confidence.
The standout lot of the sale was a portrait of General George Washington at Princeton by Charles Peale Polk (1767-1822), which sold for $406,900 to an institution. This oil on canvas, measuring 35.5 by 29 inches, was executed between 1791 and 1793 and is considered one of Polk’s most detailed and comprehensive depictions of Washington. It shows the general at the historic 1777 battle at Princeton-Nassau Hall. The painting descended from the family of Darius Ogden Mills (1825-1910) and was later part of the collection of Ambassador and Mrs. Ogden R. Reid. It had previously hung in the offices of the New York Herald Tribune, owned by the Reid family until 1958.
Another highlight was a large alkaline-glazed two-handled stoneware storage jar made in 1859 by David Drake, an enslaved potter from Edgefield, S.C. The jar, standing 22 inches tall and inscribed “LM April 7, 1859 / Dave,” sold for $292,600 to a private collector near Edgefield. Originally purchased by Eatonton, Ga., farmer Ralph Jones (1821-1890), it had remained in the Jones family until the auction.
Andrew Clemens’ intricately crafted sand bottles continue to captivate collectors, with one example from 1888 fetching $108,450. This 6.875-inch-tall bottle, featuring an eagle, flag, and floral wreath, was inscribed with “Geo. Brumder / 1888 / From J. Fischer” and had provenance tracing back to Milwaukee businessman George Brumder (1839-1910).
Clocks also performed well, with a Federal mahogany tall case clock by Sag Harbor, N.Y., clockmaker Ephraim Niles Byram (1809-1881) leading the category at $48,000. This rare astronomical regulator was purchased by a private collector despite interest from institutions. Another notable timepiece was a Federal carved and inlaid walnut and cherrywood tall case clock, its case attributed to John Shearer of Berkley County, Va. (now W.Va.). Illustrated in Elizabeth A. Davison’s The Furniture of John Shearer, 1790-1820, the clock, deaccessioned from the Atlanta History Center to fund collection preservation, sold for $35,200—more than triple its high estimate.
The sale also featured items connected to U.S. presidents and Founding Fathers. A lock of George Washington’s hair, mounted in a mourning brooch and enclosed in a gilt bronze and glass vitrine, sold for $24,320 to an institution. The brooch was reportedly given by Lucy Payne Washington Todd (1769-1846) to her granddaughter Eugenia Scholay Washington (1838-1900), a founder of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Other institutional acquisitions included Erastus Salisbury Field’s The Plague of Darkness ($9,600), Annie Cooper Boyd’s Interior of the William Cooper Boat Building Shop, Sag Harbor ($1,024), and a Federal inlaid mahogany lady’s writing desk by John Aitken, circa 1800 ($8,960).
The auction underscored the enduring appeal of Americana, with collectors and institutions alike competing for historically significant and meticulously documented pieces. Freeman’s | Hindman plans to continue this momentum with upcoming sales, including an Americana Collection auction in September and their annual November event, timed to coincide with the Delaware Antiques Show.
Prices reported include the buyer’s premium. For further details, visit hindmanauctions.com or call 215-563-9275.
