Specialist Spotlight: Lynda Cain
Today, we're spotlighting Lynda Cain, Vice President, Head of Department, American Furniture, Folk, and Decorative Art.
Learn about her journey in the world of American furniture and decorative arts, and notable achievements at Freeman’s ahead of our American Furniture, Folk & Decorative Arts auction, to be held live in Philadelphia on November 12.
Freeman’s: What originally attracted you to the world of American furniture, folk and decorative art? What about this type of decorative art appealed to you? What drew you to becoming a specialist and translating your passion into your career?
Lynda Cain: I have wanted to work with 18th - and 19th-century American furniture and decorative arts since a very young age. I was fortunate to grow up near museums and educational institutions with great American collections and with parents who were fascinated by American history, design, and antiques.
My mother's passion for antiques took us frequently to the halls of the Henry Ford Museum (now The Ford) and to the Detroit Institute of Arts American galleries and period rooms. Visits to the Cranbrook Art Museum offered examples of Modern Design by most of the 20th century's key figures. My father was a manufacturer's representative for several furniture companies. He would sketch interesting furniture details— stretcher turnings, handholds, crests, etc. —from museum pieces and suggest them to the makers of the Colonial Revival furniture lines he carried. There was a lot of attention to detail.
F: How did your career journey lead you to Freeman’s?
LC: I began my journey in the world of museums before transitioning into the auction industry. I spent two summers at the Detroit Historical Museum working on their Bicentennial projects and publication, Symbols of a New Nation. Shortly after graduating from college, I was hired as Assistant Curator of Social History at the Detroit History Museum. During this time, I also earned my MA in American Culture from the University of Michigan. I eventually became Costume Curator, a position I held for eight years. In 1986, my husband and I moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where I joined the Americana Department at Skinner, Inc., under Steve Fletcher. My exposure to the furniture and folk art of New England was truly eye-opening.
In 1993, with the birth of my second child, I returned to museum work with the Society of the Preservation of New England Antiquities (now Historic New England) and ran the cataloging project of the Folk Art Collection at Cogswell's Grant Essex Massachusetts, the summer home of pioneer collectors Bertram K. and Nina Fletcher Little. My time working with Jane, Richard Nylander, and Nancy Carlisle was wonderful.
We spent three years in Minneapolis, where I bought and mid-century Modern and sent it to East Coast dealers. I also did research for a filmmaker—both uncharacteristic jobs for me.
We moved to Philadelphia in 2000. I commuted to Sloan's in Washington, DC, organizing American Furniture and Decorative Arts auctions, and in 2002, joined Freeman’s as their first specialist of American Furniture, Folk & Decorative Arts.
F: Are you personally a collector of American furniture and decorative art? What are some of your favorites that you’ve acquired?
LC: I am not really a collector. I enjoy the property while it is in the house and love to see it go to an appreciative buyer.
F: Can you describe a collection that you are proud to have brought to auction?
LC: I have worked with so many consignments that it is difficult to pick a favorite. I have many special memories of working with collectors and the families who have inherited large collections. I am as proud of selling a single item as I am of a huge collection. Some consignments stick with you more than others. At times, the consignor is more memorable than the consignment.
The Meade Easby house in Chestnut Hill was an unforgettable treasure chest. It took days to uncover the riches of the attic. It held layers of property, including the great Campeche chair, now at the Philadelphia Art Museum, bushel baskets of significant historical documents, and fabulous sketches and artwork. I remember the moment when I opened the door to the guest house in the Easby backyard, used as a storage facility, and just barely visible over the piles was the tip of one of the pair of Carved and Parcel Gilt Classical fruit-filled cornucopia, published in Hornor's Blue Book Philadelphia Furniture (1935).
F: Describe a typical workday for you at Freeman’s.
LC: My typical day consists of answering emails and phone messages, writing proposal letters for consignments, consulting with colleagues, examining property that has arrived in our storage, and conducting research. I probably go on 2 to 3 house calls per week.
F: What are some market trends you’ve observed in the category?
LC: I have seen so many collecting trends in my nearly 40 years in the business, and these have been well documented. You can't compare many auction values from 1998 to today. I am excited about the number of young people who are enthusiastic about antiques, as well as the group of fine young collectors active in the market today. A great object or historic rarity- one of the best of its genre in form, condition, surface, with provenance will always bring a strong hammer price.
We’d like to thank Lynda Cain, our Managing Director, Vice President, and Head of Department for American Furniture, Folk, and Decorative Arts, for sharing her incredible story and expertise with us. Lynda’s passion for American history and design shines through in everything she does—from uncovering hidden treasures to guiding collectors and families as they share their pieces with new generations.
With nearly forty years in the field, Lynda continues to inspire both seasoned collectors and newcomers alike with her deep knowledge, curiosity, and genuine love for the objects and stories that shape our shared past.
If you’d like to learn more or discuss consigning with Lynda, she’d love to hear from you:
Lynda Cain
Managing Director, Vice President, Head of Department
American Furniture, Folk & Decorative Arts
[email protected]
+1 267.414.1261
