Exceptional Works from Important Collections Headline Freeman’s Fall American Furniture, Folk and Decorative Arts Auction
Freeman’s is proud to present its American Furniture, Folk and Decorative Arts auction on November 12, featuring exceptional works from important collections, including the Estate of Ambassador J. William Middendorf II of Rhode Island, the Wister Family of Philadelphia, and the railroad tycoon Edwin Hawley of New York. The auction is comprised of material dating from the 17th century to the early 20th century, illustrating the breadth of American material culture before our nation’s founding through the Industrial Revolution, when the strength of American manufacturing takes hold.
Portraits and medallions of American forefathers George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, are incorporated amongst other sitters of lesser renown. The artists who executed these works include Gilbert Stuart, Jean-Baptiste Nini, Charles Willson Peale, and many others. The auction will also showcase silver by important makers Tiffany & Co., John McMullin, and Myer Myers. Many pieces across the auction come with histories of ownership in which objects have been passed down through generations. In addition, the auction includes a 200-year-old cannon believed to have been cast at Paul Revere’s foundry, an extremely rare 1932 C.F. Martin & Co. custom ordered guitar, and a rare pair of exceptional Philadelphia Chippendale side chairs.
The Middendorf Collection: A Legacy of Art & Diplomacy
The auction begins with property from the Estate of Ambassador J. William Middendorf II, the distinguished American statesman, financier, and cultural patron. Middendorf was a singular figure whose influence spanned finance, government, the military, and the arts. Alongside his professional and civic achievements, he cultivated a discerning eye as a collector.
Born in Baltimore on September 22, 1924, Middendorf served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as engineer officer and navigator before earning degrees from Harvard and NYU upon his return home. He co-founded the investment banking firm Middendorf, Colgate and Company, with a seat on the New York Stock Exchange before turning to public service.
In his time as a public servant, Middendorf became one of the most frequently appointed American diplomats of his era and advised five presidents: Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan. He served as ambassador to the Netherlands, the Organization of American States, and the European Community, as well as Secretary of the Navy from 1974 to 1977.
Middendorf was also an accomplished composer, artist, and author. In his lifetime, he composed at least 80 marches for Navy ships, 17 anthems dedicated to nations across the hemisphere, operas, and eight symphonies, and he received the American Bandmasters Association’s Edwin Franko Goldman Award. A lifelong draftsman, he filled 620 sketchbooks with more than 10,000 drawings. It’s no wonder, then, that Rhode Island Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz once called him a “Renaissance man.”
The highlight of the collection is an Athenaeum Type Gilbert Stuart (American, 1755-1828) portrait of George Washington (lot 18; estimate: $100,000 – 200,000). Likely painted in the final decade of the renowned portraitist’s life, Stuart’s portrait of his signature subject, Washington, was one of at least three paintings commissioned by the wealthy Sears family of Boston. During this period the demand for Stuart portraits of the first president was steady, and the artist created numerous likenesses of Washington using an unfinished canvas of the founding father taken from life in Philadelphia in 1796 as reference. That unfinished canvas would come to be known as the “Athenaeum Portrait” and was the basis of Washington’s portrait on the one dollar bill. It is currently jointly owned by the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the National Portrait Gallery.
Other highlights from the collection include:
- Lot 1 | A Pilgrim Century Carved and Paneled Oak and Pine Blanket Chest
$10,000 – 20,000 - Lot 33 | A Ronald Reagan Presidential Chinese Export Porcelain Style Dinner Service
$5,000 – 10,000 - Lot 31 | A 19th Century American School Double-Sided Advertising Banner for George A. Hayes (active 1870-1885), Probably New York State, Circa 1900
$4,000 – 6,000
Lot 293 | A Rare and Important 1932 C.F. Martin & Co. Model 000-42S, Serial No. 52361 | Custom order by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co., New York
$50,000 – 100,000
A Rare Musical Treasure
The auction also features a rare musical treasure in the form of an important 1932 C.F. Martin & Co. Model 000-42S six string guitar (lot 293; estimate: $50,000 – 100,000). In November of 1932, the acoustic guitar was custom ordered by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. in New York City, at the request of a private client. At the time it was ordered, Wurlitzer was one of the few authorized retailers of Martin guitars.
There is beautiful and understated abalone inlay around the top of the body, extending around the fingerboard, and around the sound hole. There is additional wood inlay on the front and back of the body. As is the custom with Martin guitars, the model and serial numbers are stamped to the inside of the body, on the neck block.
Lot 97 | A Fine Pair of Chippendale Carved Mahogany Side Chairs | $30,000 – 50,000
Lot 140 | A Revolutionary / War of 1812 Bronze Cannon, Possibly from Paul Revere's Foundry | $25,000 – 50,000
Other Highlights
- Lot 140 | A Revolutionary / War of 1812 Bronze Cannon, Possibly from Paul Revere's Foundry
Possibly Canton, Massachusetts, Circa 1794-1815
$25,000 – 50,000 - Lot 97 | A Fine Pair of Chippendale Carved Mahogany Side Chairs
Philadelphia, Circa 1770
$30,000 – 50,000 - Lot 303 | A Polychrome Painted Cast Zinc Goddess of Liberty Figure
Attributed to William DeMuth & Co., New York, Circa 1880
$15,000 – 25,000 - Lot 98 | A Chippendale Carved Mahogany Desk and Bookcase
Rhode Island, Circa 1780
$15,000 – 25,000 - Lot 253 | A Tiffany & Co. Silver Seven Piece Tea and Coffee Service, plus Tray
New York, Late 19th/Early 20th Century
$15,000 – 25,000 - Lot 210 | Three Portraits by Louis Lang (German/American 1821-1893)
Caroline Hewitt (1808-1842), William Webb (1805-1863) and Double-Portrait of Sons Thaddeus (1838-1887) and William Hewitt Webb (1835-1893) of Philadelphia, 1839
$15,000 – 25,000
Auction Information
American Furniture, Folk & Decorative Arts
Thursday, November 12, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. EST
2400 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
Preview Exhibition
1600 West Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, PA
November 9-11, 10am – 4pm
Prior to November 8 by Appointment
For additional information and to view the complete auction catalogue, visit:
https://freemansauction.com/auction/6575-american-furniture-folk-decorative-arts
How to Bid
The American Furniture, Folk & Decorative Arts auction will be offered on November 12 at 10:00 a.m. EST in Freeman’s Philadelphia saleroom. Bidding will be available in person, over the phone, and via absentee or live online bidding. For more information, please visit freemansauction.com.
About Freeman’s
Freeman’s is a premier American auction house offering services in multiple categories including fine art, jewelry, design, books and manuscripts, furniture, decorative arts, antiquities, couture, and Asian works of art. With 14 regional locations nationwide, the firm provides auctions, appraisals, private sales, and art advisory services, connecting clients to the global art market. Freeman’s strives to bring art, history, and design to life by connecting people with extraordinary objects through exceptional service and expertise.