AMERICA’S OLDEST AUCTION HOUSE CELEBRATES OUR NATION’S 250TH ANNIVERSARY 

Freeman’s, America’s oldest auction house, is celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary with a series of auctions and programs showcasing historically significant art, objects, books, and documents. Timed to coincide with major commemorative moments throughout the year, the initiative highlights the depth and breadth of material culture that has shaped the American experience.

For more than two centuries, Freeman’s has preserved the legacies of collectors, institutions, and estates across the country, placing the firm in a unique position to honor the Semiquincentennial. In this milestone year, the auction house will present works that illuminate the nation’s founding, its evolution, and the defining moments that continue to shape its identity today.

“Few institutions in the country have witnessed as much of the American story firsthand as Freeman’s. As we approach the nation’s 250th anniversary, we are honored to share works that reveal the ambition, complexity, and innovation that define the United States. Our 2026 program reflects both our history and our commitment to shaping the cultural dialogue for decades to come,” says Alyssa Quinlan, CEO of Freeman’s.

A Year of Commemorative Sales

Freeman’s 2026 program began in mid-January and unfolds through a series of landmark auctions and events in Philadelphia, New York City, and Chicago, highlighted by the June auction of the remarkable collection of Eric Caren. “How History Unfolds on Paper: Important Americana from the Eric C. Caren Collection, Part X” will offer property from one of the most extensive private collections of American history. The collection spans the period before national independence through westward expansion, the Civil War and Reconstruction, the Civil Rights Movement, and into the 21st century.

Highlights include:

• Jefferson, Thomas. Autograph Letter, signed, January 16, 1783, to François-Jean de Chastellux.
  Written shortly before Thomas Jefferson’s appointment as Minister Plenipotentiary to France, this exceptional letter is addressed to the principal liaison between the French and Continental Armies during the American Revolution. Jefferson reflects on the Treaty of Paris, which was ratified just two days earlier and formally ended the war, discusses the forthcoming publication of Notes on the State of Virginia, and offers a measured assessment of the young nation’s mood, firmly dismissing European rumors of anarchy.
• Malden, Charles Robert. Logbook kept by Midshipman Charles R. Malden, RN, aboard the HMS Trave, May 1814 to May 1816.
  An extensive ship’s log kept by future Royal Navy officer Charles Malden while serving aboard the HMS Trave. Among the detailed entries is a first-person account of the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812 and the fateful shelling of Fort McHenry, the inspiration for Francis Scott Key’s The Star-Spangled Banner. Entries for the night of September 13-14, 1814 include, “Bombs and Frigates … commenced a tremendous heavy fire on the Batteries near Baltimore & sent a supply of ammunition on shore for the use of the Army …”

Throughout the year, additional auctions will spotlight American art, decorative arts, furniture, jewelry, and culturally significant property tied to defining moments across the nation’s 250-year history. A selection of these includes:

• American Furniture, Folk & Decorative Arts – April 28, Philadelphia
• American Art and Western and Contemporary Native American Art – June 7, Philadelphia
• American Art & Pennsylvania Impressionism – June 7, Philadelphia

Highlights and further details about Freeman’s 2026 program will be announced in the coming months. Freeman’s is currently accepting consignments of important American property that reflects the breadth and complexity of the national narrative—from the Founding Fathers to contemporary visionaries.

For more information, visit freemansauction.com.