Founding Fathers Lead the Way as Freeman’s | Hindman’s Printed and Manuscript Americana Sale More Than Doubles Expectations

Freeman’s | Hindman’s Printed and Manuscript Americana auction on January 29 delivered an extraordinary performance, achieving nearly $1.2 million—more than double its pre-sale estimates. Held in Philadelphia following a preview during the firm’s inaugural Americana Week exhibition in New York, the auction saw an impressive 188% sell-through rate by value, with 89% of lots successfully sold.

 

Printed Broadside of George Washington's First Inaugural Speech Sold for $381,500

 

The results underscore the strong demand for rare Americana, led by an exceptional selection of Presidential material. The auction’s top lot, a Printed Broadside of George Washington’s First Inaugural Address (Lot 56), shattered expectations, soaring past its $15,000–25,000 estimate to achieve $381,500. While newspaper printings of Washington’s address are relatively common, broadside editions are exceptionally rare—this Providence printing is one of only two known surviving copies, with the other housed at The Henry Ford Museum. Other highlights included a first edition of The Federalist (Lot 32), authored by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, which fetched $127,500 against a $60,000–90,000 estimate. Additionally, a Rare Broadside of Abraham Lincoln’s first inaugural address (Lot 39), printed in the mid-19th century, realized $19,200, surpassing its $5,000–8,000 estimate. Only two other examples of this printing have ever appeared at auction, with another copy held at the Library of Congress.

Materials from three landmark expeditions to the American West—led by acclaimed photographer Joseph K. Dixon and funded by philanthropist Rodman Wanamaker to document the lives and cultures of Native American communities—drew remarkable attention during the sale. Notably, Dixon’s original diary from the Second Wanamaker Expedition (Lot 48) achieved an impressive $54,400, far surpassing its pre-sale estimate of $6,000–9,000. While Dixon’s Original Typed Manuscript for "The Vanishing Race" (Lot 49) was estimated at $3,000 – 5,000 and sold for $25,600.

The expertly curated sale also showcased a remarkable selection of works by American naturalist John James Audubon, including his Wild Turkey (Lot 15, sold for $54,400), Fish Hawk (Lot 14, sold for $44,800), and the sought-after first octavo edition of Birds of America (Lot 11, sold for $38,400), amongst other notable lots.

Darren Winston, Senior Vice President and Head of the Books and Manuscripts Department, Philadelphia, stated: “We are absolutely thrilled with the results of the Printed and Manuscript Americana sale. It was full of surprises—some truly remarkable ones—and a reminder that what we are able to bring to market for our consignors has a strong audience in our buyers. The enduring interest in American history and the natural world is both inspiring and deeply appreciated!”

Other Notable Auction Highlights

· Lot 20 | Birch, W(illiam). The City of Philadelphia. First Edition. Sold for $41,600

· Lot 27 | (Eliot, John). New Englands First Fruits. First Edition Sold for $51,200

· Lot 30 | [Franklin, Benjamin] Saunders, Richard. Poor Richard improved...For the Year...1756... Sold for $38,400

· Lot 37 | Jefferson, Thomas. Autograph Letter, signed Sold for $32,000

 

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