Freeman's Chicago (formerly Hindman)

Update, September 2026: Founded by Leslie Hindman in 1982, the Chicago house became Hindman, merged with Cowan's in 2019 and Freeman's in 2024, and has traded as Freeman's since November 2025.

About Leslie Hindman Auctioneers

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers holds a singular place in the history of the American auction market as the firm that proved a world-class saleroom could thrive far from the traditional coastal auction capitals of New York and London. Founded in 1982 by Leslie Hindman in Chicago, Illinois, the company grew within just a few years into the largest auction house in the Midwest and one of the five largest in the entire United States.

History

Leslie Hindman launched her auction house after working at several established firms and recognizing that Chicago's vast collector base, deep cultural institutions, and concentration of estate wealth were dramatically underserved by the auction industry. Her vision was a full-service house that could compete with New York's major firms in quality of consignments, scholarship, and results, while offering the personalized service Midwestern collectors valued. Within its first decade the firm was handling significant estates, attracting national press, and achieving prices that rivaled far older houses.

In 1997, Sotheby's acquired Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, folding it into its North American operations, before Leslie Hindman repurchased the business in 2003 and relaunched it as an independent firm. The company resumed its upward trajectory, expanding into new cities and adding specialist departments. In 2019, it merged with Cincinnati-based Cowan's Auctions, a respected specialist in Historic Americana and militaria, and the combined entity began operating under the name Hindman. In 2024, Hindman and Philadelphia's Freeman's auction house merged to form Freeman's | Hindman, creating one of the largest auction operations in the United States with coast-to-coast reach.

Specialist departments

Fine Art has always been central to the business, with regular sales of American, European, and Contemporary paintings, prints, drawings, and sculpture, and particular strength in Impressionist and Modern art, Post-War and Contemporary work, and American regional painting. Other core departments include:

• Fine Jewelry and Timepieces — signed pieces from the world's leading houses, important gemstones, and estate watches by Patek Philippe, Rolex, and Cartier
• Furniture and Decorative Arts — seventeenth-century Continental masterpieces through twentieth-century design, with particular expertise in French furniture, American Federal pieces, and English antiques
• Fine Books and Manuscripts, Asian Works of Art, Vintage Couture and Accessories, Oriental Rugs, and silver

This breadth means Freeman's | Hindman can handle virtually any estate or collection, from a single important painting to a multi-generational collection spanning dozens of categories.

Selling with the firm

Sellers can submit items through the website, visit an office for a walk-in appraisal day, or request an in-home consultation for larger properties. Specialists provide complimentary estimates and advise on timing, reserve pricing, and catalogue placement. Seller commissions are negotiated individually based on the value and nature of the property.

Buying and bidding

Buyers pay a tiered buyer's premium consistent with standard industry practice, typically starting at 25 to 26 percent on the first portion of the hammer price and stepping down on higher lots; full details are published in each sale's conditions of sale. Lots can be previewed in person and are catalogued online with detailed descriptions, provenance information, and high-resolution photography.

Online bidding is available through the firm's proprietary platform as well as through partners including Invaluable, LiveAuctioneers, and Bidsquare. Absentee and telephone bids are accepted for all catalogued sales.

Locations

The firm operates from its Chicago headquarters as well as offices in Denver, Milwaukee, Naples, Palm Beach, St. Louis, and Scottsdale, giving it one of the broadest geographic footprints of any American auction house and allowing it to source consignments from across the country.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Leslie Hindman Auctioneers founded?

It was founded in 1982 by Leslie Hindman in Chicago, Illinois, and grew within a few years into the largest auction house in the Midwest.

What does the firm specialize in?

It sells fine art, jewelry and timepieces, furniture and decorative arts, books and manuscripts, Asian art, vintage couture, rugs, and silver.

Can I bid online?

Yes. Online bidding is available through the firm's proprietary platform and through partners including Invaluable, LiveAuctioneers, and Bidsquare, with absentee and telephone bids also accepted.