Hindman is pleased to present our first Couture & Luxury Accessories auction of the year, Spring Fashion & Accessories this March 14, 2023. This auction celebrates two hundred years of fashion history with important collections that are new to the market and gathered from around the United States.

Black Fashion Designers

Headlining the sale is a collection of designs created by Arthur McGee (1933-2019), an American fashion designer known as the “Grandfather of Fashion Designers of Color”. In addition to the 45 ensembles in this sale that were created by Arthur McGee between the 1970s and the 1990s, the sale also includes McGee’s archive, with design sketches and inspiration, hundreds of photographs from throughout McGee’s career, a collection of letters written to the designer, business documents, and several prestigious awards given to McGee later in his career. The auction also contains several designs from other black fashion designers who worked in the United States during the mid-20th century, some of whom were inspired by Arthur McGee, including Scott Barrie, Willi Smith, Jeffrey Banks, and Fabrice Simon.

A Touch of the Gilded Age

Hindman is also very proud to bring to auction a rare collection of Chicago history items connected to two emblematic protagonists of the Gilded Age: Bertha and Potter Palmer. Their possessions and belongings are now in the collections of important museums, such as the Art Institute of Chicago and the Chicago History Museum. Carefully preserved in the family for generations, these items, which also include material related to the Chicago 1893 World’s Columbian Exhibition, document the Palmers' private and public spheres through a rare collection of embroidered sheets and linens used in the family’s home, to artifacts that document Bertha Palmer’s travels and activities as the President of the Board of Lady Managers at the 1893 World’s Fair. Also included in this collection are several high fashion and haute couture garments created for Bertha and Potter Palmer’s children and grandchildren, including several rare designs by the Parisian house of Callot Soeurs.

Treasures from a Historic Museum

The sale also boasts an important collection from the Valentine Museum in Richmond, Virginia, deaccessioned from the museum to benefit collections care, preservation, and future acquisitions. Opened in 1898, the Valentine Museum was one of the first museums in Richmond and is now dedicated to collecting, preserving, and interpreting Richmond’s history. The items offered in this collection document over 150 years of fashion history, including designs from throughout the 19th century and more contemporary works by designers such as Paquin, Pingat, Henriette Favre, Liberty of London, Jean Desses, Norman Hartnell, Balenciaga, Hanae Mori, Halston, and Chanel.

Online / Chicago

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