PHILADELPHIA, PA.- On June 19, Freeman’s will offer the Collection of Victor Niederhoffer – passionate collector, hedge fund manager, champion squash player, bestselling author, and statistician. Without focusing on one collecting area but rather on larger themes such as human accomplishment and heroic achievement, Mr. Niederhoffer amassed a diverse collection that spans disciplines and reflects his varied passions.

American & European Silver
Developed over many years, the collection is comprised of impressive American and European sterling silver trophies and other fine examples that celebrate the craftsmanship and technical prowess of the greatest silversmiths. Inspired by the tournament prizes he won but was not permitted to keep, Mr. Niederhoffer began acquiring ornate trophies that celebrated others’ excellence in their respective business and sporting fields. Highlights from the current offering include a sterling silver and bronze inkwell centerpiece by Tiffany & Co. commemorating the 1913 Fiftieth Anniversary of the Union Marine Insurance Co. Ltd. of Liverpool, given by F. Hermann and Co. of New York (Lot 1, $10,000-15,000); a silver punch bowl in the Japanese manner by Gorham Mfg. Co. “won by the sloop Hera in a match race with the sloop Lillie [in] 1883” (Lot 10; $15,000-25,000); and an important Victorian sterling silver equestrian trophy, ‘Goodwood Cup’, made by R. S. Garrard & Co., London in 1876 and awarded to the bay thoroughbred Isonomy (1875-1891) in 1879 (Lot 38, $20,000-30,000). These large-scale presentation pieces are joined in the collection by pieces that are representative examples of a particular style, such as Rococo Revival or Japonisme, or celebrations of innovative craft techniques, such as repousse, chasing, hammering, and mixed metal work.

American Folk & Decorative Arts, Paintings & Illustration Art
From a painted cast-iron stove figure of George Washington (Lot 56, $3,000-5,000), to engraved powder horns from various battles (Lots 58-61), to a marquetry center table made by Charles C. Simsalek (1884-1966) of Pittsburgh, PA inlaid with eagles, flags, and the Statue of Liberty (Lot 83, $3,000-5,000), patriotic and whimsical Americana that tracks the development of our nation and reflects its rich history and legacy features strongly in the collection. There are also a considerable number of folk paintings by outside and self-taught artists such as Ralph Fasanella (Lots 105-107), Clementine Hunter (Lots 108 & 109) and Mattie Lou O’Kelley (Lots 110-114), which, as Mr. Niederhoffer remarks, “are active, colorful and showing productive activity.” This theme also pervades the remaining visual arts, which are heavily weighted in illustration art that “shows humanity at its best and adjusting to the always changing dynamics of modern culture.” Notable artists represented in the collection include John La Farge (Lot 134), Morton Kunstler (Lot 151, 161) and Tom Lovell (Lots 154, 164, 166, 169, 170 & 177).

Autographs & Books
Of all the works that Mr. Niederhoffer collected, books arguably hold the place dearest to him, and the sale includes a wide selection of books and autographs, ranging in subject matter and touching on the many themes of Mr. Niederhoffer’s extensive personal library. Growing up, both he and his wife, Susan, loved reading and are still avid readers today. Thanks to his father, Mr. Niederhoffer’s home library was “filled with more books than most public libraries.” Fine examples from this section of the sale include a first English edition of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark’s Travels to the Source of the Missouri River and Across the American Continent to the Pacific Ocean. Performed by Order of the Government of the United States, in the Years 1804, 1805, and 1806 (London: for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, 1814; Lot 194, $8,000-12,000); an archive of nearly 700 typed letters signed by J. Edgar Hoover and addressed to Walter Winchell (Lot 199, $8,000-12,000); and a presentation copy of William Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Laws of England (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1766-1769; Lot 220, $8,000-12,000). Additional books and autographs from Mr. Niederhoffer’s collection will be offered in forthcoming single-owner sales this fall and winter.

Biography
The son of highly accomplished parents (Mr. Niederhoffer’s father was a New York City police lieutenant and later an accomplished professor and author; his mother was an English teacher, author, and editor), Mr. Niederhoffer studied statistics and economics at Harvard University and the University of Chicago, receiving his Ph. D. in 1969. While still in his undergraduate years, he co-founded an investment banking company called Niederhoffer, Cross, and Zeckhauser, Inc. with Mr. Frank Cross. He later taught finance at the University of California, Berkeley and while there, authored several important academic articles, one of which led to the founding of a trading firm, NCZ Commodities, Inc. (also known as Niederhoffer Investments, Inc.) and another which made Niederhoffer the “Father of Statistical Arbitrage and of Market Microstructure Studies.” In the 1960s and 70s, Mr. Niederhoffer operated a mergers and acquisitions business that was involved in the selling of over 1,000 varisized companies. As suggested by Mr. Niederhoffer’s wife Susan, many of their collections were influenced by the time he spent with these smaller business and “reflect a vision of the uplifting and mutually beneficial nature of entrepreneurship.” The items in the present sale can be likened to Victor Niederhoffer’s notable contributions to the fields of economics and finance, as well as to society at large; they are innovative, unforgettable, and everlasting.