CHICAGO, IL.- Leslie Hindman Auctioneers announced a single-owner auction of property from the Estate of James J. McKiernan. His superlative eye and lifelong pursuit of international travel is reflected in his extensive collection being offered on November 23-24. “Mr. McKiernan worked for over 50 years as a design consultant for the preeminent families and institutions of Kansas City,” says Leslie Hindman, president and CEO. “The variety of property that will be presented in the single-owner sale of his estate is truly reflective of his influence throughout the city.” Ms. Hindman adds, “we opened our St. Louis office in Clayton this summer, and are pleased to broaden our presence by serving clients throughout Missouri.”

Mr. McKiernan’s collection spans many time periods, regions and styles. Highlights include Directoire, Louis XVI and Napoleon III style furniture as well as decorative objects complementing those styles. There are numerous American and European paintings, including the Portrait of Lady Price after Sir Peter Lely ($2,000/4,000) and an 18th Century French Portrait of a Young Aristocrat ($800/1,200).

Mr. McKiernan was able to travel extensively at a young age across Europe and the United Kingdom with his maternal German grandfather. After graduating from St. Teresa’s High School in Hutchinson, he served as a Corporal in the U.S. Army Air Corp in the Pacific Islands. Following World War II, Mr. McKiernan returned to Missouri and attended the Kansas City Art Institute. He worked for a local interior design firm before opening Dolphin Interiors in 1966 with his business partner Alfred Solomon. The company flourished and experienced great success as a consulting firm to prominent families in the Kansas City area including David A. Stickelber, a leading performing and visual arts advocate and accomplished businessman whose estate was handled by Leslie Hindman Auctioneers in 2012.

Proceeds from the auction of his estate will benefit two Catholic charities.