The catalog prepared for Mrs. Cave by Northeast Auctions has few estimates.

So too, by the way, are the two annual sales, in May and in August, held in Portsmouth by Northeast Auctions, one of New England's premier auctioneers.

Northeast Auctions, Treadwell House, 93 Pleasant Street, Portsmouth, has two sales a year in town, the next one Aug. 17 and 18; (603) 433-8400 or www.northeastauctions.com.

In addition, Northeast Auctions has two days of Americana sales with 1,200 lots.

Snaring the Kahn sale was a coup for Northeast Auctions, which beat out Sotheby's, Christie's and Skinner for it.

"Evidently the Kahns felt a level of comfort with me," said Ronald Bourgeault, a former dealer who founded Northeast Auctions of Portsmouth, N.H., in 1987.

Ronald Bourgeault, the owner of Northeast Auctions, said Mr. Foote acquired his pieces from good dealers, including Roger Bacon and Pam Boynton.

On Aug. 7 he and his wife, Miriam, are selling that collection - everything but the butter churn, that is - at Northeast Auctions in Manchester, N.H.

The contents, instead, were sold May 17-18, 2008, by Northeast Auctions at auction in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Coincidentally, tomorrow and Sunday, Northeast Auctions is having a sale at the Armory in Manchester, N.H., that also includes firefighting memorabilia (www.northeastauctions.com).