C. Lyman McCallum, Jr. is a native of Columbia, South Carolina. His parents are Charles and Patricia McCallum. His father, Charles L. McCallum, Sr. served in the United States Navy and became the Lieutenant Commander of the aircraft carrier “USS Shangri-La”. His father later worked as a realtor with The Keenan Company where he became Senior Vice-President. He is now a successful Real Estate Developer and currently owns The McCallum Company in Columbia. Lyman's grandfather was Julius Lyman McCallum, Jr. born in Sumter, South Carolina in 1912, and was married to Ellen Dickson Tidwell of Ridgeway, South Carolina. He was the owner and president of The McCallum Lumber Company of Columbia. The McCallum family members descended from Daniel McCallum, an immigrant from the west coast of Scotland who first came to America by way of Boston in 1772 and shortly thereafter settled in what in now Fairfield County, South Carolina. His son, Duncan McCallum was a Presbyterian minister there, and his son, David McCallum was a planter who owned "Wisteria" plantation, which is still standing, near Ridgeway, South Carolina.

C. Lyman McCallum, Jr. is the president and owner of Chicora Antiques, Inc. He went to High School at James Henry Hammond Academy in Columbia, and after that, he left for Charleston and became a graduate of The College of Charleston, in 1990, where he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and American Literature, and a minor in Fine Arts. He established Chicora Antiques, Inc. in 1990 after working as an apprentice for four years with Mr. Robert Sarco, of Robert's Antique Restoration, at the time, thought to be one of the best local conservator's in the area. The experience was not altogether unfamiliar to him, as he had spend much of his youth studying and working with his paternal grandfather at his lumberyard in Columbia under his watchful eye.

Lyman was interned with The Historic Charleston Foundation, where he was primarily involved with photographing, documenting, and cataloging most of the pre-1870 buildings on the Charleston peninsula that were damaged during Hurricane Hugo in 1989. The position was stimulating, as it promoted his keen interest in American architecture, history, and also provided him with a general familiarity of archival techniques and cataloguing practiced by museums and historic houses.

The integration of these disciplines led to the establishment of Chicora Antiques, Inc. in 1990. It is privileged to have over a dozen museums, dealers, and an even greater number of well-known collectors among their clientele. Its success can be attributed to fair, honest, and sound business principals, and above all, persistence and dedication to a field that results in great personal satisfaction to both the buyer and the seller.