Little is known about F.C. Hesterman, even his full first name is a guess. Hesterman was educated at the Rijksnormaalschool and worked in Amsterdam. More famous are his father and brother, Johannes Albertus Hesterman senior and junior. His father worked as a restorer at the Rijksmuseum and the three of them formed J.A. Hesterman & Zonen the company with which they performed freelance restoration jobs.