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Automobiles Et Cycles Hurtu, Ca. 1920. © Anonymous, (20th Century)

Rare Antiques, Art & Memorabilia Pieces Ready for Virtual Auction From the Falls-Wyse Archive


The online auction goes live on January 27 with a vast collection of antique prints, posters, American and European furniture and more

Published on January 24, 2021

On January 27, Falls, multi-faceted communication, marketing, design, advertising, and digital agency, in conjunction with Gray’s Auctioneers, will launch an online auction, with more than 300 vintage and antique pieces.

Curated from the archives of Wyse Advertising, a Cleveland institution, and brand management and advertising agency that Falls acquired in October 2019, the auction showcases a wide range of French antique and vintage advertising posters, signs, and tins. The Fine Art, Furniture and Decorative Art auction also will include a variety of rustic American and European furniture and decorations, along with a selection of striking studio pottery, jewelry and silver pieces, rock and roll photographs and posters, and a collection of rugs and textiles.

“Wyse acquired this extensive collection over a period of 50 years, adding new, special pieces every year,” said Rob Falls, president and CEO of Falls. “It’s an eclectic and iconic assortment featuring pieces from the late 19th and early 20th Centuries that graced the walls and halls of Wyse for decades.”

Featured pieces in the collection include a modified American cast iron oak sewing table stand; an English pine and metal carriage bench; an antique Remington typewriter; and an 1898 “Cleveland Cycles” Pal (Jean de Paleologue) print. Additionally, a 19th Century American sterling silver tea and coffee service, a 19th Century W. Waide, Leeds oak and metal churn stand, and a Pat Johnson portrait of Neil Young round out the collection.

Falls enlisted the services of Gray’s Auctioneers, a modern, fine art and antiques auction house based in Cleveland, to host the auction online to keep collectors connected, yet socially distant during the pandemic. The live online auction begins at 10 a.m. EST on January 27. Bidders will be able to stream the auction by registering at GraysAuctioneers.com. Pre-bidding is now open.

“Wyse was a fixture in downtown for a half-century and was part of what made Cleveland so attractive, and like Gray’s, they’re local but have a global reach,” says Serena Harragin, owner and auctioneer, Gray’s Auctioneers. “Having these pieces in your home or office is so iconic. They were collected by a world-renowned ad agency that had a really good eye for not just attractive, decorative pieces, but ones that had importance in the history of advertising. They’re striking yet so affordable.”

Senior Writer