HUNTINGTON — Kelly Whyte of Proctorville, Ohio, saw a chance to buy a piece of history Sunday afternoon, and she took it.
“I love old movies, the older the better,” Whyte said. “I even love the silent movies. I knew I would have to bid on some on these. I’m not buying these for an investment. I’m buying it because I love it.”
One of the posters Whyte bought was “The Fool,” a movie from Fox. She plans to frame it using acid-free mats.
Dozens of movie theater memorabilia were auctioned off Sunday afternoon at the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center. More than two dozen people took turns bidding for old movie posters and other items that came from the old Garden Theater in Louisa, Ky. The theater was recently sold and is being renovated. During the renovation, movie posters from the 1920s and 1930s were discovered.
Joanna Sexton Figlia, a Huntington native who spends half the year in New York City, said a 10 percent buyer’s premium will be donated to the Keith-Albee.
“When it was built, the Keith-Albee was the largest movie house east of the Mississippi,” she said. Many of the movies the posters portrayed were shown at the theater in downtown Huntington, she said.
Mike Skeens of Ceredo, another successful bidder, said he collects old posters and memorabilia.
“I love the old Westerns and old movie memorabilia,” he said. “Some of these are in pretty good shape. It’s things you’ll never see again.”
Ron Meade, a Huntington resident, deals in antiques and wanted to come by the Keith-Albee to see if there were items he might be able to resell.
“I deal mostly in old advertising and toys, but I thought I might bid on one or two of these,” Meade said.
While some of the old movie posters sold for $30 or $40, one of the posters advertising a Will Rogers picture called “Handy Andy” sold for $260.
“I like historical things,” said Bill Wilcox of Huntington, another potential bidder. “There are a couple things I’m interested in. I have old items about the 1913 flood. I’ve been collecting for 30 years.”
John and Allison Christie of Bellefonte, Ky., were among about 50 people attending the auction. “There’s a lot of history here,” said Allison Christie.
“I’m an eclectic collector,” said John Christie. “I’ve seen things like this on sale in California. I just wanted to see them. I also like that some of the money is going to the Keith-Albee. I like it that we have preserved old theaters like the Keith-Albee and the Paramount in Ashland.”
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