A forerunner to the soda fountain, with taps for various flavours including Vanilla, Sarsparilla, Lemon and Root Beer. Guernsey’s

Before architectural salvage became a widely known concept, Mr. Shapiro would steal onto demolition sites to save important items, calling his group the Anonymous Art Reclamation Society, who became known as the “Gargoyle Snatchers.”

Now, his Tribeca shop is holding a huge auction of stuff collected (not stolen!) over the decades. Be there (or be on the phone), when 700 very special artifacts go under the hammer through Guernsey’s — including the mermaid and merman, above, from one of the fountains in Paris’ Place de la Concorde, items from New York’s Plaza and St. Regis hotels, and even the beautiful Edgar Brandt Deco stair rails, ceiling panels and elevator glass from Paris’ Le Bon Marché department store.

via Urban Archaeology to auction historic items — how about a Parisian mermaid with a great backstory for your pool? | National Post.