“So many of our longtime clients have told us how much they miss going to auctions in person to find treasures and look through the art and antiques, while many new auction goers may also find affordable household furnishings they might not see any place else,” said Saporta. “Come say hello, we’ll admire some great art and antiques together. Here at La Belle Epoque, we love working with the community,
while appreciating an international clientele as well”

Tarasuk and Saporta have also teamed up with top New York City appraisers to work with them at the new gallery, featuring art, antiques, furniture, silver, jewelry, clocks, decorative items, Midcentury Modern and more.

When the pandemic hit New York City and so many people began moving away, Tarasuk and Saporta, who always maintained relationships with their regular clientele, began getting dozens of phone calls asking if they would buy many largescale posters from people leaving the city. This went even further when those same people inquired if they could also buy antique furniture, decorative arts and other collectible items.
This all seemed to align at the same time the two partners acquired the large, two-level space in the Meatpacking District/West Village are.

Saporta is past chairman of the authentication and vetting committee of the International Vintage Poster Dealers Association, setting the world standards for collecting vintage posters. He remembers frequenting friendly, smaller auction houses himself when he first came to the United States in the mid-1970s, settling in
the New York City area in 1979. Since the 1980s, he and his partner Linda became lifelong collectors in many areas.

After having grown up with art collector parents and going to art and antiques shows and sales since she was just 6 years old, Tarasuk, armed with an art degree from New York University, took her early passion for collecting vintage art posters and parlayed that into a thriving business. Over the years, Tarasuk and Saporta also developed an expertise in collecting various other types of art, antiques and jewelry, learning more about this business as time went on. The two are now applying the same approach to launching the new auction gallery as when they opened the vintage poster business.

La Belle Epoque Auction Gallery is at 71 Eighth Avenue. For information, 212-362-1770 or labelleepoque.com.