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C. Parker Gallery, located at 17 E. Putnam Ave., is a temporary "pop-up" gallery in Greenwich that is displaying dozens of works of art and several unique pieces of American history – all of which is up for sale.
Although Lincoln's chair is garnering most of the attention, it is far from the most valuable artifacts on display. An original broadside of the Declaration of Independence that was one of the first printed in a Massachusetts newspaper in 1776 is up for sale for $1.25 million.
Rare copies of the Declaration of Independence from the 1830s, busts of Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt used as models for Mount Rushmore and Continental Army marching orders signed and annotated by George Washington are among the other historical artifacts for sale.
Also on display, though not for sale, is a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation with Lincoln's signature.
Gallery owner Tiffany Benincasa said she has been dreaming of opening the gallery for 20 years. After working on Wall Street, Benincasa returned to her first love.
"For many years I was on the path where I was day-jobbing on the one hand having a passion and hobby on the other," Benincasa said. "I went with the other and left Wall Street and started privately dealing art."
After keeping much of her art collection in storage for many years, she sought a way to share it with the public.
"I just wanted a space where people could come in at their leisure in more of a salon setting," Benincasa said. "I didn't see myself as a retailer because I don't want to force sales. I want to be more of a resource and find people who have the same joy in art and painting as I have."
The C. Parker Gallery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Jan. 15.
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