LEWISTON — Museum L-A will hold a “one-of-a-kind” sale  from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 24, at the atrium in the Bates Mill Complex, 35 Canal St., next to the museum.

The museum must make room for its collections so other things must necessarily be “let go.” No artifacts or any part of the official collection will be included in the sale, according to Rachel Desgrosseilliers, Museum L-A’s executive director.

The sale will bring together an array of items from folk art to textile manufacturing components.  Included in the sale will be display and exhibit materials, props, an extensive folk doll collection, doll craft supplies and accessories, lights and lighting materials, posters and prints (including such oldie reproductions as The Hurricane, International Snow Shoe Convention, Puck, A Stubborn Cinderella and Lightening Express (Train), and iconic Maurice Chevalier), rarely seen World War II photographs, Christmas decorations, bean bag chairs, framed prints of old time musical groups, and so many other gems.   

A sure-to-be-sought-after item will be the uniquely crafted wood-and-iron hall coat racks that originally were mounted on the walls at St. Peter’s school before its demolition. The racks, with multiple hooks and brackets, are available in the original lengths from approximately 11 feet in length to as long as 16 feet, with some shorter lengths also available.

The event provides the general public with a chance to purchase one-of-a-kind items and also a great opportunity for artists to obtain inspiring, unique and curious objects. For this sale, the museum has included such items as mill beams, “slubbers” —  machines would pull, draw out, and twist the yarn until it was the proper size, weight, and strength — and dozens of large spools of fringe.

For someone setting up an office or expanding a work space, there are office and conference room chairs, including sets of the same models, dozens of filing cabinets, and more furniture and office-type items.  In addition to framed prints, there are large, mounted photos of local historic scenes that would be great for a waiting area, office or conference room.

 “It was decided to hold this sale to help the museum properly maintain our collections in terms of storage, visibility and preservation Desgrosseilliers said. All the proceeds from the sale will benefit Museum L-A’s programs, education, collections and preservation efforts.

The sale will be held in the Atrium, which is located just before Museum L-A in the Bates Mill Complex, 35 Canal St., Lewiston (enter the parking lot from Chestnut Street).