{{Short description|Commercial art gallery}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} thumb|Mr. and Mrs. C.V. Whitney at Findlay Galleries in Palm Beach, 1978 '''Findlay Galleries''' is a commercial art gallery with locations in New York and Palm Beach.
==History== Findlay Galleries was founded as "Findlay Art Rooms" In Kansas City, Missouri, in 1870, by William Wadsworth Findlay. Initially, the company sold art supplies (including paints, brushes, canvas, etc.) as well as paintings.<ref name="Findlay Galleries Plan Exhibition; Launches Centennial Celebration, ''Palm Beach Daily News''">[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1961&dat=19700222&id=7cotAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HJcFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1188,3310805 Staff (February 22, 1970), Findlay Galleries Plan Exhibition, Launches Centennial Celebration, ''Palm Beach Daily News'']{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, additional text.</ref> William's son, Walstein C. Findlay, took over the business. One of the senior Wally's innovations was that of acquiring art directly from the capitals of Europe and bringing them back to the United States for resale.<ref name="Findlay Galleries Plan Exhibition; Launches Centennial Celebration, ''Palm Beach Daily News''"/>
Wally Findlay, Jr. joined the company in 1932, and under his leadership, the company expanded geographically opening a gallery in Chicago in 1931. In 1961, the gallery in Palm Beach was opened, followed by New York in 1964. In 1971, the company opened galleries in Beverly Hills and Paris.
In August 1969, Wally Findlay Galleries became a public company.<ref name="SEC News Digest, 07-29-1969">[https://www.sec.gov/news/digest/1969/dig072969.pdf SEC News Digest, 07-29-1969].</ref> The stock traded over-the-counter.<ref name="AMEX PRICES DROP IN SLOW TRADING">[https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1970/03/12/76713895.pdf Alexander Hammer (March 12, 1970), Amex Prices Drop In Slow Trading, ''New York Times''].</ref> In 1973, Findlay bought back 100% of the outstanding stock.
thumb|James R. Borynack and the painter Tadashi Asoma Toward the end of the 1970s, Findlay sought to franchise the business.<ref name="(September 29, 1980), Skater Eric Heiden joins Schwinn, Chicago Tribune">[https://archive.today/20130201100816/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/621948482.html?FMT=AI&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Sep+29,+1980&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=Skater+Eric+Heiden+joins+Schwinn George Lazarus (September 29, 1980), Skater Eric Heiden joins Schwinn, ''Chicago Tribune''].</ref> In the fall of 1980, James R. Borynack, then a company senior vice president (and future owner of the company), bought the Wally Findlay Galleries in New York as the first franchisee.<ref name="Dorey Finn Scott (March 22, 1981), The Findlay Name Opens Art Doors – Borynack Behind Reputation, The Palm Beach Daily News">[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1961&dat=19810322&id=364zAAAAIBAJ&sjid=k-kFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1334,5341325 Dorey Finn Scott (March 22, 1981), The Findlay Name Opens Art Doors – Borynack Behind Reputation, ''The Palm Beach Daily News'']{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}.</ref> That same year, Louis Stern franchised the Beverly Hills branch.<ref name="Staff (December 7, 1980), Jack Silverman At Ankrum Gallery, ''Los Angeles Times''">[https://secure.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/682561292.html?FMT=AI&FMTS=::AI:CITE:PAGE&type=historic&date=Dec+7%2C+1980&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=JACK+SILVERMAN+AT+ANKRUM+GALLERY Staff (December 7, 1980), Jack Silverman At Ankrum Gallery, ''Los Angeles Times'']{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}.</ref> In 1984, with the franchise system breaking down, Findlay again bought 100% of the company back. When Wally Findlay died in 1996, leaving no heirs. He left his company to his employees who managed it while looking for a buyer. James Borynack rejoined the company that year and purchased the company from the estate shortly thereafter.<ref name="Staff, (Sep 27, 1999), Quotes, ''New York Newsday''">[https://archive.today/20130131201221/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/newsday/access/75511766.html?FMT=FT&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Sep+27,+1999&author=&desc=Quotes:+Carlo+Thertus,+42,+the+founder+and&pf=1 Staff (September 27, 1999), Quotes, ''New York Newsday''].</ref>
In April 2016, Wally Findlay Galleries and David Findlay Jr. Gallery merged and continued operations under the name "Findlay Galleries."<ref name="Ryan Steadman, (Apr 19, 2016), Second Longest-Running Private Gallery in the US Invests in Family, ''Observer''">[https://observer.com/2016/04/2nd-longest-running-private-gallery-in-the-us-invests-in-family/ Ryan Steadman, (Apr 19, 2016), Second Longest-Running Private Gallery in the US Invests in Family, ''Observer''].</ref>
== References == {{reflist|4}}
==External links== * [http://www.wallyfindlay.com Wally Findlay Galleries]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Findlay, Wally, Galleries}} Category:Art museums and galleries in Florida Category:Art museums and galleries in Manhattan Category:Art museums and galleries in Spain Category:Companies established in 1870