Catalog: Popular Collectibles (243)

Offered is an antique, hand-personalized and hand-signed, school merit award, circa 1860's.

The artistically-rendered award was presented to student, Eleanor R. Russell, and signed by her teacher, Angie M. Gibson.

The framed and matted merit award measures 8 inches wide x 10 inches long and is adorned with a delicate, hand-colored, floral wreath. The award features a poem of religious sentiment: "Tis sweet oh sweet to know, if we our time improve, we shall be happy while below, and dwell in heaven above".

A lovely and difficult to find piece of 19th century school memorabilia!

Please note that any white marks seen in photos are light reflections off the glass and are not damage to the piece.

Offered is a one-of-a-kind, hand-painted sign from the 1940s era. This eye-appealing and visually-graphic sign is constructed of metal, has two-toned, colored lettering and sports the Newark, New Jersey Traffic Club's shield-shaped emblem.

This professionally executed, rare sign measures 29 inches long x 9 inches wide and is in good condition. Areas of light paint loss as seen in the photos and a few minor crimps in the metal, most noted by the corners, are commensurate with age.

An internet search revealed that the club was established over 100 years ago in 1909, although this sign appears to be from the 1940s. A neat find!

The resplendent colors of this vintage, 1940's, all-hand-stitched, wool felt tote bag with rolled hand straps are pure eye candy!

This never-used tote bears the original paper tag which states, "Handmade by African Cripple; Ematupeni / Zimele Cripple Care Centers; Durban, England".

The artistry of the wool felt, hand-appliqued cut-outs featuring a mother and her three children is further enhanced by colorful bead work which was carefully placed for symmetry in design and form! A gorgeous piece of vintage African Artwork!

Measuring 14 long x 14 wide x 2 deep, the bag retains a "brand-new" appearance with no fading, rips, stains, or other blemishes.

Please see the companion "tea cozy" offered for sale and priced separately.

Measuring 15.75 inches long by 4 inches in height, this metal, circa 1930s, brown and yellow, French advertising sign reads:

"Defense de Fumer..sans Microphosphate Schloesing."

Translated to English, it literally means "No Smoking without Schloesing Microphosphate", clearly an advertisement for a chemical product made by the Schloesing Company.

Certainly a conversation piece in very good condition with the expected mild and non-substantial wear with minor rust here and there to the painted surface. The sign has 4 small holes at each corner for easy mounting.

Offered is a RARE, UNCUT, C1917, pair of the adult members of the Aunt Jemima Rag Doll Family, Aunt Jemima and Uncle Mose. (Uncle Mose is Aunt Jemima's Husband, and he is labeled Uncle Mose on his upper back).

These dolls were conceptualized as advertising pieces and were only obtainable from the Aunt Jemima Mills of St. Joseph, Missouri, in return of 24 cents in stamps along with 4 box tops from select Aunt Jemima products for the full set which also included children, Little Diana and Wade Davis, OR for JUST ONE DOLL, 1 box top and 6 cents in stamps! Dolls were then shipped promptly, postpaid upon receipt!

The original purchaser of these uncut dolls, Mrs O. W. Lewis of Ethel, Missouri, clearly only ordered the Aunt Jemima and Uncle Mose dolls, as these dolls remained within the family, untouched in the original mailing envelope, until their recent discovery by the purchaser's descendants.

It is quite unusual to find uncut versions of these dolls -along with the original mailing envelope which typically is quickly tossed away- as more commonly, the dolls are found by chance as "singletons" here and there-- already cut, sewn, stuffed and played with as opposed to the pristine, uncut versions offered here.

The pair is in quite wonderful condition given their 100+ years of age and are suitable for framing. Each doll is printed on a separate piece of linen, and the color of each doll remains amazingly crisp and brilliant! Aunt Jemima measures 10.5" wide by 35" long, and Uncle Mose measures 10" wide by 35" long. (Please note that any variation in color noted in photos is a result of lighting issues and light reflection only. Background of linen remains its original, crisp, bright white with each doll retaining its "like-new" consistent and brilliant color.)

Mild foxing is noted only on Aunt Jemima and not on Uncle Mose, likely due to the manner of storage. The Uncle Mose doll fabric was folded and stored inside of the Aunt Jemima fabric, and then they were placed inside of the envelope, with only Aunt Jemima coming into contact, for decades, with the high-acidic content of the envelope which caused the foxing. Fold lines are evident as well; however, these fold lines are the result of original factory packaging and storage in the envelope for over 100 years. Other than the foxing as described, the pair remain in truly fine condition!

A rare opportunity for the advanced collector to acquire an uncut, complete pair of C1917, Aunt Jemima and Uncle Mose Advertising Rag Dolls, suitable for framing!

This offering will only be sold as a pair; offers for an individual piece will not be entertained.

Measuring approximately 3 1/4 inches long x 2 1/4 inch wide x 1 1/8 inches deep, this vintage, sweetly depicted, steam-molded Brown Doll Face from the 1930’s has never been used! Eyes and lips are both hand-painted; condition is quite fine with no stains, tears, or discoloration—ready to be used!

In lovely condition with the exception of subtle fading to Mammy's red head kerchief, this delightful 1940's pin cushion doll appears to have been unused! No pinholes can be seen!

Mammy's head and body are actually constructed of a single wooden clothespin that was then inserted into her cotton-batting-padded skirt. Her face is hand-painted, she has a tuft of white cotton batting hair peeking out from her kerchief, and her apron is stamped in black ink "Souvenir of New Orleans".

A very sweet piece to add to one's sewing or doll collection!

Measuring 6 inches high, this darling, mint condition, Black Memorabilia, pudgy, Boy Child Nodder was made in 1950’s Japan by the Ardalt China Company. Dressed up as a little clown, his arms are bent upright at his sides as if he were in the middle of a trick! Such a darling piece!

The child’s head nods up and down in a "yes" motion by pivoting on a tiny metal bar inserted through his neck (see photos).

Condition is mint, and the piece is signed on the bottom of his right foot: “Hand Painted Lenwile China Ardalt Japan 6530 A”.

Black nodders are quite difficult to come by and have become an interesting sub-collecting category in the field of Black Americana! Not to be missed!

Please see the companion piece also available - the darling Black Girl Child Nodder by Ardalt, Japan. And an additional offering that is not part of the Ardalt Black Child Nodder series is the RARE 1950s Black Americana Sailor Nodder by UCAGCO,Japan.

Increasingly more and more difficult to find, this pot metal pencil sharpener was made in pre-WWII Germany in the 1930's.

Measuring 1.5 inches long x 1 inch wide, this sharpener depicts a derogatory caricature of a Black Man. The glaring eyes are painted a stark white with teeny black pupils, while the red painted lips surround the pencil sharpener blade which takes the place of the man's teeth. Curly molded hair and eyebrows are painted black, while the face is painted brown- inside and out.

The pencil sharpener is stamped GERMANY on the back inside.

Condition is very good with approximately 75% of the original paint remaining. There is no repaint! The paint is worn in expected areas, with the majority of paint wear seen on the sides of the face and bottom of the chin where one would grasp the sharpener. Facial feature paint is strong.

Germany apparently made a good steel blade as the sharpener still works!

Measuring 9 inches high, these delightful examples of Folk Art styling represent three of a series of Black cloth character dolls made in Alabama in the 1930’s by unknown craftsmen/women employed under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's (FDR) Depression era program, the Work Projects Administration (WPA), in existence from 1935-1943.

The Work Projects Administration was designed to provide jobs across the country during the Great Depression when hundreds of thousands were out of work. While most WPA jobs were in construction and infrastructure, the most well-known project arm of the WPA, known as Federal Project Number One, employed musicians, artists, writers, actors and directors in arts, drama, media, and literacy projects. The five projects assigned to this consortium were: the Federal Writers’ Project (FWP), the Historical Records Survey (HRS), the Federal Theatre Project (FTP), the Federal Music Project (FMP), and the Federal Art Project (FAP).

The creation of these fabulous dolls fell under the WPA Federal Art Project, with the goal of representing and preserving the various aspects of the culture, work and lives of the Southern black community of this time period. All of the WPA black folk dolls produced for this project were placed on asphalt shingle stands, they all feature elderly folk, they all share black leather shoes, a cotton-batting stuffed body, and identical hand-stitched facial features, with subtle and unique variations in expression around the eyes due to the clever positioning of the eyebrows!

The gray-hair and bearded, chicken-toting black country gent on the left is attired in machine-stitched clothing wearing blue cotton britches with red suspenders along with a blue and cream striped cotton shirt and a red kerchief around his neck. His hat is constructed of navy blue-colored felt. This country gent holds a very finely-crafted and detailed brown chicken under his left arm, while his right hand clutches a wooden walking stick. Note the lustrous chicken feathers protruding under his arm when he is viewed from the back. He appears to be a bit disgruntled about something given those raised eyebrows!

The female doll depicts a lady out for a stroll with her black umbrella in hand. This sweet gentlewoman wears a red and white polka dot kerchief on her head covering most of her gray hair and has embroidered facial features. Her head is turned to her right as if to see who had just called out her name. This gentlewoman's clothing, with the exception of her neutral-striped knit-fabric sweater, is machine-sewn cotton with careful detailing right down to the red hankie poking out of her apron pocket. topping off her outfit are a pair of gold hoop earrings!

The gray-hair, bearded, chicken-toting black country gent doll on the right, is also attired in machine-stitched clothing wearing brown cotton britches with a patch on the left leg, and a bright red hankie protruding from the right pocket. His matching brown suspenders along with a red and cream striped cotton shirt and a red kerchief around his neck complete his outfit, while his brown felt hat tops it all off. This country gent also holds a very finely-crafted and detailed brown fabric chicken with lustrous feathers under his left arm, while his right hand clutches a wooden walking stick. This gent, however, is in much finer spirits than his male companion is, wearing a very pleasant expression on his face!

Three very special dolls, which today, are becoming very, very difficult to find, representing a snapshot of history, capturing the lives of poor southern black folk of the Depression era! All three in perfect condition and priced at $295.00 each.

Measuring 3.25 inches X 4 inches, this early 1900's, Glass Magic Lantern Slide is in pristine condition!

Featuring wonderful, vivid colors, this slide is titled "Two Old Chums" on the paper label attached to the back of the slide. The slide depicts an older black gentleman standing, hat in hand, beside a seated, very despondent-looking, white gentleman- who appears to have been drinking.

The slide has wonderful detailing--In particular, please note the print of a Black Child playing the Banjo which hangs on the wall at the far right side of the room!

Very hard to find Black Memorabilia in fabulous condition!

Offered is a beautiful variety grouping of VERY RARELY FOUND, 1880's, Black Americana die cuts printed in Germany and sold by the Bim Brothers, London.

This offering features two lovely die cuts- one, a well-to-do Victorian era husband and wife sitting down to dinner, and the second, a colorfully dressed bride and groom at the altar about to take their wedding vows. The third offering is a glossy finish mini-size litho featuring three siblings arriving at school with book bags on their backs, and one sporting an umbrella in case it later rains. Three children peer out the school window awaiting their arrival.

The products for which these die cuts and litho were meant to endorse is unknown. The litho features a very glossy finish, and the die cuts feature an embossed, glossy finish which compliments the beautiful detailing and intense coloring of each piece. All would look fabulous either framed individually or as a grouping! Think gift!

Approximate measurements are as follows:
The dining couple & the Wedding: 4" tall x 5.75" wide
School children: 6" tall x 4.50" wide

Priced each at $45.

Please note that any white specks that seem prominent in the closeup photos are the result of light bouncing off the surfaces of the aged die cuts. These pieces are approximately 140 years old, and while in very good condition given their age, tiny surface imperfections may be evident here and there.

The photo of the verso of all three pieces reveal that only the wedding die cut has a small restoration made to one of the altar candlesticks using archival quality tape. There have been no repairs or restorations made to either the school litho or the Dinner die cut.

Measuring 3.25 inches high, this delightful English child or baby transfer porcelain mug is a quite rare find!

In excellent condition with the exception of some minor wear to the gilt rim and scripted banner, the cup or mug features two gentleman sharing a tub bath- one Caucasian and one African-American. The African-American gent is surrounded by musical notes indicating that he is doing quite a bit of whistling, while the Caucasian gent covers his ears in annoyance. The scripted banner above their heads reads, "Whistling Rufus." "There's music in the air."

The mug is signed in the lower right corner of the tub, "Copyright Sid Smith". The base bears the black crown and banner stamp of Allertons, England as well as the printed, red-inked number "2089".

Measuring 5 3/4 inches high x 4 1/4 inches wide x 2 3/4 inches deep, this darling salesman's sample case advertises the Wholesale Grocers, Loverin and Browne Company. This Chicago, Illinois, company established business in 1872.

This diminutive tin case is painted black with gold accenting and gold lettering present on the front of the case. The black paint shows reasonable wear given its 130+ years of age with the majority of wear evident along seam lines and at the base. The gold painting on the front of the case remains quite nice with very small areas of unobtrusive paint loss present (please see all photos). This tin case was clearly well cared for over the years.

The case contains three, pull-out, tin drawers with tiny, circular, loop pulls at the ends, that when slid out, reveal 15 separate compartments designed to hold the corked, glass, sample bottles. Fourteen bottles remain present, all of which are original to the case. The bottles advertise the spices and perfume waters that the Loverin and Browne Company manufactured for wholesale purchase by various independent groceries. The base of each bottle sits on a spring which would have facilitated secure storage during travel.

An interesting addition to one's advertisement collection! Very easy to display with great visual appeal!

Offered is the 1928, 2nd edition of Helen Bannerman's, Little Black Sambo book published by the Platt & Munk Company of New York and illustrated by one of P & M's noted artists, Eulalie. The Platt & Munk Company was renown for hiring highly talented artists and illustrators, all of whom who contributed to the company's reputation for publishing exquisitely illustrated children's books.

This story is a much-beloved children's classic written in the early 1900's by Englishwoman, Helen Bannerman, for her two daughters while they lived in India. Sambo, in the original Bannerman tale, was an Indian boy and not an African-American child. He was converted to this race overtime, however, by subsequent story tellers and illustrators. This age-old tale tells of Little Black Sambo and his frightening tiger encounter, which fortunately, has a happy ending!

In very fine condition with the only flaws noted to this hardcover book being extremely minor corner edge wear, what appears to be a blue ink stain on one page (see photos), one small 1/2" long tear on the page "Oh, Please Mr. Tiger, DOn't eat me up", and what looks to be an oil stain beginning at the edge of the inside of the front cover, continuing to about the middle of the book. However, the stain is smaller and smaller with each successive page. The colored illustrations are beautifully vibrant, with both the black line drawings and color illustrations demonstrating the superb artistic talent of the illustrator, Eulalie! Unnumbered pages alternate between color and black line illustrations. No creases. Nice, tight binding.

A must have addition for the collector of Little Black Sambo books!

To see all of the Little Black Sambo items currently available for sale, simply type “Sambo” into the search box on our website homepage.

This vintage 1940's cardboard advertising fan for the Petersburg Furniture Company, Inc., located at 100 North Sycamore Street, Petersburg, Virginia, measures 12" long x 7 " wide and is mounted on a wooden stick handle.

Featuring a double heart motif, the advertising slogan spouts, "When Two Hearts Beat As One, It's Time To Buy Your Furniture From "Old Reliable" Petersburg Furniture Company, "Petersburg's Oldest Furniture Store!

Neat mid-20th-century advertising piece in very fine original condition!

Offered is an antique, C1910, German-made dexterity puzzle that measures 1 15/16" in diameter and 3/8" thick. This delightful game features a fixed, small mouse trap with two, moving, metal mice. The object of the game is to get the mice into the trap.

Colorful detailing of cats on cardboard covered-bottom is marked "Made in Germany". Tin frame holds game with glass cover on one side and mirror on reverse side.

In excellent condition considering age. Glass cover is free of cracks. Game color is still bright. Original mirror has a few spots of silvering and light scratching but is free of cracks. Displays quite well!

In the mid-1800's, an unknown artist painted the face of a young Black boy in warm, soft colors, and unbeknown to the artist, forever immortalized the young boy's image! Since that time a variety of items were been produced in the image of the "Young Black boy with the Torn Hat" or "Johnny Griffin".

This circa 1920-30's Johnny Griffin letter opener is constructed in solid brass. It remains functional for such use today or may be simply used as an attractive desk paperweight!

It is in all original condition with delightful patina- not a reproduction- no replaced parts- and measures 10 1/4 inches long. Remnants of green paint are visible on Johnny's shirt. Interestingly, this piece also doubles as an advertising piece as on the reverse side it is impressed, “I. C. Herman + Co., 507-9 Broadway, NY (New York)”.

Johnny Griffin Black Americana collectibles should form the cornerstone of any serious Black Memorabilia collection!

To see all of the Johnny Griffin items currently available for sale, simply type “Johnny Griffin” into the search box on our web home page.

Measuring a diminutive 2.5 inches tall, this darling pair of Black Memorabilia, ceramic, boy and girl dolls remain in perfect, all-original condition. They remain housed in their original box complete with cardboard divider, and still retain the tiny ribbon bows tied on each of their six pigtails. Both the dolls and their box appear to have been safely tucked away unused and untouched in a drawer all of these years, the condition is that wonderful! The boy is incised "JAPAN" on the back of his white shirt while the girl's "JAPAN" marking appears on the back of her neck. The bottom of the box is stamped in ink, "237 2 PCS JAPAN". Not to be missed---- fabulous new-old stock!

This highly decorative, quite visually appealing, and VERY RARE children's alphabet and nursery rhyme combination block set was designed to teach young ones their ABC's along with the skill of memorizing and reading the popular nursery rhymes of the day.

This 114 year old educational toy manufactured by Parker Brothers of Salem, Massachusetts, New York and London, is marked copyright 1909, in the lower left hand corner of the cover.

De-accessioned from my personal collection and displayed and enjoyed by me for over 20 years, this block set features twelve, 3/4th inch thick, wooden blocks wrapped in brightly colored, glossy, high quality paper, each illustrating a specific letter and a nursery rhyme, on both the front and back of each block.

This set features the letters A through L. It is so very, very rare - likely Parker Bros did not manufacture many - that I have never been able to locate the other half of the set in all my years of ownership! Isn't it further quite curious that Parker Bros chose to divide this alphabet and nursery rhyme series into two separate parts?

Measuring approximately 12.5 inches wide x 10 inches long x 1 inch deep, this fabulous ABC block set displays easily upon a common folding stand, which can be acquired at a local craft store or online. The box cover illustration is simply marvelous, filled with much joyous childhood energy as a multitude of children and a dog play in and around a little red rail car caboose. This game/toy/educational teaching tool displays just beautifully!

Each individual block measures approximately 2.5 inches wide x 4 inches long x 3/4ths inch deep. The alphabet letter is featured on front and back, and a different nursery rhyme appears on each block, beginning on the front side and ending on the back side. Also, on each side of every block is printed a three letter word such as "saw" or "dog" or"pet", many of which are "sight" words - words we learn when we first learn to read, memorizing them by simple repetitive recognition or "sight". Quite a comprehensive learning tool for beginning readers!

Condition: The cover had lost its sides long before it came into my possession. The box bottom is completely intact but has been restored with archival-quality, acid-free tape in various places to keep it so. One side of every block is either unblemished or in near perfect condition (see photo). Some of the blocks (see photo) do have some paper loss on their back sides which occurred over time and with active use many years back.

Nonetheless, presented is a very, very rare, beautifully colorful and illustrated set, sure to enhance one's children's toys or early school collection!

Entitled "SLUGGER CHAMPIONS", this circa 1945-1949, tin windup BOXING Toy features the unusual pairing of Black and White boxers!

Made in post World War II, US Zone Germany, this tin toy measures 3.5" square, with the boxing figures measuring 2.25" tall. The toy retains its original box which measures 4" square, and features a start/stop lever on one side with the (original) key windup on another. Both the toy and the box are labeled "MADE IN US ZONE GERMANY".

The toy still works! The boxers rock back and forth as they attempt to jab one another. The toy is designed to have the right arm on each boxer punch while the immobile left arm is molded into the body.

Condition is a 9/10 as can be seen in all photos. This toy appears to have seen minimal use as the condition of the paint is impeccable, with just a few teeny rubs to the toy base and the black boxer's legs here and there. The box shows minor wear on all edges as noted in photos. All box parts are present with the box cover flap remaining attached to the box by only about 1 inch in the center, and one box flap is completely detached but intact.

A tip for the new owner: to easily remove the toy from the box, open the BOTTOM flap instead of the top flap and simply slide the toy out of the box onto the palm of your hand.

Protected in a 15.25 x 24.75 inch, black hard plastic frame with glass and coordinating mat, this authentic GOLD DUST Trolley Sign was manufactured by the N.K. Fairbanks Company in 1920’s!

GOLD DUST Trolley Signs are a very rare find in today’s market as they were made of cardboard, a material much less likely to withstand the test of time as opposed to tin advertising signs which were much sturdier!

This Gold Dust trolley sign features the Gold Dust Twins dressed in ruffled, red skirts emblazoned with the words “GOLD DUST”, busily scrubbing the front porch and the kitchen in a vigorous attempt at “Spring Cleaning”. The colors featured in this trolley sign are just stunning—greens, pale peachy-colored orange, pale blue, and yellows with white apple blossoms and red tulips flowering in profusion!! To the left of the Gold Dust Twin scrubbing the front porch, sits a large box of Gold Dust Washing Powder. The advertisement proclaims in black-outlined, peachy-orange lettering: “For Spring House Cleaning”.

The condition of this trolley sign is truly quite fine. Colors are very strong and consistent throughout; please ignore the various glass reflections seen in some of the photos- they were unavoidable and do appear to make the colors appear a bit faded—which is inaccurate! The sign is free of rips or tears although it does have two, early, fold-creases – one running from top to bottom of the sign along the left side of the pail and between the “O” and “L” in “GOLD” and the other vertical crease on the very right edge of the sign, running through the stove in the kitchen to the “T” in “DUST”. The creases are very unobtrusive and do not detract from the wonderful, colorful imagery this sign conveys.

An unusual opportunity to acquire a very RARE piece of Black Americana!!

Measuring 9 inches in diameter, this wonderful 1950's, school, Spelling and Counting Board retaining its original box with a 77 Cent price sticker on it! The game is quite colorful, as is the box, and both will create an eye-appealing display! The game is in mint, unused condition with all letters of the alphabet present as well as the numbers one through ten with math signs. The box shows its age with superficial dirt, weak corners and seams, as well as tearing to the box bottom. Made by BAR-ZIM, USA. A great find for the collector of School Memorabilia!

Black Memorabilia sewing items are becoming very difficult to find! Offered is a wonderful, 1930’s, cloth Mammy Pin Cushion!

While her little body was machine stitched together, the remainder of Mammy is all hand-completed! She has a sweet, cheerful, hand-embroidered face that is framed by a tall red, white and blue bonnet! She continues her patriotic look with a red and white checkered top and blue and white flowered pants---how racy---pants instead of a skirt!!!

Mammy clutches a gold colored tomato which, of course, is designed to keep the sewing pins!

In wonderful condition!! Just waiting to be displayed with other sewing or black American collectibles!

A wonderful example of hand-crafted Black Americana Folk Art!

This wonderful Depression Era piece features a whimsical 10 inch long cutout figure of a little wooden black girl with hand-painted smiling mouth and eyes! She is dressed in a hand-stitched cotton costume that has been stuffed with scrap fabric.

Her feet feature two brass-finish hooks, presumably to either hang keys or pot holders from. Her ears each have a punched out hole--whether this is functional or purely decorative remains a mystery. A small brass hoop threaded through a piece of fabric which was then tacked to the back of the girl's head facilitates hanging on a wall. Overall condition is fine with age-related soiling to the dress and minor paint wear typical of a 70 year-old-piece.

One of my favorite hand-made pieces with true folk art appeal!

This delightful grouping of 3 black Aunt Jemima composition dolls from the 1930s enjoyed an interesting, more recent life as advertising display pieces in an old Vermont Country store!

The 3 dolls were grouped together in a creative display that supported the sale of Aunt Jemima Pancake products! Their costumes are all identical and were hand-stitched and made especially for the planned Aunt Jemima display.

Each of the dolls remain intact inside an encasement of glue and paper wrapping and are attached to home-made, plaster-of-Paris-based, rectangular platforms. The platforms were created in 1958 as is written on the bottom of each base, and the dolls remained in place until the store closed in the early 1980s.

The large doll is 11 inches tall and evidences age-crackling to her composition face and hands; her right hand is actually missing a small piece of composition (see photo). Black hair peeks out from inside her checkered head scarf framing her sweet face!

The doll on the left side is the shortest, measuring 5 3/4 inches high. She is in fine condition and her eyes are placed in an interesting sideward glance.

The doll on the right measures 6 1/4 inches tall. Her composition is in fine condition with the exception to some small loss at the very top of her head (see photo).

Certainly a very visually appealing trio, sold all together as a group of three!

Offered are two, circa 1930's, Japan, colorfully decorated, Black Americana Tea Pots in pristine condition! A darling and diminutive, novelty elephant piece with riding black native completes the trio! All three elephants proudly point their trunks upward, awarding "Good Luck" (according to superstition) to anyone who displays them (or drinks their tea)!

Cleverly designed, the elephants themselves, serve as the body of each tea pot, while the turbaned Black Natives lift off the elephants' backs revealing their function as tea pot lids. A wicker handle facilitates handling on the two large tea pots. The base of all three pieces are marked "JAPAN".

The largest tea pot measures 7 inches high by 8 inches long; the middle-sized tea pot measures 6 inches high by 7 inches long; the tiny novelty piece measures a diminutive 3.25 inches long by 2.75 inches high.

Condition is excellent on all three pieces with the exception of the wicker handle on the middle-sized tea pot. One end of the handle is missing its looped section of the wicker that would have wrapped around the ceramic loop to secure the handle to the tea pot. As is noted in the photos, that end of the handle can be propped against the ceramic loop to maintain its proper appearance for display purposes.

Handsome and difficult-to-find pieces of vintage Black Memorabilia! All three Good Luck Elephant pieces are offered as a single group, priced at $245.00!

In the mid-1800's, an unknown artist painted the face of a young Black boy in warm, soft colors, and unbeknown to the artist, forever immortalized the young boy's image! Since that time a variety of items were been produced in the image of the "Young Black boy with the Torn Hat" or "Johnny Griffin".

This very scarce piece is very much reminiscent of Johnny Griffin items with the exception of the intact, broad-rimmed hat on this piece versus the torn rim typically seen on all "named" Johnny Griffin pieces.

This circa 1920-30's novelty piece is constructed in solid brass, is hefty in weight, and was likely used as an ash tray given its tobacco leaf design/theme. The "Johnny Griffin-like" head of the young African-American boy that serves as the centerpiece of this wonderful piece, was molded separately and screwed into place. The screw is concealed under an original brass cap, done purely for esthetics.

The piece is in all original condition with the delightful, warm, rich, golden patina of old brass- not a reproduction- no replaced parts- and measures 7 inches long x 4 1/2 inches wide. It does not retain any markings, and country of origin is unknown, although likely of European origin.

A very seldom found piece of Black Memorabilia, that indeed pairs well with Johnny Griffin items or one's Tobacciana collection!

To view all of the Johnny Griffin items currently available for sale, simply type “Johnny Griffin” into the search box on our web home page.

Offered is the 1955 edition of Helen Bannerman's, Little Black Sambo book published by the Platt & Munk Company of New York and illustrated by one of P & M's noted artists, Eulalie. The Platt & Munk Company was renown for hiring highly talented artists and illustrators, all of whom who contributed to the company's reputation for publishing exquisitely illustrated children's books.

This story is a much-beloved children's classic written in the early 1900's by Englishwoman, Helen Bannerman, for her two daughters while they lived in India. Sambo, in the original Bannerman tale, was an Indian boy and not an African-American child. He was converted to this race overtime, however, by subsequent story tellers and illustrators. This age-old tale tells of Little Black Sambo and his frightening tiger encounter, which fortunately, has a happy ending!

In utterly excellent condition with the only flaws noted to this hardcover book being extremely minor corner edge wear, it also comes with its original dust cover which has been subjected to significant wear and tear as seen in photos: a missing piece, taped edges, scuffs, light soiling, and minor tears. The dust cover shows its 65 years of age while the book, itself, is nearly mint.

Both the black and white as well as color illustrations are just superb! Unnumbered pages alternate between color and black line illustrations.

A must have addition for the collector of Little. Black Sambo books!

To see all of the Little Black Sambo items currently available for sale, simply type “Sambo” into the search box on our website homepage.

An ornately detailed and historical graphic of the California State Seal adds to the importance of this authentic and extremely RARE, museum-quality, 1859, TEACHING and PRINCIPAL’s LICENSE / DIPLOMA / CERTIFICATE issued by the STATE OF CALIFORNIA, and the City and County of SAN FRANCISCO, DEPARTMENT of PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, just 9 years after California became the 31st state!

Text indicates that this early Principal and Teaching Certification was awarded to Mr. O. P. Sarle on January 5, 1859. This “Certificate of Approval” found him qualified “with respect to Learning Utility and Moral Character” to not only teach but administer as Principal at the Grammar School Grade for “one year unless sooner revoked by the board”. Signed by five individuals constituting the Examining Board and the President of the Superintendent of Public Schools.

Measures 14 inches X 16.5 inches. Labeled lower left corner: "Fishbourne's Litho. Ohio Street San Francisco". With the exception of early fold lines and a lower left edge water mark (which will not be seen when framed), condition is mint! This certificate comes backed on a museum-quality, acid-free foam board which can be used when the piece is framed.

Truly a historically significant, museum-quality piece of ephemera which tells a part of the story of the beginnings of public school education in California.

Measuring a total length of 26 inches including strings, this fabulous, late 1940's, black character marionette is in wonderful, never-played-with condition!

The puppet, itself, is 14 inches tall and is colorfully dressed in blue and white checked pants, red shoes, orange and whit polka dot shirt, straw hat and red patterned neck scarf.

The puppet's face is composition and bears evidence of some age-related crackling as noted in photos. He has a tiny piece if composition missing on the left side of his neck partially covered by his neck scarf, so it is very difficult to notice. He bears a manufacturer stamp on the bottom of his right foot, but it is partial and unreadable. His hands which hold colorful pink straw maracas are a heavy molded plastic.

The puppet is free of stains, dirt and odor. He retains his original black strings and wooden airplane controller!

A detailed and historical, 19th century, school "Certificate of Distinction" from the "Albemarle Female Institute of Charlottesville, Virginia"!

Text indicates that the certificate was awarded to Emma Shannon on June 12, 1885 (Or 1883--difficult to read as the date is partially concealed under the frame edge). The certificate recognizes that Emma excelled in Latin, Arithmetic, History of France, Rhetoric, and English Literature. Signed by W. P. Dickinson, President of the Faculty.

With the exception of early fold lines, a water stain in the upper left corner, and two small circular age stains on the lower left and within the word "distinction", condition is quite nice!

Measures 16.25 inches X 12.25 inches framed. The piece is framed in wood and is beautifully grain-painted in brown and black tones with delicate, cream-toned, chip-carved stems and leaves at each of the four corners. Original wood backing remains in place.

Once located at the intersection of 10th and Jefferson Streets in downtown Charlottesville, the Albemarle Female Institute was founded in 1853 as a University School for young women by Baptist pastor John A. Broadus. In 1861, one of Charlottesville's most famous 19th century women, Charlotte "Lottie" Moon, earned one of the first Master of Arts degrees ever awarded to a woman by a southern educational institution during this time period. Fluent in Latin, Greek, French, and Italian, Lottie was called to serve as a Baptist missionary in China, devoting 40 years of her life to that mission.

Measuring 2 1/8 inches in diameter x 3/8 of an inch high, this rarely-found, circa 1910, dexterity game depicts a smiling Top-Hatted Dandy! The puzzle is quite colorful and is very visually appealing! The puzzle contains the 3 tiny metal balls along with one white ball of unknown material, that, with the proper manual dexterity, are to be placed in the Dandy’s eyes and as buttons on his shirt!

Constructed of tin with a cardboard lithographed image and a glass cover, this game has a mirrored back. The puzzle is in all-original condition with the Dandy graphic remaining free of scratches and abrasions, and design typical of turn-of-the-century puzzles. The mirrored back shows evidence of 2 tiny areas of subtle, minor chipping along the perimeter edge, and the glass front has a small, very shallow surface chip at the base of the Dandy's shirt and an even tinier one to the left of the top hat. Unless one applies hard pressure to the surface of this glass, I cannot ever imagine this front glass breaking or shattering. (Please disregard any light or shiny spots in photos which are due to flash reflection off of the glass.)

A detailed image and a delightful piece of very early Black Memorabilia!

Measuring 3” in diameter, the patent date indicates that this vintage, NEW ORLEANS MARDI GRAS pin back was manufactured in 1957, by Pictorial Productions, Inc.

It features a vintage, EARLY HOLOGRAM IMAGE, a “moving” Court Jester or Clown, who in a gallant sweeping motion, removes his broad-rimmed hat and takes a grand bow. (Tilt pin slightly to make Jester move.)

Colors: bright, buttery yellow background, jester in traditional Mardi Gras colors: dark fuchsia, green and white, with lettering and metal pin back frame in red.

Condition: quite nice for its 65+ years of age with light, expected wear to red paint at rim edges and back. NOTE: The piece of tape shown in pics is not part of the pin or attached to it, but was used to prop the piece up to display the two different moving images.

While everyone else wears their newly bought, common, plastic, Mardi Gras beads on Fat Tuesday, stand out and be unique sporting a vintage, 65 yr old, traditional, Mardi Gras, Clown Jester Hologram pin!

This wonderful, circa 1940-50's, box of Imperial school or art chalk manufactured by the Imperial Crayon Company of Brooklyn, New York, is in near mint condition! The chalk is unused and is all-original! The box features a fabulous graphic of a smiling clown busily writing using Imperial Chalk! The box measures 3.50 inches tall x 2.50 inches wide x 1 inch deep.

An absolutely wonderful addition to one's School or Artist Memorabilia collection!

Offered is an extraordinarily rare, 1930's, Googly Eyed Tea Pot made in Japan. A Google search on this item yields NO other vintage, 1930s Japan, Mammy, Googly-eyed Teapots available, further attesting to this piece's rarity!

This particular piece is in very fine condition, with cold-paint flaking noted on the spout and on the lid edge decoration as this piece's only readily-visualized flaws. (Cold paint refers to paint applied AFTER a piece has been painted, glazed, and fired in a kiln. Because this after-paint is not glazed and fired, it is easily subjected to flaking and disintegration.)

The teapot remains in fabulous, all-original condition with its original, twisted-wire, bail handle intact and in fine condition. The tea pot measures 5.5 inches wide from the edge of its spout and across the body to the opposite side. With its handle upright, the pot measures 7.75 inches tall, and 5.75 inches wide. The teapot with lid, absent the handle, measures 5.25 inches tall.

As noted previously, the teapot spout presents flaking of its green paint, with two tiny flea bites present on the tip of the spout detected only via touch versus the eye. The pot has no chips, cracks, repairs or repaint. There are very teeny surface rubs on the left cheek, but these are paint flaws which occurred prior to glaze application and firing. There are also two teeny "dots"-- one on the forehead and one just to the inside corner of the right eye that are also flaws created either right before or during firing.

This fabulously RARE piece displays just wonderfully and would be a prized asset in the collection of any advanced collector! And its diminutive size makes it easy for one to display in one's collection!

Enter "Googly" into the SEARCH box to see our other Googly-Eye collectibles!

Measuring 1 7/8 inches in diameter x 1/4 of an inch high, this seldom-found, circa 1920’s, dexterity game depicts a surprised or startled African baby. Likely German-made, the puzzle has no markings. It contains the 3 tiny metal balls, that with the proper manual dexterity, are to be placed in the baby’s mouth and two eyes. Two of the balls are currently fixed in place, likely due to the metal backing being very subtly pushed in.

Constructed of tin with tin back and a cardboard lithographed image and a glass cover, the puzzle is in all-original condition with some tiny crimps to the edges as noted in photos. (Please disregard any light or shiny spots in photos which are due to flash reflection off of the glass.)

An interesting image and a delightful piece of early Black Memorabilia!

Offered are a grouping of 11, circa 1920-30s, colorfully chromolithographed trade cards published by the Liebig Extract of Meat Company of London as well as a smattering of other French and Belgian producers of sweets and clothing for men and women.

"Picture cards" as they were called then, feature very colorful and highly detailed images on the front side with product advertising generally on the back side. For those with advertising on the backside, the advertising, in most cases, is written in French. These cards, of course, were a strategic marketing concept designed to provide the customer with a tangible reminder of the food stuff or article of clothing that had just been purchased.

All but one of the cards measure approximately 2.75 inches x 4.25 inches, with the remaining card measuring approximately 2.50 inches x 5 inches. All but two are in very good condition with no observable flaws or damage.

The two exceptions:
-the 2.50 inch x 5 inch card- which has been scissor-trimmed, has a fold line down the center, and was pulled from a scrap book obscuring some of the printing on the backside-
-and one Liebig card which is missing one corner edge.
Condition quite remarkable given their 80-100+ years of age.

A nice early collection of trade cards!

Measuring 17 inches long, this delightful, folk-art styled, cloth, black Mammy doll was made circa 1920's.

Detailing in construction sets this mammy doll apart! Her creation was very carefully executed through a combination of hand and machine stitching. Mammy was lovingly dressed in clothing made from old, red, black, and white-patterned handkerchiefs, while both her body and her interesting pair of black pantaloons were constructed of old, black stockings. Detailing was clearly important to the creator--an additional and elegant surprise is the cream-colored, cotton petticoat edged with lace!

Mammy's face is hand-embroidered, and she wears brass-colored, plain, hoop earrings. Her body is machine-stitched together and is stuffed with cotton batting.

Mammy is in near perfect condition with the exception of minor wear (not holes) to her stocking-constructed left foot as well as the underside of her right, stocking-constructed hand. (This wear to the fabric may well be the very reason the stockings were used to construct Mammy as they may have been discarded from personal use. Please refer to photos to view wear.)

Mammy is simply full of charm with lovely and creative detailing! A quite difficult-to-find-in-this condition, 80+-year-old, cloth mammy doll!

Measuring 4 inches high with a 3.75 inch base diameter, this authentic looking 1919 Patent model bank of the historic Philadelphia Liberty Bell, is in wonderful all-original condition!

Given away as a premium for opening a bank account, this still bank advertises the Mechanics Savings Bank of Hartford, Connecticut.

The bank is complete with the famous Liberty Bell crack down its front as well as this slogan etched around its top, "Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All The Inhabitants Thereof. LEV XXV 10".

Manufactured by the Bankers S & C System Company, Cleveland, Ohio, this bank bears a patent date of February 18, 1919, as inscribed on its base.

Made of metal and wood. The whereabouts of the original key is unknown but it is likely that any flat metal key of the period and appropriate size would open it.

A fine decorative piece for either the still bank collector or Revolutionary War buff!

Measuring approximately 4 1/2 inches in length, this wonderful pair of hard plastic African Native dolls are dressed in highly detailed and decorated costumes. Circa 1940s, these all-original dolls with hand-painted faces are in very fine condition and make a striking pair when displayed!

The female is clothed in a green felt dress and head piece that are decorated with tiny blue and white beads. She wears double strand white beaded bracelets and anklets and also wears a double stranded white beaded necklace with a large red bead center. Underneath her dress in back a tiny head peeks out- a little plastic baby that she is carrying!

The male is clothed in a brown and red polka dotted skirt with 2 fur pouches, and a fur headdress. He is swathed in longer strings of beads that encircle his waist and also run diagonally across his chest. He, too, wears a double stranded beaded anklet and necklace. Larger Red beads hang from the sides of his dress as well as from the 2nd fur pouch that hangs behind him.

The arms and legs are movable at hip and shoulder joints of each doll. The Male has the following in raised lettering on his back: P. M. and J. H. B. The remainder of the marking is obscured by beading and clothing. No other markings are visible.

A visually striking pair!

Produced as a souvenir piece for the 1884 New Orleans Exposition, this diminutive, antique, metal match holder measures just 2.5 inches high!

Marked "Pat Applied For" on its base, this darling match holder features two small black boys playing around a rather large cotton bale (the bale is labeled "COTTON").

Well-executed detail! A lovely piece seldom found in today's collectible market!

In the mid-1800's, an unknown artist painted the face of a young Black boy in warm, soft colors, and unbeknown to the artist, forever immortalized the young boy's image! Since that time a variety of items were been produced in the image of the "Young Black boy with the Torn Hat" or "Johnny Griffin".

This circa 1920-30's Johnny Griffin item is constructed in solid brass and is known as a document clip used to hold together important papers. It remains functional for such use today or may be simply used as an attractive desk paperweight!

It is in all original condition with delightful patina- not a reproduction- no replaced parts- and measures 4 1/8 inches long x 2 3/8 inches wide. It does not retain any marking other than a mold number 5241.

Johnny Griffin Black Americana collectibles should form the cornerstone of any serious Black Memorabilia collection!

To see all of the Johnny Griffin items currently available for sale, simply type “Johnny Griffin” into the search box on our web home page.

Measuring 8 1/2 inches wide x 11 3/4 inches long, this brightly colored, all original, copyright 1931, Little Black Sambo Puzzle by acclaimed American children's illustrator, Fern Bisel Peat, is in very good condition! This very rarely-found puzzle attracts additional interest due to the unusual, geometric, highly angular cut of the individual puzzle pieces- suggesting a very strong Art Deco influence!

(Also currently available is Fern Bisel Peat's companion Little Black Sambo storybook!)

This puzzle rendition of Little Black Sambo depicts Sambo strutting out into the jungle dressed in his newly acquired outfit complete with shade umbrella- all of which is soon to attract the attention of those nasty tigers! This scene has been taken directly from the 1931 copyright, softcover, large folio, Little Black Sambo book illustrated by Fern Bisel Peat and published by The Harter Publishing Company, Educational Publishers, Cleveland Ohio. It is likely that both the puzzle and the book were released to the public at the same time. They were intended for use in the school setting, grades K-2, as well as in the home. The aforementioned large folio Little Black Sambo Book is also available for purchase on this website (type Sambo into the SEARCH box).

Ready to be framed, the puzzle has retained all of the brilliance of its original colors and also sports the artist signature of Fern Bisel Peat in the upper right hand corner. Slight and subtle edge wear to some puzzle pieces as noted in photo. A wonderful addition to one’s Little Black Sambo collection by this highly sought-after, renowned American children's illustrator!

Fern Bisel Peat, 1893-1971, was born in in Erie, Pennsylvania, and went to public schools in Elyria. She attended Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, graduating with a degree in fine arts. Marrying Frank Peat in 1917 and settling in northern Ohio, Fern soon began painting children’s murals in both public and private venues.

As her work grew in popularity in the 1920's, she was asked to design children's wallpaper for a Cleveland company, designing a set of Mother Goose wall panels that sold widely. She soon was approached by the Saalfield Publishing Company where she went on to illustrate over 60 children's books!

From 1933 to 1955 she was editor and chief illustrator for Children’s Play Mate magazine, published in Cleveland, and nearly all of the covers during that time period feature her illustrations.

As the major breadwinner for the Bisel Peat family, Fern found every way possible to market her work to publishers, advertising firms and toy makers during the lean years of the American Depression and World War II. As a result, her distinctive children's illustrations can not only be found within children's books of the era, but also on holiday decorations, paper fans, playing cards, rag dolls, tin toys…not to mention coloring books, puzzles, paper doll books, and greeting cards!

To see all of the Little Black Sambo items currently available for sale, simply type “Sambo” into the search box on our website homepage.

Measuring only 2.75 inches high, this darling 1920's Black Memorabilia souvenir piece is in amazing condition considering its delicate, sea shell construction.

A tiny bisque black boy holding a watermelon slice is seated on a throne of sea shells. The name of the location that this sea shell souvenir was meant to commemorate is worn and is no longer readable.

Two very minor chips are present as shown in photos which do not detract from the beauty of this piece!

An interesting and older circa 1940-50's, molded plastic, African female doll carrying a tiny African baby doll in a pouch on her back!

Fine detailing hallmarks this 11.25 inch tall doll. She is dressed in a black native costume -- all handsewn with yellow and black beads, and is adorned with a matching double-strand beaded necklace and single-strand beaded bracelet along with gold hoop earrings. Her lips, as well as the baby's, are painted red and both have inset life-like, plastic eyes. Her hands swivel at the wrists; her arms and legs are jointed at shoulder and hip, respectively.

No identifying marks are evident; clothing is securely attached and could not be easily removed for a further look.

Condition is excellent with the exception of damaged toes on the right foot.

Measuring 7.5 inches long x 10 inches high, this rarely-found, circa 1930's, wooden pull toy depicting a Smiling Black Boy is fully functional! He was manufactured by Wood Commodities Corporation, New York, and was called, not the typical Sambo as one might expect, but "Little Jasper"!

Little Jasper was created by George Pal, a cartoonist who worked for Paramount Studios and who created the Puppetoons, a popular cartoon series played in movie theaters of the era prior to the screening of the feature film.

Push or pull him along, and he twirls around while the two present wooden flowers spin along with him! (One wooden flower top is, unfortunately, missing--the only imperfection to this fabulous toy!)

Overall condition is rated as excellent, barely-used condition! There is very insignificant edge wear to paint here and there, but the four wheels don't show even the tiniest trace of wear from use, suggesting that this toy quite likely sat either in a display cabinet or was packed away for its entire existence! Even the original, paper manufacturing sticker remains intact and in pristine condition!

"Little Jasper" is very RARELY found, and the opportunity to acquire him should not be overlooked!

Measuring 12 inches in length, this circa 1930’s, Topsy Turvy Doll is in superb condition and is unusually and wonderfully appointed with great attention to detail! Both black and white sides of the doll have been very finely dressed with rose blossoms on their bandannas as well as at their waists- very, very rare for the “Black Topsy” to be so well attired!

”Black Topsy” is dressed in a striking pink, green, orange, and black cotton, geometric-patterned dress- very Art Deco! Her mouth and nostrils are stitched in red thread and she has white pearl button eyes.

The Caucasian doll is dressed in a cotton lavender dress- also with a geometric, Art Deco pattern in black, green and yellow. Her blouse and bandanna are lavender sateen. Her entire face has been finely stitched. She has pink nostrils and mouth, black eyebrows, and her black stitched eyes have pretty lashes that highlight her silvery gray irises! She has the very palest of staining to her face above her nostrils, but it is barely noticeable, and there is some light fading to her sateen bandanna.

Condition and detailing of both sides of this Topsy Turvy is really quite extraordinary, setting her apart from other Topsy’s!! A wonderful addition to one’s doll or Black Memorabilia collection!

Measuring 3 3/4 inches long, this circa 1920s, miniature, Black Mammy doll is unique in construction- its head and body have been fashioned from an old black rubber baby nursing nipple!

This Mammy nipple doll is more unusual and less seldom found because she holds a tiny, plastic, white baby in her left arm. Typically when found, the Mammy nipple doll has empty arms.

Mammy’s sweet little face has been hand-painted, and she has been nicely dressed in a red and white polka dot dress with linen apron and red flowered head scarf. The little baby wears a linen gown edged with lace and has a molded face.

Condition of this wonderful miniature Mammy is very good! With the exception of her nipple face which has contorted a bit due to the ravages of time, she is in delightful condition!

Offered are two, VERY RARE, 1880's, romantically-themed advertisements printed in Germany and sold by the Bim Brothers, London. The two advertisements both feature well-dressed African American gentlemen attempting to woo and capture the exclusive attentions of pretty young African-American ladies, one via a banjo serenade and the other via an offer of lovely flowers.

The products which these advertisements were meant to endorse is unknown. The advertisements feature a high-shine, glossy finish which compliments the beautiful detailing and intense coloring of each piece. Both would look fabulous framed!

The advertisement featuring the banjo playing gent (with that snarling black dog in the lower right corner) measures approximately 7.25 inches wide x 10.25 inches long. The advertisement featuring the shy woman being presented with pretty flowers measures approximately 7.25 inches wide x 9 inches long.

Please note that any white specks that seem prominent in the closeup photos are the result of light bouncing off the surfaces of the aged advertisements. These pieces are approximately 140 years old, and while in very good condition given their age, both do have tiny surface imperfections, lines and light edge wear. The advertisements are priced at $35 each or two for $60.

Measuring a diminutive 8" long x 5.5" wide, this very sweet Mammy string holder was completely hand-painted and hand-constructed with the sole exception of the machine-stitched opening in her dress that allows placement and/or removal of the ball of string.

The neck opening, arm openings and the hem of her cream and red flowered dress are all hand-stitched. Her head and torso, cut from a piece of wood, are completely hand-painted, and the facial details and head scarf details were executed with a very fine-tipped paintbrush and were very nicely done! Mammy's dress contains a ball of old cotton string which is allowed exit through a small circular hole cut into her mouth.

Paint condition is very good with only slight edge wear and a couple of very subtle, tiny surface scratches. There are no rips, tears or wear to Mammy's dress, but some small staining splotches on the left side edges of her dress in front and in back are evident. A small eyelet was screwed into the top of Mammy's head with a string attached to allow for hanging and easy access.

Published in 1926 by the Whitman Publishing Company of Racine, Wisconsin, this very seldom-found, miniature-size, softcover book measuring just 4x5 inches, offers a very unique continuation of the original Little Black Sambo story! It is thought that this mini size Sambo book was manufactured as a salesman's sample edition, meant to be strictly used as a marketing prop to sell orders for the full-size edition of the same book.

Entitled A New Story of Little Black Sambo, this tale picks up the story with Little Sambo's mother, Black Mumbo, exclaiming that Sambo, after almost losing his best Sunday clothes to the tigers, would- from now on- only be allowed to wear his every day clothes. Now very unhappily dressed in only a grass skirt, a pouting and naughty Sambo decides to run off into the jungle once again without permission, and climbs a tree to gather coconuts. A tiger soon arrives threatening to eat Little Black Sambo, trapping him up in the tree for the entire day! Eventually, Tusker the Elephant arrives, successfully chasing off the tiger and saving Sambo. Sambo then returns home, where an angry Black Mumbo spanks him with a hairbrush for running off, despite the gift of coconuts Sambo hoped would appease his mother. The conclusion of the tale then moves forward one month later when the family goes to visit Little Black Sambo’s cousins, the Bimboes, who admire his fine Sunday best clothing that he was finally allowed to wear again!

Although no author is attributed, it is thought by some that the tale was co-authored by the book's two illustrators, Clara Bell Thurston, who rendered all of the lovely colored drawings and Earnest Vetsch, who rendered the "black and white" illustrations (which, actually, are done in navy blue ink) as well as the fancy hand-lettering of the text which further embellishes the book.

With 36 unnumbered pages which alternate between the superbly rendered color and navy blue line illustrations, this unique little book is in quite good condition. No fading of color, no rips, creases or missing pages. Binding is tight with all three original staples present. Cover edges are subtly worn, and age-related, light soiling is present. Tusker the elephant has been lightly colored with colored pencil in some places as is Sambo's grass hut, and evidence of penciled-in page numbers, long since erased, is noted. (Any blurring in photos is due to camera technique and does not reflect book condition.)

This rarely-found, miniature-size (possibly a rare salesman's sample) edition of the continuation of the original Little Black Sambo story is a must have for the collector of Little Black Sambo books!

To see all of the Little Black Sambo items currently available for sale, simply type “Sambo” into the search box on our website homepage.

Manufactured circa 1920's by the Wurts Creation Company, this scarcely-found, Black Chef, kitchen collectible doubles as both a string holder and a grocery list memo board!

Constructed of painted wood that is nailed and glued together, this vintage collectible retains quite a few of its original but yellowed-with-age grocery shopping list pages. The holder/board retains a ball of string and a stub of an older, red pencil. It also has an inkwell cut-out that would have accommodated a bottle of ink; presumably, an inkwell pen once resided beside it versus the current pencil.

The holder/board remains in all original condition with no repaint or repair. The black chef is not painted on but is a decal--all original. The pale blue paint has appropriate, minor, age-related wear as noted in photos.

Has great visual appeal and displays wonderfully!

This handsome Black Memorabilia Male Golliwogg doll comes straight from an English home!

A brief history of the Golliwog doll: The Golliwog is based on a Black minstrel doll that the Victorian era illustrator, Florence Kate Upton, born in 1873 of English parents, had played with as a small child in New York. Upton's Golliwog character was first introduced to the world in her 1895 book entitled The Adventures of Two Dutch Dolls. Like the rag doll that inspired it, the Golliwog in her book was an ugly creature with very dark, jet black skin, large white-rimmed eyes, red clown lips, and wild, frizzy hair. Golliwogs are typically male and are generally dressed in a jacket, trousers, bow tie, and stand-up collar in a combination of red, white, blue, black, and occasionally yellow colors.

Measuring 21.5 inches long, this delightful and appealing cloth Golli is unmarked and is thought, by his original and quite elderly owner, to have been made in the mid 1940's! (She speculates that he could even be a bit older than that, but she remembers not acquiring him until after the end of WWII.)

His nose and mouth are hand-stitched and he has round, cloth covered button eyes- the pupils were hand-colored using black ink! His nicely coiffed, black hair appears to have been styled from soft, "stuffed animal-type" fur! Rather interesting and ingenious! He has a machine-stitched, cotton batting stuffed, black sock cloth body. His colorful wardrobe is also machine stitched- green wool mourning coat, gold vest, and red and white polka-dotted cotton pants and matching bow tie!

He is in wonderful condition with the exception of some tiny moth holes to the back of his mourning coat (see photos) as well as another tiny moth hole to the back of his right arm and back right pants leg. The polka dot clothing shows the slightest hint of fading. His dark black fur hair also shows some age-related color change to brown at the roots. Hmm...then again...perhaps he's simply overdue for another hair coloring appointment at the Salon!

A very sweet addition to one's Black Memorabilia or Golliwogg collection!

Measuring 9 1/2 inches wide x 13 inches long, this brightly colored, copyright 1931, Little Black Sambo, large softcover book illustrated by acclaimed American children's illustrator, Fern Bisel Peat, is very rarely found!

(Also currently available is Fern Bisel Peat's companion Little Black Sambo Puzzle!)

Published by The Harter Publishing Company, Educational Publishers, Cleveland Ohio, this book along with a companion puzzle which features one of the illustrations from this book, were likely released to the public at the same time. Both the book and puzzle were intended for use in the school setting, grades K-2, as well as in the home. The aforementioned Little Black Sambo puzzle is also available for purchase on this website (type Sambo into the SEARCH box).

This story is a much-beloved children's classic written in the early 1900's by Englishwoman, Helen Bannerman, for her two daughters while they lived in India. Sambo, in the original Bannerman tale, was an Indian boy and not an African-American child. He was converted to this race overtime, however, by subsequent story tellers and illustrators. This age-old tale tells of Little Black Sambo and his frightening tiger encounter, which fortunately, has a happy ending!

Condition is an 8.5 out of 10! This unnumbered, softcover book has seen little use with just a teeny bit of wear to book edges and very small creases here and there on the covers which do not effect structural integrity. The eight large folio, color illustrations retain their intensely vibrant hues and are simply just spectacular, and they alternate with lovely black ink line drawings. (My camera did not do justice to the intensity of color, washing it out.) An inked inscription is present on the inside front cover. The front and back covers have separated completely from the staple binding; there is separation of book pages only at the following point: below the lower of the two remaining staples. The third and lowest staple is missing.

Despite these imperfections, this rarely found,soft-cover, children's book is in amazing condition given its 90 years of age!

Fern Bisel Peat, 1893-1971, was born in in Erie, Pennsylvania, and went to public schools in Elyria. She attended Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, graduating with a degree in fine arts. Marrying Frank Peat in 1917 and settling in northern Ohio, Fern soon began painting children’s murals in both public and private venues.

As her work grew in popularity in the 1920's, she was asked to design children's wallpaper for a Cleveland company, designing a set of Mother Goose wall panels that sold widely. She soon was approached by the Saalfield Publishing Company where she went on to illustrate over 60 children's books!

From 1933 to 1955 she was editor and chief illustrator for Children’s Play Mate magazine, published in Cleveland, and nearly all of the covers during that time period feature her illustrations.

As the major breadwinner for the Bisel Peat family, Fern found every way possible to market her work to publishers, advertising firms and toy makers during the lean years of the American Depression and World War II. As a result, her distinctive children's illustrations can not only be found within children's books of the era, but also on holiday decorations, paper fans, playing cards, rag dolls, tin toys…not to mention coloring books, puzzles, paper doll books, and greeting cards!

To see all of the Little Black Sambo items currently available for sale, simply type “Sambo” into the search box on our website homepage.

Presented as a historical and cultural artifact, this seldom-found, vintage, 1942, Ten Little Colored Boys book illustrated by Emery I. Gondor and published by Howell, Soskin Publishers, New York, is in very good condition.

Measuring 10.75 inches wide x 8.25 inches long, the book has seen extremely gentle use as evidenced by the minimal wear of the little boys' heads which, while providing visual interest, are primarily present to allow easy turning of each page. Given this purpose, it is quite remarkable that all heads remain present after 80+ years, with prominent creasing only appearing at the neckline and lessor crease lines present elsewhere on the heads. Four of the heads have suffered minimal tearing at the neckline, and were, at some point, restored and secured with what appears to be an archival quality tape. Front and back covers are constructed of heavy cardboard, the pages of heavier stock paper. Both the front and back boards evidence minor corner and edge wear along with minor soiling from handling. The front cover has a tiny 1/4 inch long tear at the binding, about 1 1/2 inches down from the top of the book. The back cover at the exterior upper corner is missing a small section of the top layer of cardboard. Interior pages are intact and crisp. Please view photos.

The book retains its brilliant, bright, crayon-box-like colors. The book has ten pages with alternating color and black and white illustrations as noted in photos. Sufficient space to post photos of all pages does not exist, but those present are representative of overall condition. Pages evidence some extremely minor age-discoloration and/or foxing, but all pages are free of rips and creases. The binding is tight and the book retains its original, red, binding spiral.

Originally published in 1868 under the Title of “The Ten Little Indians,” this poem was used during minstrel shows, which oftentimes were traveling acts, performed by white actors in blackface following the Civil War. The following year, the poem was adapted to this overtly horrid, racist rendition, replacing the word Indians with “Nigger” in both minstrel shows, printed sheet music, and children’s nursery rhyme books. This version married the stereotypes of violence and ignorance within the African-American population with the intent of "villain-izing" freed black males while simultaneously allowing violent acts to befall the black characters portrayed in the rhyme.

This 1942 version having changed the derogatory term nigger to that of colored (equally derogatory), also depicts a somewhat tempered portrayal of the violence befalling the characters as compared to earlier versions of the rhyme.

The poem:
Ten little colored boys sitting in a line; one slid off the roof, then there were nine.
Nine little colored boys fished with worms for bait; one fell in the river, then there were eight.
Eight little colored boys flying up to heaven; one tried to parachute, then there were seven.
Seven little colored boys doing circus tricks; one teased an elephant, then there were six.
Six little colored boys found honey in a hive; one tried to pet a bee, then there were five.
Five little colored boys heard a lion roar; One didn't run in time, then there were four.
Four little colored boys started out to ski; One hit a snowman, then there were three.
Three little colored boys cooked some chicken stew; One ate the pot-ful, then there were two.
Two little colored boys playing with a gun; Thought it wasn't loaded, then there was one.
One little colored boy thought it would be fun to settle down and marry, then there was none.
He had a family of colored boys and then, before very long, there were ten of them again.

An exceptional example of 19th century Folk Art-- a very rare needlework cross stitch sampler with Black Americana theme! This highly unusual example dates to circa 1880's and depicts two young girls on a primitive, “make-do” seesaw--- a wooden board placed over a log-- complete with a grapevine trellis in the background! This wonderful piece is accented with a multi-toned, Greek Key border design with fringe edging.

The needlework measures approximately 15 by 14 inches and is in good condition overall, given its 120+ years of age! The central design is superb with no problems, but the two upper corners show evidence of some unraveling, particularly the upper right, which has a small hole. This little hole could be repaired, or if the piece was framed, it could be visually eliminated; however, it truly does little to detract from the central focal point of the children on the seesaw, when viewed in its entirety. The piece does show subtle evidence of typical, age-related discoloration.

An utterly wonderful and scarce example of 19th century Black Americana themed Needlework!

Measuring 13 inches long, this very RARE, Ca 1910, Black, Composition Shoulder Head Doll is in wonderful condition!

She has a muslin, machine-stitched body which is stuffed with sawdust. Her feet are black cotton. Upper arms are also stuffed muslin with composition forearms.

Her curly-haired head is molded composition; eyes, nostrils, and lips are handpainted-- note the BLUE EYES!!

She wears a muslin slip under a Victorian styled, machine-stitched, tiered ruffled dress. Her clothing has been professionally laundered but does remain darkened with age in some areas- the photos make these dark areas appear more prominent than they are when viewed by the naked eye.

Condition: Difficult to photograph due to camera glare off the composition, her head remains in pristine, all original condition- no repaint- with just a couple of very teeny white flecks here and there! The breastplate has an old glue repair which appears to be quite solid. The repair is not visible unless the doll is undressed. Superficial wear to each thumb is evident as is seen in photos. No cracking or peeling to composition. She was very well cared for over the years!

A very lovely and rare Black doll!

De-accessioned from the inventory of the ill-fated Middle Passage Museum (see museum history below), this very unusual and atypical, 19th century, estate document is offered for sale, the purpose of which was to itemize and execute a division of property from the estate of the deceased, southern plantation owner. This document was purchased in the 1960s by one of the founders of the Middle Passage Museum from a descendant of this Sumter County, Georgia, plantation owner.

This is single page, partial document written on both front and back sides. It is missing its first page which would have shown the name of the deceased slave owner and the listing of the interior household goods and furnishings, and the last page which would have noted the date and county in which the document was executed as well as witness and judicial signatures. However, the most historically significant page exists and is offered here- a plantation estate document in which the slaves are referenced by name and further described by their family position and marital status!

What makes this document EXTRAORDINARILY RARE, UNUSUAL, and ATYPICAL is that it proceeds to, first, categorize the 40 slaves using the word SLAVES instead of the common verbiage of the time -Negroes-, and secondly, it proceeds to list the male slaves BY NAME, ALONG WITH THE NAMES OF THEIR WIVES AND THEIR CHILDREN, with monetary value listed in the right column of the document!!!! In two instances, the number of years married is also listed! Children are labeled "Girl, "Boy", or "Infant". Total value of these 40 slaves was calculated at $24,200.00!

Given that slaves were viewed as property and not human beings in any way equal to the Caucasian race which enslaved them, it is extraordinarily unusual to find a document which recognizes and lists slaves as "Family Units", further designating family position- husband, wife or child! Typically,there was little, if any, thought given to the pain and anguish such slave families would suffer if their "owner" chose to sell off any one of them at any given time. Such estate documents as this listing ENTIRE SLAVE FAMILIES BY NAME is simply without precedent! It would indeed be a phenomenal discovery to be able to identify the plantation and/or deceased slave owner as such an estate listing speaks to an uncommon, albeit, rare and unique perspective of slave ownership. Such a personalized and humanized account of the slaves owned makes this particular document all the more heart-wrenching, and it certainly begs the very sad question of whether or not these slave families were allowed to remain united and intact once the final estate disposition was conducted.

The document measures approximately 8 1/2 inches wide x 14 1/8 inches long, is double-sided and is in good condition, with fold lines evident along with some age-related foxing at top and bottom fold lines. 1 3/4 tear along the fold line of the top fold at right edge. The ink color is sepia toned (likely as a result of some fading over time) on a pale blue, vertically-ruled, heavy paper. This phenomenal piece of cultural ephemera is ready for appropriate archival preservation/framing.

The listing of slaves is on the back side of the document with the front side listing farm animals, equipment and supplies along with values- "The following property set apart for the use and benefit of the farm".

Middle Passage Museum History: The Middle Passage Museum was the dream of Jim and Mary Anne Petty of Mississippi as well as that of an anonymous Georgian benefactor who had together compiled a collection of slave artifacts numbering over 15,000 pieces and who had hoped to find a permanent site in Mobile, Alabama, for their museum. While they formed a non-profit organization to raise funds for their hoped-for museum, their dream was never realized.

In a 2003 statement, Jim Petty remarked, "The importance of the exhibit of these artifacts is to understand the harshness of what slavery and segregation was all about. The items in the exhibit remind us of the terrible heinousness of slavery. Viewing the collection can be very emotional, but it is a tool through which we can understand, honor and respect a great culture. We want to realize that out of slavery, a great culture emerged, and carried on, and continued to strive for a better life regardless of the adverse conditions that were placed upon them."

This wonderful, late 19th / early 20th century photograph of students and teacher from a New England, one-room school house measures 10 x 8 inches including mat. Actual size of the sepia toned photo is 8 x 5 inches. The subjects are posed on the stairs in front of the schoolhouse porch or veranda. The ten young gentlemen in the front row, while quite fashionably attired, don’t appeared to be very enthusiastic about their participation in this photography session! Look at those faces!

Condition is wonderful- no rips or creases. The full view photo appears faded or lighter on the right hand side, but this is camera flash glare only- tones/coloration are uniform throughout as seen in close-up photo.

A delightful and early schoolhouse collectible!