Catalog: Archives (250)

Offered is an outstanding, Art Deco era, circa 1920-1930s, hanging, drug store, apothecary show globe in impeccable condition!

The fancy and highly-stylized, Art Deco, aluminum frame cradles an equally highly-stylized, classically-ribbed, clear glass show globe and finial. If so desired, the show globe will hold water. The frame is embellished with a buffed matte finish with design details outlined in contrasting black to further enhance the fabulous, Art Deco styling. The chain link is also painted black, echoing the black detailing of the frame, and it retains most of its gorgeous, original finish, with absolutely no pitting. This fabulous apothecary showpiece measures 29 inches from the top of its fancy hanger to the base.

The condition is absolutely excellent. The globe glass is clean and clear with a perfectly fitting, ground-glass stopper. The interior globe rim has an extremely shallow, minute, surface chip that is insignificant and is very difficult to see and photograph. The finial base has two practically undetectable, teeny, flea bites that cannot be seen when the finial is inserted into the globe rim, and which also, are too tiny to photograph.

The take away of this offering, this outstanding piece of nearly 100 year old, American pharmacy history, is both its exquisite Art Deco styling with extraordinary visual appeal, and its utterly excellent condition, making it a true rarity among extant Apothecary antiques and collectibles!

Presented as an historical and cultural artifact, this extraordinarily RARE, very scarcely found, cloth book entitled Ten Little Niggers with Music was published in London, circa 1904, by Dean's Rag Book Co. Ltd. This registered issue is the very early No. 82 and was patented in Great Britain, Germany and the United States. The book measures 8.50 inches long x 6.75 inches wide.

The book tells the infamous story of ten little African-American boys who are gradually eliminated in number via one circumstance after another--most utterly horrid-- choking to death, chopping himself in half, being crushed by a bear, being swallowed by a red herring, etc, ending with the last boy sadly living all alone, a circumstance he happily remedies by getting married.

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 113 year old book remains in all-original, very good condition with no alterations or repairs. Original binding and stitching remain quite tight and intact. Illustrated by R. J. (James) Williams, the interior illustrations remain very brightly colored. Pages present varying degrees of very light soiling, light foxing, and yellowing of linen, commensurate with age. Some pages also show subtle water staining that has not impacted cloth integrity. No tears or rips to fabric.

This book is in truly remarkable condition for its age and in consideration of its all-cloth construction. This title is very RARELY found in today's market and is an absolute cornerstone piece in any serious Black Memorabilia collection!

To view other versions of this book presently available for separate purchase, please type the words "ten little" into the SEARCH box on our home page.

Offered is a VERY difficult to find, Mammy or Aunt Jemima ceramic Clothes Sprinkler Bottle measuring 7" tall. My references indicate that she was made in Japan in the 1950's. She is in absolutely PERFECT CONDITION (no chips, cracks, breaks or repaint) and is complete with her original rubber and metal sprinkler stopper! Clearly, she was never actually filled with water and used to sprinkle water on wrinkled clothing prior to ironing!

Mammy or Aunt Jemima is wearing a white dress and head scarf with red trim. Her dark brown skin is flawless (any white spots or marks seen in photos are the result of light reflection and do not represent flaws of any kind.)

While she is unmarked, there is a very small black "X" on the bottom of the backside of her dress.

An incredibly hard to find piece! These very functional pieces were, more often than not, actually used in the home on ironing day, and thus were subject to damage or breakage and ended up in pieces at the local landfill! This wonderful Black American collectible was acquired from the original owner where it rested safely on a display shelf all these many years!

Offered for sale is a fabulous vintage porcelain advertising thermometer for EX-LAX laxatives.

This uncommon sign measures 36” long x 8” wide and is in near mint condition except for a few unobtrusive edge chips noted around the top and bottom edges (see photos). The lower section has a few minor scratches near the word “EX-LAX”.

This sign dates to the 1910-1920 era and has wonderful visual appeal as well as functioning as a thermometer. There is worn, barely discernable printing on the wood thermometer housing which includes “Made in USA” …Patent…etc. Also marked - "MADE IN USA - A7-M27B" on the bottom front.

One will be quite challenged to find another in this outstanding condition!

This exceptional, one-of-a-kind, circa 1900, cloth doll was made and designed by Ruie Ann Park, a Van Buren, Arkansas, Civil War History author who wrote “Civil War Letters of the Shibley Brothers, Van Buren, Arkansas”.

This extremely rare SAMPLE doll was, at one time, exhibited by Mrs. Park at a Van Buren drug store for marketing purposes--orders would be taken at the drug store based upon her sample doll or dolls that were displayed.

This richly detailed, finely executed doll wears 2 authenticating cloth tags (see photos) that attest to this doll’s provenance; one tag is a hand-inked-in-script tag sewn to the base of the doll’s apron that reads “Sample”, and the other is a machine-printed tag that is stitched to the waist band of the apron and reads, “Designed by Ruie Ann Park, Van Buren, Ark., All Rights Reserved”.

This lovely, 13 ½ inch long, old black Granny doll has a delicately designed, serious looking face that has been carefully hand-etched in ink. Her curly gray hair pulled back into a bun at the nape of her neck is crafted from yarn, and she wears a small, proper brown cloth hat with pink banding. Her body is quite firmly stuffed with cotton, her hands are stitched to delineate her fingers and (separated) thumbs, and her outfit is machine-stitched and completely original. She wears unbleached, ruffle-edged, muslin pantaloons and underskirt. Her dress is cream colored cotton calico printed with black and pink flowers, and further accented with the most delicate, pink-trimmed, pink polka-dotted, lace cuffs and collar. Her unbleached muslin apron is trimmed with light pink ric-a-rac along its hem and single pocket. Her outfit is completed with black cotton stockings and authentically detailed black, lace-up leather boots.

This extraordinarily rare doll with her very unusual, documented provenance is in very, very fine condition! A truly superb Black doll beckoning to the most sophisticated of doll collectors! Also offered from the same wonderful doll collection is a circa 1920 black cloth doll named "Sallie"- another must-have!

Measuring 8.25 inches wide x 4.5 inches deep x 1.75 inches high, this very early and rarely found, circa 1910, Dutch Cigar tin features a photo lithograph of two Negertjes-- which in Dutch means young black boys-- very cheerily smoking fat Dutch cigars!

In fine condition considering its 90+ years of age with superficial scratches and light superficial rusting as seen in photos. The tin retains its interior paper lining as well as two paper labels on base.

A rarely found piece of Black Memorabilia!!!

Measuring approximately 15 inches in length, this 1930's, vintage, J. Chein, tin, wind-up toy remains in all-original condition!! With detailed graphics, this toy has NO repairs, replaced parts, or repaint!

A wonderful addition to any vintage toy or Black Memorabilia collection, this vividly colorful toy remains in great working condition. Wind up the alligator, and his mouth viciously snaps open and closed as he rolls along, with the black native balancing on his back! (Mr. Alligator is a bit fussy with regard to what type of surface he will roll upon, but the mechanism functions fine!)

Some missing paint here and there as would be expected given its 80+ years of age (please see photos), as well as some superficial scratches, and some crimping to the alligator's tail.

A seldom-found toy!

Please note that white spots in photos are the result of flash reflection and not imperfections to the toy.

Measuring 5.75 inches in length, this circa 1920s French clay pipe features an exquisite rendering of a Black Man's head. Details are quite finely executed making this a wonderful display piece!

The pipe remains in wonderful condition. It appears to have had some very limited use based upon the slightly darkened condition of the interior bowl.

The pipe is French made and bears the following on either side of the pipe stem, "Bon Fumeur" (Good Smoking) and "Tabaco" (Tobacco). The pipe stem also retains an orange colored, Dutch paper label which reads, "Holland Goedewaagen's" advertising that this pipe was exported for sale in The Netherlands.

Measuring 15 ¾ x 19 ½ inches, this extraordinarily RARE, circa 1920’s (or earlier!), heavy painted cardboard, BIMBO RINGO Ring Toss game board is all original and complete. Included are 6 rubber toss rings that have the appearance of mason jar washers and which may or may not be original to this game board. At any rate, the previous owner had these rings displayed with the game board at the time of acquisition, and they will be passed along to the next owner.

This item has phenomenal visual appeal! The striking graphic of an African native holding a shield and spear has been completed in red, black, cream and green colors that show no evidence of fading over these many years. The native's facial features are exaggerated which is quite typical of early 20th century depiction of African Americans.

Manufactured by the G.H. Robinson Company of Chicago (the paper manufacturer’s label remains affixed to the back of the game), the game comes with an attached cardboard stand in back that allowed it to remain upright during play. The game board retains its 5 original metal ring hooks at the native’s ears, nose, shield and spear. The object of the game was to successfully toss and hook a ring onto each of the hooks, with different point values awarded to the various hooks. The first person to accumulate 200 points won the game!

As stated earlier, condition is quite fine with no fading of colors. The metal ring hooks have acquired a nice patina. This game was attentively cared for over the years and at one time was reinforced at each of the four corners with cotton stitching. There is some creasing to the upper right hand corner and a ½ inch long tear- as opposed to a missing piece- to the top border directly aligned with and above the right ear. The stand was also sewn and taped at one time, but remains intact.

This Black Memorabilia game is truly quite rare as it is not documented in any of the extant Black Memorabilia source guides! It is quite likely that not many of the Bimbo Ringo Ring Toss games have survived given the inherently fragile nature of a cardboard – as opposed to a metal- toy!

This is a fabulous and eye-appealing toy that should not be missed by the serious collector of Black Memorabilia!!!

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 1910-30's Johnny Griffin item is exceedingly rare, being the only example of this form ever seen by this seller either in print, on the internet or “in person”. Clearly, very few of these smoking and/or tobacco stands were produced in comparison to other Johnny Griffin novelties!

The smoking stand is constructed of two different metals- from the intricately embossed “corn stalk” pot metal cigarette and cigar holders, to the brass plated tray, match holder, base and stand. It is in all original condition with delightful patina- not a reproduction- no replaced parts- and measures 30 inches high x 9 inches wide at the tray. It does not retain any marking other than mold number 3104 located on the underside of the tray. This very unusual smoking and/or tobacco stand is a heavy, sturdy piece, and is well-made.

Johnny Griffin Black Americana collectibles are a very interesting and infrequently found collectible form, and they should rightfully constitute 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 approximately 7.5 inches high, this highly sought after Black Vargas wax figure which is mounted on its original wooden platform, is one of a series of fascinating "street character wax dolls" conceived of and crafted by Mrs. Conception Vargas Alfonso, daughter of the world-renowned, turn-of-the-century-New Orleans, Spanish sculptor, Francisco Vargas.

From approximately 1915 through the 1930's, Mrs. Vargas-Alphonso, influenced by the artistry of her father who also sculpted in wax, crafted a variety of wax dolls inspired by the black folk she saw on New Orleans's street corners while growing up. Sold exclusively at the time through Harriet's, of 318 Rue Royale in the French Quarter of New Orleans, the completely hand-made, one-of-a-kind dolls are seldom found on today's market due to their inherently fragile nature, making them highly sought after in the Black Memorabilia Collectible arena.

This particular figure is known as the Cotton Seller.

Vargas wax figures are distinctly characterized by their interesting but highly exaggerated facial features. The Cotton Seller wears a straw-colored hat, a blue patterned bandanna around his neck, dark pants, and a red and yellow checked shirt- all constructed of actual cloth fabric that was coated with a fine layer of clear wax to stiffen them. He carries a large sack of freshly picked cotton on his back via a rope cord wrapped around his neck while balancing yet another sack of cotton at his feet. His wax body is internally supported by a wire frame through which the figure is securely attached to the wooden base. The bottom of the base is stamped "Genuine VARGAS New Orleans, LA".

This wonderful figure is in mint condition for his 75+ years of age with no apparent or visible imperfections. Amazingly, all fingers and both thumbs remain perfectly intact! (The fingers are so very, very thin and fragile that they are quite easily broken.)

The Cotton Seller is most delightful- a snapshot into 1920's New Orleans cultural history!

Please see the other Vargas figure that is currently available and priced separately--type "Vargas" in the search box to quickly locate them. A photo of the other Vargas figure currently available for purchase has been included, for the buyer's viewing convenience, in this listing.

Please note- any white or light spots noted in photos are a result of sun light glare and are not reflective or discoloration or fading.

The numbered piece of paper pinned to the bag of cotton seen in some of the photos was an inventory marker used by the original owner. It has since been removed from the figure.

Never opened and retaining all of its original powdered scouring cleanser, this near mint canister of Gold Dust cleanser remains a classic and must-have addition to any Black Memorabilia collection!

Measuring 4.75 inches high x approximately 3.25 inches in diameter, the container has slight scuffing to its paper cover and light rust to the base --which in the photo appears more significant than it actually is--- however, there is no problem with structural integrity to the base!

Eye-appealing with its classic "GOLD DUST TWINS" graphic!!

Offered is a rarely found, circa 1921, Parker Brothers dexterity game entitled "The Game of Sambo".

The game features a brightly colored lithograph target depicting "Sambo, a Good Old Southern Darkey".

This brightly lithographed game retains 2 of its original 4 cardboard throwing rings, Sambo's wooden pipe upon which the circular rings are meant to land, and two original, wooden stands designed to keep the Sambo target upright as well as the original cardboard cover upon which, on the reverse side, are printed the directions to play the game. The game box base is missing and the box cover no longer retains its sides.

Measuring 10 1/4 inches tall x 6 1/4 inches wide, the game cover as well as the SAMBO target piece displays absolutely wonderfully! As evident in the photos, the box cover shows expected wear given its 90+ years of age. The box cover has some pencil writing, some missing spots of paper and some soiling. The Sambo target piece, which is constructed of wood faced with lithographed paper, is in quite fine condition, as are the wooden pipe and the two, cardboard, target throwing rings. The extant game pieces do not retain a copyright year, but this game is very similar to another Parker Bros SAMBO game that is copyrighted 1921.

A RARELY found, quite visually captivating Black Memorabilia collectible!

Offered for sale is a wonderful 19th century brass and wood English Apothecary Balance Scale. This lovely balance retains its original patina on both the wooden base and brass scales.

The arm is marked "T.O.Co. J. HALL & SON-Makers-Birmingham" and "Class 1 - To Weigh 1 lb."

The scale measures 16"L x 8"W at the wood base and 16 inches high. The condition appears original with only minor distortion to the wood base.

Measuring 8.25 inches long, this vintage, Black Chef Spoon rest was made in JAPAN in the 1950's. Along with its jolly, wide-eyed caricature, the spoon rest features a rose-colored tulip painted on both sides and reads “SPOON- REST” in partially worn, brown lettering at the top of the chef’s hat. Note small "hanging hole" in back for display on the kitchen wall!

Very few of these pieces survive due to the high level of use they encountered. This piece has obviously not seen any use at all as the paint remains absolutely perfect! No chips, cracks, breaks or repairs with very minor crazing and some very, very light beige discoloration at the outer edge of the handle bottom, this fine and very hard-to-find piece of Black Americana is an essential addition for the serious collector! Fabulous detailing!!

Please see the last photo for a companion piece-- an 6 inch Black MAMMY Spoon Rest, 1950's Japan-- also available for purchase and priced separately at $155.00.

This is a visually-appealing, painted, tin sign advertising "CAVANAUGH'S WONDER COLIC REMEDY". An added feature is that the sign is a horse specific medicine - rare in any market! This difficult-to-find sign is in good condition; it shows modest paint loss and a few bends and scuffs but displays quite well.

Measures 20 inches long x 14 inches wide and is ready for your collection. There is embossing in the words "CAVANAUGH'S WONDER COLIC REMEDY". Created by the Baltimore Sign Co. and dating to the 1930-1940 era.

Measuring 12 inches tall, this unusual, early 1920's, all-original, handmade cloth doll exudes tremendous personality, and even has a hand-inked name tag stitched to her right arm-- "Sallie"!

Constructed of cotton-stuffed, brown stockinette, Sallie's finely detailed, molded, hand-embroidered face is absolutely priceless! Her painted ceramic button eyes gazing off to her left make her come alive and draw one to her! Sallie's fuzzy, black, real-wool hair further authenticates her look!

Sallie wears well-made, all-original, machine stitched clothing. Her dress and hat are a subtlely toned red, white, and blue plaid cotton. Her hat is lined with the same unbleached cotton muslin that both her double-pocketed apron and laced-trimmed pantaloons are constructed from. On her tiny feet, Sallie wears cream colored cotton stockings and sweet little leather shoes complete with tiny leather bows! Care was taken in the construction of her hands with each finger delineated through careful hand-stitching!

Other than 2 tiny rubs to the surface of her stockinette nose (which appear in photos as lighter-colored tiny dots), Sallie is in excellent condition! She is a very, very fine early cloth doll that should not be overlooked by the serious doll collector! Sallie comes from the same distinguished doll collection as the very rare, C1900, Old Black Granny SAMPLE doll made by Civil War author, Ruie Ann Park of Arkansas, that is also currently being offered.

Measuring 5 inches tall, this EXTREMELY RARE, "Little Black Girl" Thermometer was made in 1955, by Multi-Products Corporation, Chicago, as the companion piece to the earlier released Black Boy Thermometer, "Diaper Dan".

Only 500 of these "Little Girl" thermometers WERE EVER MADE as opposed to the 15,000 Diaper Dan thermometers that can still be readily found in today's collector's market.

Made of pressed fiberwood, she is in MINT condition, retaining her original paper-backed glass thermometer that continues to be quite functional.

This sweet-faced, "Little Girl" Thermometer is rarely seen in the antiques market and is a MUST-HAVE for the serious Black Memorabilia collector!