In very nice condition with minor scratches to paint here and there as seen in photos, this wind-up toy works, but the mechanism does have the tendency to stick a little. There is no maker's mark evident.

Nigger Heaven (first published in 1926) is a fictional novel set during the Harlem Renaissance in the United States in the 1920s. The book and its title have been controversial since its publication. The title refers to the balconies of movie theaters during the Jim Crow years, when balconies were reserved for African Americans, as the white audience sat below.

The novel, on the other hand, is a portrayal of life in the "great black walled city" of Harlem. It describes the interactions of intellectuals, political activists, bacchanalian workers, and other Harlem characters. The plot of the novel concerns two people, a quiet librarian and an aspiring writer, who try to keep their love alive as racism denies them every opportunity.

The novel became an instant bestseller and served as an informal pocket guide to Harlem. It also split the black literary community, as some, e.g. Langston Hughes, Nella Larsen, and Wallace Thurman, appreciated it, while others like Countee Cullen, W.E.B. DuBois, and Alain Locke regarded it as an "affront to the hospitality of black folks". The book fueled a period of "Harlemania", during which the area of Harlem became en vogue among white people, who then frequented its cabarets, bars, and so on.

Published by Grosset & Dunlap, 1928. Hard Cover, 286 pages. Book Condition: Very Fine. Strong binding. No rips or missing pages. Pencil inscription first page. Slight edge wear to cloth cover and slight scuffing to back.

This rarely found tin features a striking graphic of a young African-American boy, whose likeness was used- at the time -as the company trademark.

The tin measures 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" x 7/8" and is in very fine, clean condition, rating it a 9.3 out of 10. (Please note that any white marks visible in photos are the result of flash glare and are not imperfections to the piece.)

All are marked "JAPAN", measure approximately 3 inches in height, have great color and are in excellent condition! Please see photos for detail shots!

Fourteen pages long, this little Tell-A-Tale book originally sold to the Baby Boomer Generation for only 49 cents! This particular version of this delightful story was featured on Oprah in early 2004! Lovely illustrations were completed by Violet LaMont! A representation (not all of them!) of pages have been photographed; any blurriness is purely a function of the shaky photographer's hand and does not represent the state of this storybook, which is utterly perfect!

In wonderful, all-original condition, the bank retains its original screw closure and the majority of its paint, with minor and insignificant paint loss as noted in photos.

This 1920-30's toy is the earlier version of the two Mammy walker toys produced by this company, and as one of the early tin African-American-themed toys, it is considered an important addition to any vintage toy collection representing this genre.

If one looks under the skirt of the Mammy dressed in the red and white checked dress skirt, her original price sticker remains adhered to the bell and reads $4.95!! Another Mammy dressed in a brown print dress, retains her original paper tag that reads "From Williamsburg" (Virginia).

Produced as whimsical souvenir items, these teeny Mammies display nicely as well as quite easily given their tiny stature!

The String Holder is stamped "JAPAN" and “Theo Hinode” on the inside of the base (The Hinode Company is the Japanese Ceramic Company.). Mammy has a hole in the center of her chest area, just above her folded hands, to accommodate the string which would be pulled from the ball of string placed inside her body from the back of the piece. This wonderful piece even comes complete with vintage hanging string---Mammy has two holes at the back of her head to accommodate this! The entire piece is glazed with the exception of Mammy's red kerchief which is cold-painted (meaning that the paint was applied after firing). As such, this area of paint would be the most vulnerable to wear, and Mammy does have some “bald areas” where the paint has come off her kerchief. Please take a moment to view all photos to ascertain condition and appeal of this fabulous and functional, vintage string holder!