$78.00
This wonderful Depression Era piece features a whimsical 10 inch long cutout figure of a little wooden black mammy with hand-painted “surprised” mouth and eyes! She is dressed in a machine-stitched cotton costume with great yellow ric-rac accenting —a wonderful kerchief on her head, and a cute little apron.
Her feet feature two brass-finish hooks, presumably to either hang keys or pot holders from. Overall condition is fine with minor paint wear to her face as seen in photos--typical of a 70 year-old-piece.
One of my favorite hand-made pieces with true folk art appeal!
$150.00
This 1920-30s, hinged, wooden game piece box features an original, hand-executed, ink-on-paper drawing of a black figure in a tuxedo that has been pasted to the box cover. The drawing has been preserved with a shellac covering.
The box contains fifty, sequentially numbered 1-50, wooden game pieces painted red and white. The game pieces are in mint condition and appear to have only been lightly used. They remain firmly in place within the box with the support of non-stick, archival tape which may be easily removed without damage to the game pieces, if desired.
The game box measures 5.25 inches wide x 10.50 inches long x 1 inch high.
Truly a one-of-a-kind piece of vintage Black Memorabilia! Displays wonderfully!
$395.00
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.
$175.00
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!
$18.00
In addition to making children's games, The Milton Bradley Company, for many, many years, produced an extensive array of school supplies, equipment, and materials!
A wonderful addition to School or Artist Memorabilia collection!
Although two boxes are pictured in the photo, sale is for ONE BOX ONLY.
$78.00
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!
$175.00
This puzzle features a rendition of Little Black Sambo depicting Sambo trying on his new red jacket---one presumably crafted by his Mama given the sewing pins she clutches between her lips. His Pappy is at the threshold holding in hands, a new blue umbrella as well as new purple slippers to complete Sambo's new outfit! A joyous moment before Sambo then ventures into the jungle dressed in his newly acquired ensemble-- soon to attract the attention of those nasty tigers!
The puzzle is in very fine condition, clearly having seen little play from children. A previous owner chose to enclose it in a frame that complements the teal border of the puzzle which is labeled at the base: "little Black Sambo". Coloring is true and quite lovely.
A note to collectors: vintage Black Memorabilia puzzles from the pre-WWII era are a VERY rare find. Many were given out as "premiums" for utilizing a given product, and did not stand the test of time. Happy collecting!
To see all of the Little Black Sambo items currently available for sale, simply type “Sambo” into the search box on our website homepage.
$85.00
Baskets such as these are made by the women in the Hausa tradition utilizing vegetable fiber, grasses and straw, all of which are typically harvested in the summer. The top of the basket is very smooth, while the base is rougher and unfinished in appearance.
These baskets are often given as wedding gifts and are traditionally used to store grain.
In addition to the natural color of straw, these baskets generally include the colors brown, red, and green, as does this one, which features two individuals joined together (celebrating marriage) as well as colorful triangular figures, one atop the other, representing the joining of two homes or families.
Condition is very good with just four single stitches missing along the basket rim (see photos).
$55.00
Housed under the frame's glass are 2 color picture paper card models of common objects for tracing as well as an uncut sheet of never-used coloring squares to further build fine motor coordination in young, Kindergarten-age, fingers and hands.
The uncut sheet of coloring squares can be folded and stored in the protective frame along with the two color object cards.
ABC Frame, glass, and colored tracing sheets all in very good to mint condition. Uncut sheet of coloring squares has fold lines, tiny edge tears, and some foxing.
Makes a very visually appealing display for home or classroom!
$35.00
Interestingly, this display was found among the contents of an old North Carolina country store.
This product was made in the 1940's in the USA with tubes originally selling for 15 cents per tube. Each bakelite capsule or tube contains 45 sticks of "Q-15 Soft Standard" pieces of pencil-lead.
As seen in the photos, the red caps of the bakelite containers are brittle from age and are in varying states of "wholeness"--some intact and some not.
An interesting and unusual item to add to one's advertising or olde school collection!
$75.00
The Pacific Rural Press, first established in 1871 in San Francisco, California, was formed to educate and otherwise serve the needs of California's agricultural community, primarily addressing fruit and vegetable growers. In addition to being a highly-respected, scientific informational source, the Pacific Rural Press publication also offered the opportunity for manufacturers of related farming products to advertise their wares.
This visually appealing sign, produced by the Pacific Rural Press Service Bureau, would have been posted by the farm owner as a warning to potential intruders. The sign states: "$50 REWARD FOR ARREST AND 30 DAY IMPRISONMENT OF ANYONE STEALING FROM THESE PREMISES".
Sporting a deep, green-colored background which enhances the bold white lettering, the sign measures 10" long x 7" high. (The lovely deep green color is even darker than the photos depict. It was difficult to capture the depth of color due to light reflection.) It is in good condition commensurate with its age and use. The surface has modest, faint superficial scratches, as well as some minor paint loss noted more on the edge and on the embossed letters. There are various slight, tiny dings and scant superficial rust marks. Two mounting holes are present on the top left and right edges to facilitate hanging.
A very interesting and conversation-provoking sign!
$195.00
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!
$55.00
Published by The Merrill Publishing Company, Educational Publishers, Chicago, Illinois, this book was meant to be used in the early Primary Grades as an educational tool to promote reading skills.
Condition is an 9.5 out of 10! This unnumbered, softcover book has seen little use with just a teeny bit of wear to book edges which do not effect structural integrity. The fourteen large folio, color illustrations retain their intensely vibrant hues. Amazingly, there is no other noted damage or imperfection other than the three minute tears to the vertical edge of the front cover which likely resulted in, simply, use!
Prolifically used in the primary school setting, this book supported the development of not only sight word vocabulary but supported the rudiments of the "sound it out " theory.
Regardless, for either the early primary school officienado or lover of classic nursery tales, this book is superb!
$24.00
This 32 page, Pre-Primer called "Everyday Doings" written by Julia Letheld Hahn, was published in 1935 by the Houghton Mifflin Company, and was acquired for use by the York, Pennsylvania, School District in 1936 (see ink stampings to front cover).
In wonderful condition with absolutely no evidence of use, this booklet was one workbook within the Child Development Series of Houghton Mifflin Early Readers.
The interior front cover page lists the table of contents and the interior back cover page lists instructional suggestions "For The Teacher".
A selection of photos are offered to show the colored interior pages, each of which holds a particular title and 4 numbered drawings related to the subject title. These pages were undoubtedly used by the teacher to promote in her young students, thought, creativity, verbal expressive ability, and the development of both vocabulary and sequential thinking ability, to name a few of the necessary reading readiness skills!
A rarely found, early 20th century teaching tool as these workbooks were designed to be used and then discarded!
Please disregard any white spots or lines or areas which appear to be lighter than the rest of the page. All color is even throughout with no fading. These photo imperfections are simply due to sunlight reflections.
$325.00
”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!
$125.00
(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.
$85.00
The two larger brushes have natural bristles, while the small red Mammy has solid red "plastic" brushes. They range in height from the Mammy at 6.5 inches and the Railroad Porter at 8 inches tall, to the smaller Mammy at 4.5 inches tall.
The two larger brushes are priced at $85 each. The small red 4.5" Mammy, is priced at $60.
All three brushes are in very good condition with evidence of having been very lightly used as described below:
Red Railroad Porter(A): small, superficial "dings" to paint here and there, with three teeny specks between the eyes. The majority of paint wear is seen around the bottom of the pedestal that the porter is standing on. The brush bristles are a mix of faint red and natural coloring.
Small Red Mammy(C): paint in excellent condition with only one superficial ding to the paint on her left side. An unusual feature: the black bow painted atop her hat!
Large Green Mammy(B): --paint in very good condition with tiny dings here and there and subtle paint wear to her hat on the right side. Slight bend to bristles, likely due to storage conditions at some point in time. Has a bit of faded green string around her neck which once may have been tied into a bow.
Please note that many of the white spots seen in the photos are light reflections and are NOT areas of missing paint. If one looks closely, the teeny areas of missing paint can be distinguished from the light reflections.
Enter "BRUSH" into the SEARCH BOX to find other Black Americana brushes for sale.
$125.00
This seldom found copy was originally published in 1932 by Rand McNally & Company of New York.
This copy has superficial scratches to the front and back covers, as well as surface soiling, and wear on book cover edges.(see photos). The front cover has a slight tear at the crease that does not effect strength or integrity of the cover board. A couple of pages have minor staining. The binding is super-tight and all pages remain present.
Topsy's adventures are divided into three chapters in length, approximately 59 numbered pages. Book is filled with a variety of black-ink and black and red illustrations as represented in photos. The story of Topsy was likely inspired by the Little Black Sambo stories which originated at the turn of the 20th century. PLEASE NOTE: in the photos, the printing seems light and faded- not so! It is merely the function of over-lighting or light reflection.
A wonderful and truly RARE book not to be missed!
Please see the other Topsy Turvy book available for separate purchase, a 1938 copy of Topsy Turvy's PigTails.