Catalog (460)

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!

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 9 inches in diameter and 2.75 inches high, this gorgeous, Ohio-made, yellowware fruit bowl features fabulous blue sponging with gold gilt highlights along its decoratively embossed and scalloped rim.

The bowl has glaze crazing typical of an 85+ year old piece of pottery. An extremely tight hairline on one side of the bowl has been photographed for one’s perusal. It does not affect structural integrity, and the pricing of the bowl reflects this imperfection. No other flaws!

An outstanding piece of American Spongeware! Becoming much more difficult to find- particularly in this condition!

Please type the word "spongeware" into the Search box to find the other pieces of C1900-1920 Ohio Yellowware Spongeware currently being offered for sale. All pieces are prices separately.

Offered is a rarely found, Ca 1890s, tintype mourning brooch featuring a young and attractive, African American woman.

Housed in an ornate, brass frame complete with backside pin to allow attachment to one's clothing, the mourning pin measures 1 3/16th inch in diameter.

The image is quite clean and crisp with a very tiny imperfection noted on the image just above the woman's head at the frame edge.

Offered is a fabulous pair of antique Apothecary Show Globes which includes one fancy Victorian style hanger. Photos provide close-up views of these intricately detailed, high-end show globes, and the 1891 photo from the WHITALL TATUM COMPANY catalog, establishes the age of these beauties.

The overall condition of the globes is very good with the imperfections and wear expected given their 130+ years of age. The decorative frames are sturdy and the globes hold water with ease. At some point long ago, the metal components were painted a gold/brass color. Today, the paint retains a delightful brass tone with an antiqued patina.

The attention to detailing and design of these show globe frames are second to none, pushing these show globes into a class by themselves. Note the intricacy and the elegance of design incorporated into both the show globe collar and the finial - simply outstanding!

The show globes measure 22 inches tall from the top of the crowns to the tip of finials. The exterior of the hand blown glass globes are in good condition. The interior of the globes note a modest yet common and unobtrusive haze which will not be visible when the globes are filled with the colored water of your choice. Additionally, the haziness should clean up if desired.

A singular, fancy wall bracket that swivels from side to side is included, measuring about 15" long x 9" high .

Acquisition of these rarely found, matching, beautifully stunning show globes is an opportunity not to be missed!

Offered is this very rarely found, 1938, LITTLE BLACK SAMBO book with beautiful, full color illustrations by Hidegard Lupprian, a McLoughlin Brothers Inc, Springfield, Massachusetts, book publication. Hardcover, 53 unnumbered pages.

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 a 8 out of 10! All wear on this brightly colored hardcover book was absorbed by its cover with minor wear to book edge points, book cover edges, and spine edges. Light scuffing to front and back covers. The interior binding is intact and tight as are all pages. No missing pages, rips, creasing, pen/pencil markings or bends to pages with one exception: the initial front blank page is missing its lower corner, and it also has five circular hole punches running at the bottom of the page. Child mischief, no doubt!

The fourteen colored illustrations remain very bright and vibrant with the McLoughlin Bros. well known for their very fine artistry. Three black ink illustrations. Pages printed with a larger font suitable for young readers. Subtle age discoloration to pages.

Wonderful condition for a nearly 90 year old book that is exceedingly difficult to find in today's market!

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

A wonderful and extremely RARE, 1st Edition, hard cover book by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey, copyrighted 1938 by Platt and Munk Publishers and measuring 6.50 x 8.25 inches. Platt and Munk Publishers, like McLoughlin Publishers, were widely known to employ the most talented illustrators of the time period. Platt and Munk books are highly sought after for this reason.

Fabulous colored and black and white illustrations (see photos) adorn this 26 page book! The book features the adventures of a little Southern boy who lives with his gran'mammy and gran'daddy in a log cabin set down in a cotton field.

Interior pages are in very nice, near mint condition, are clean and bright and are tightly bound together. The only intrusion is a former owner's name, "Weaver", written in blue ink on the interior cover page (see photo). The hard bound cloth covers are in fine condition, with very, very slight wear to cover spine edges and book corners typical of a book of its age. This is a verified first edition as later editions had the cloth board without the color pastedown. Illustrated on every page, alternating color and black and white. This copy includes a worn, tattered, but nearly complete dust cover, which accounts for the pristine condition of the front and back hardcovers.

A very charming addition to one's Black Americana collection, and a black-themed children's book that is very rarely found in today's collectible market!!

Offered is a more diminutive example of a late 19thC Pharmacy "tool of the trade" known as a pill machine but often referred to as a pill roller.

Pill machines were designed to enhance the productivity of the early pharmacist, and this design was, indeed, popular for many, many years. This pill machine is designed with 24 tubes for medicine-making.

The condition is very good, sporting a nice patina commensurate with its age and use. It is constructed of walnut and embellished with brass edge guards as well as brass grooved molds. The paddle has a number of early small dings and a small, faint hairline split on the top edge. The base measures approximately 12" L x 7" W x 1.75" H including the footed base. The paddle is 16.5"L x 3"W.

An apothecary classic, ready for your collection.

This hard to find tool-of-the trade pharmacy instrument is marked “S & D CAPSULE FILLER”. It was used by early 20th century druggists to increase their capsule production. Known as the "CHEMI PHARM UNIVERSAL CAPSULE FILLER" and made by the Fenton Chemical and Pharmaceutical Co. Dating to 1905, this RARELY found example contains 2 separate fillers.

Included are two different capsule size steel fillers, one of which is presently attached by a universal pin. There are 3 filling trays, tamper, a spatula and roller.

The condition of this wonderful apothecary tool is as good as it gets, complete with the warm, rich patina one would expect of an antique of this age: minor scratches, marks and unobtrusive dings and tarnish.

The metal parts appear to be nickel plated, and the wood base seems to be walnut. The filler measures approximately 13”L x 4.5”W x 4.5” H.

The interior contains sand that was used to add weight and stabilize the box when in use. Weighs 25 pounds.

A must addition for any pharmacy/apothecary or Merck collection!

Offered is a near-mint, 1935, 2nd edition of Helen Bannerman's, original Little Black Sambo story, accompanied by five additional and delightful Little Black Sambo stories by noted author and illustrator Frank Ver Beck. Published by the Platt & Munk Company of New York which was renown for hiring highly talented artists and illustrators- of which Frank Ver Beck was one -all of whom contributed to the company's reputation for publishing exquisitely illustrated children's books.

The first story, illustrated by Frank Ver Beck, is the much-beloved children's classic written and illustrated 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!

The following five stories written and illustrated by Frank Ver Beck follow Helen Bannerman's original tale, all featuring Little Black Sambo and his encounters with a variety of different animals, from a Baby Elephant and a Tiger Kitten, to Monkeys, Bears and Crocodiles! Each of Ver Beck's tales were originally published as individual mini-size books, which today, are extremely difficult to come by and are quite expensive to acquire if found. Ver Beck's stories are as delightful as Helen Bannerman's original, and publishing them all together in one single volume proved to be a successful marketing strategy for Platt & Munk. His illustrations are detailed, highly imaginative and just delightful! Representative photos are offered from each of the six stories.

De-accessioned from a school library (the name of the school inside the front cover is indecipherable), this 88 year old book is in wonderful, near mint condition! The only flaws are light soiling to the exterior covers, with subtle edge wear to cover end points and two, teeny indentations into the covers- one on the front cover at the middle top and the second to the back cover at the middle bottom. Both are quite unremarkable. Just fabulous condition!!! A must-have for the lover of Little Black Sambo stories!

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

Offered is this circa 1910s, very scarce, Macgregor DEEP GROOVE Golf Club that was designed to significantly enhance the backspin of a golf ball. As history would have it, the clubs actually worked and gave an unfair advantage to those professionals who were adept at using them.

The back of the club is stamped as follows: "PREMIER", "HA", "J.JOLLY" (probably owner) - BAKSPIN (with arrow - a Macgregor identifier) and MASHIE.

In 1921, RIBBED GOLF CLUBS also known as Deadstop Irons were banned by the R&A and USGA just after the OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP won by Jock Hutchison who had used these clubs.

Measures 36 inches from heel to top of shaft. The leather grip appears to be original and is in good condition. The hickory shaft is straight and is sturdy. The head shows minimal wear, and is my best example being offered. A showcase collectible!

For more details search DEEP GROOVE GOLF CLUB - JOCK HUTCHISON - RIBBED GOLF CLUB.

Offered is a hard to find, C1910, quack medicine device that sports its original box and insert.

Like many nostrums of this era, abundant claims were made for the treatment of a wide range of maladies. For instance, the label notes: “special disinfection during prevalence of epidemics and after recovery of patient from smallpox, scarlet fever, diphtheria, etc.”. It is very unlikely that this device did anything to disinfect a room!

Visually-appealing graphics are featured on the cardboard box which measures 5”H x 3 3/8”W. Both the generator and metal stand are in very good, used condition. The dish on top of the device once contained solidified formaldehyde for the sick room.

An interesting and unique item for your pharmacy collection!

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!

Measuring only 5.5 inches x 6.5 inches framed, this darling little pair of 19th century, American Folk Art, hand-colored lithographs depict two different homesteads in Macon County, Illinois.

One litho appears to be the residence of a “R. Timmons” and the other of a “S. Macon”. The frames are a latter addition, likely circa 1930-40’s acquired by an individual interesting in preserving these colorful and historic pieces of Folk Art. They framing was done at a Greensboro, North Carolina gallery.

Both lithos are darling-- featuring pleasant, pastoral, Folk Artsy, 19th Century scenes! A great pair of mini, decorative and historic accent pieces!

19thC English instruments are noted for their high quality craftsmanship, and this suppository mold certainly meets this very high standard. Constructed of brass, this footed mold sports 5 tubes for making 2 grain suppositories.

This fine example measuring 6"L x 1.5"W x 1"H, sports a warm patina commensurate with an instrument of this age.

The mold is marked "S. MAW & SONS, THOMPSON - LONDON", a noted manufacturer of quality medical instruments and tools for many years).

Offered is a simply outstanding, extraordinarily scarce, 1920-1930s Art Deco era, ceiling-mount-hanging, drugstore 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 colored-water as was the display fashion back "in-the-day". The frame is embellished with a buffed, silver 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! The hanger medallions retain their original finish and are ready for mounting. Here and there, the metal parts retain a faint honey tone adding to the show globe's antique charm. This fabulous apothecary showpiece measures approximately 34.5 inches from the top of its fancy, ceiling-mount hanger to the base. If desired, it is possible to add additional chain links to further extend the overall length of the globe.

The condition is excellent. The globe glass is clean and clear except for some very, very faint haze on the interior top of the globe just below the neck. A perfectly fitting, ground-glass faceted finial echoing Art Deco design, rounds out this beauty.

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

A wonderful and quite rare piece of 1950's Black Memorabilia!!

This unique, Japanese made, 6" tall Black Sailor or Pirate ceramic nodder by UCAGCO is in mint condition--no cracks, chips, paint wear or repaint!!! Any white spots, etc in photos are purely the function of poor photography!

This interesting fellow wears blue and white striped pants, yellow and green shirt, and yellow jacket. His head nods "yes" and his flowered-painted fan can be made to wave in any direction.

Both head & fan have "Pat T.T." impressed on the weighted stem.

Truly a quite rarely-found piece of Black Americana with a book value exceeding $450.00.

Please see the two additional Black Memorabilia nodders also available by Ardalt Co., Japan - the darling Black Girl Child Nodder and her companion piece, the adorable Black Boy Child Clown Nodder.

Measuring 2.75 inches in diameter by 3 inches high, this darling, circa 1890's, English, porcelain, double quill holder features a startled mother dove attempting to fend off a serpent about to devour the three eggs in her nest!

Likely Staffordshire, the quill holder features lovely polychrome coloration. Condition is wonderful with no chips, breaks, repairs, or repaints. Age crackling to glaze is evident along with a tiny stain on the dove's breast.

A darling piece!

Offered are two, very nice, circa 1905-1910, smooth face, hickory shaft, golf clubs. Smooth face golf clubs fell out of fashion and perhaps function by the very early 1900s, but they were still offered in catalogues for a number of years beyond this date.

The 1st smooth face club is stamped on the back "Wm. GIBSON - KINGHORN SCOTLAND - CLEEK ...". It is a quite scarce, left handed model with a lambskin grip, straight hickory shaft, sporting a nice, aged patina. It measures 38 inches from heel to top of shaft and has small dings and surface wear commensurate with use and it's 110+ years of age.

The 2nd club is marked "SD & G" on back, and it, too, has signs of honorable use and wear. There is a "sheen" present in the sweet spot on the face that is of unknown origin. The club has a straight shaft, an appealing patina and measures 37 inches from the top of the shaft to the heel.

Two sweet early 1900s clubs!

Measuring 20" long x 6" high x 3" deep, this circa 1850, wonderful and quite fancy, completely hand-forged iron utensil or clothing rack sports 5 hooks for hanging. It features the ornate and unusual double ram's ear design which adds to its visual appeal - a true work of 19th century blacksmith art with utilitarian purpose.

Condition is very good with excellent patina- the natural pitting and hammer marks commensurate with a hand-forged piece. No rusting. A hanging-hole on each end is present for easy mounting.

Truly a richly beautiful early piece!

Measuring 8.25 inches in diameter and 2.5 inches high, this gorgeous, Ohio-made, yellowware fruit bowl features fabulous, heavy blue sponging with gold gilt highlights along its decoratively embossed and scalloped rim.

The bowl has glaze crazing typical of an 85+ year old piece of pottery with no cracks or hairlines. Three imperfections are noted and are in close proximity to one another (see photo): a manufacturer’s abrasion that is coated in original glazing and two small, superficial (1/8” and ¼”) flakes.

An lovely piece of American Spongeware! Becoming much more difficult to find- particularly in this condition!

Please type the word "spongeware" into the Search box to find the other pieces of C1900-1920 Ohio Yellowware Spongeware currently being offered for sale. All pieces are prices separately.

Offered is a very desirable and early, circa 1890 - 1900, hickory shaft, golf club marked PETER EAGEN - PRINCETON, NJ. The leather grip is in good condition, and the straight hickory shaft sports a nice, aged patina.

This handsome club is known as a BRASSIE and measures 40 inches from heel to top of shaft. The checkering to the face, including the rams horn on the leading edge, show minimal signs of wear. The brass plate on the base notes mild wear commensurate with this club's use and 120+ years of age. The lead weight on the back is secure and protrudes slightly from its resting place.

A very fine example of an early, usable, finely-crafted golf club.

Measuring 13 inches in height, this vintage 1930's, Mammy Bottle Doll is in lovely condition, with nicely detailed clothing and a very darling face! Mammy bottle dolls were constructed to be quite functional; they were used as doorstops back in the day. Their sand-filled bottles added enough weight to readily keep that door in place.

This mammy's cute face is completely hand-stitched and is accented by original celluloid hoop earrings. She wears a flowered bandanna, a cream colored flowered shawl, and an off white apron over her green and black mini-checked dress. She even has a cream colored petticoat underneath all! Her machine-stitched clothes are odor free and are nicely constructed, although her apron does have tiny age holes!

Although her bottle frame is covered by a black stocking, the stocking has risen up revealing her sand-filled milk bottle with red lettering from R.W. Tripp's Dairy, established 1889. The milk bottle lettering is in great shape and even features a graphic of a school boy and girl! Among milk bottle collectors, this particular milk bottle is quite rarely found and quite highly sought after, adding further collectible value to this sweet doll!

This great, early mammy bottle doll is one of 3 currently offered mammy bottle dolls --- rarely found in today's market and all priced separately.

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 9 1/2 inches wide x 13 inches long, this brightly colored, copyright 1937, The Tale of Peter Rabbit book, a sweet story originally written by Beatrix Potter and offered here, in a large softcover book format and illustrated by acclaimed American children's illustrator, Milo Winter, is very rarely found!

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!

Offered for your consideration is a fabulous set of three, 1910, Anatomical Charts of the Skeleton, Muscles, and the Circulatory system.

Complete, National American Red Cross anatomical charts of this early 20th Century time period are quite an unusual find in today's market. Charts such as these were a frequently referenced visual aide for both the medical and nursing student, and due to this frequent educational use, not many have survived.

These wonderfully detailed teaching charts each measure 28.25" high x 20" wide and (to the best of our knowledge) are made of a wax-coated, heavy-weight, linen canvas. The top and bottom only of each chart are framed by black painted, wooden supports designed to facilitate the hanging of each chart.

The condition of each chart demonstrates mild crackling of surface and light wear and tear, as well as discoloration consistent with their 100+ years of age. Slight, unobtrusive loss of fabric is also apparent. Overall, the condition and patina of these charts are commensurate with vintage teaching tools that had been frequently referenced.

The charts are published by P. BLAKISTON'S SON & CO., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1880, this company focused its production upon the publication of high quality medical and scientific books, charts, and graphs.

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.

Offered is a very handsome apothecary MORTAR & PESTLE from the 19th century made from lignum vitae wood.

This stunning example measures 11.5 inches high with the pestle in place and is 5.5 inches in diameter. The bulbous pestle is 10.5 inches long and sports sculpted turnings.

The condition is very good with mild wear and loss to the finish, various unobtrusive edge chips and slight hairline splits to the mortar and pestle.

Lignum vitae, Latin for "wood of life", is an exotic wood native to the West Indies and the tropical regions of the Americas. It is a hard, durable, extremely dense wood and was once very important for applications requiring a material with its extraordinary combination of strength, toughness, and density. As such, it was frequently used in wood turning applications requiring these characteristics, including early apothecary mortar and pestles. The plant derives its name from its medicinal uses as its resin was been used to treat a variety of medical conditions from coughs to arthritis.

A lovely and difficult to find example of a 19th century apothecary "tool-of-the-trade!

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".

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 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!

Published in 1926 by the Whitman Publishing Company of Racine, Wisconsin, this very rare, miniature-size, HARDCOVER 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 near mint condition. The original paper dust jacket is present and in wonderful condition, and at some point, it was protectively covered with a contemporary, clear, dust jacket protector that can be removed if so desired. 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 a one-time owner, Neva Merchant, signed her name on both front and back interior covers.

This very rarely-found, miniature-size 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.

Hard to find pharmacy or chemists bottle comes complete with colorful contents and original label. Measures about 5 inches tall and ready for your collection. Dates to the early 1900s.

Offered is an utterly fabulous, one-of-a-kind, 1880s, piece of original artwork by Edward West Merrill (1841-1910) of Concord, New Hampshire.

Merrill, known for creating extraordinary art collages of cut paper, cut birch bark, ink, and watercolor mounted on black construction weight paper, fashioned this particular piece depicting the fictional African-American Blackville Debating Society, by encompassing all of these preferred artistic mediums.

One can see the beautiful grain of the white birch bark Merrill used to execute each figure and form, which he then detailed using black ink and added depth and color by applying varying natural tones of watercolor. Merrill added additional elements of detail to the black mounting paper using a lighter toned ink, such as the entrance/exit door to the left of the moderator. The resulting work of art is simply exquisite!

Merrill's subject matter ranged from various genre pieces to racist scenes inspired by Solomon Eytinge, Jr.'s, (1833-1905) "Blackville" series that Eytinge created for Harper's Weekly in the 1870s. Merrill's artwork offered here was inspired by Solomom Eytinge's "Blackville" lithograph printed in the January 4, 1879, edition of Harper's Weekly. (A photo of Eytinge's litho is presented for client reference and comparison to E.W. Merrill's work and is not available for sale.) When comparing the two pieces, one will note that Merrill changed his artwork from that of Eytinge's by eliminating one of the "scorner's" in the right corner, many of the club members featured at the bottom Eytinge's litho as well as the signage above the debate moderator and by adding the 25 lb "Best Soap" box under the moderator's table leg.

At the base of this work reads the following: The Blackwell Debating Society- "Wedder Lord Dorwin Involved Hisself or Somebody Else." -The Scorner in the Corner Will Reply Drawn By E.W. Merrill Concord NH .

Measurements including the handsome, original oak frame are 26" wide x 18.5" in length. The original hanging eyelets have been removed for ease in shipping and are present under the tape as seen in the photo of the verso of the artwork.

This rarely found, 1937, tin, wind-up, DOUBLE JITTER-BUG Mechanical Dancing Toy was made by the Buffalo Toy & Tool Works. The Buffalo Toy & Tools Works was located in Buffalo, New York, and was established in 1924.

The toy is in very fine, working condition. When wound, the black dancers bob up and down, moving their hinged legs about and swinging their arms. The dancer's heads, bodies, and arms are constructed of flat tin, while their legs and feet are three dimensional. Other than a few light scratches here and there, the surface lithography and paint is in fabulous condition.

The toy measures 8” tall and 5 ½” wide. Marked with “MADE IN U.S.A.” on the back of the dancer's jackets as well as "MADE IN USA" and "PAT 2072308" (Patent Year 1937) on the bottom of the toy base.

Offered is a vintage 1940 - 1950 era Drugstore Pharmacy BABY NEEDS advertising sign from Johnson and Johnson which features an adorable, blue-eyed baby in a lace bonnet. This sign was likely placed in a prominent section of the drugstore, guiding shoppers to the area which sold all manner of products to care for baby.

This lovely advertising sign sports an eye-catching robin's egg blue border that encapsulates J&J's iconic infant image.

The painted sign measures 33.5"L x 7"W x .35" Thick and is constructed of wood. The back has two wood support brackets attached as seen in the photo. The condition is very good with a few scratches and light surface wear.

An absolute must-have sign with fabulous "visual presence" that's sure to add energy to your collection!

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.

Offered is a wonderful, circa 1920's, John Wyeth apothecary bottle sporting a fancy, shield-shaped, foil label, Elixir Phenobarbitol.

Decorative stock bottles such as this beauty were meant to be refilled and reused and were the pride of the pharmacy staff. Eye-catching, reflective medicine bottles such as these also served as an advertising mechanism as they often were placed prominently in pharmacy windows to attract passers-by.

This 8.5 inch, amber, wide-mouth example reveals ground glass construction and dates to the 1920's era.

The condition of this empty bottle is excellent with only a tiny edge fleck of the back lip. The ground glass stopper cannot be removed and appears perfect. The front label shows light wear and staining commensurate with age and use. Although the label appears silver in the photos, it is more of a GOLD-toned foil. The back label has modest wear and staining.

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!

Measuring just 4.25 inches long when assembled, this small souvenir item commemorates the Ausable Chasm in the Adirondack Mountains in New York State. A tiny leather case embossed with the chasm name and its location houses a small clothing brush constructed of natural bristles with silver-plated grip. Unmarked--in very fine condition! A unique piece of American Folk Art!

Offered is a wonderful, C1950s, Art Deco-styled, advertising store sign from a Grand Rapids, Michigan, establishment that features, in bold capital letters, the word, "LIQUOR".

The black-painted, metal frame houses a plastic, cream-colored insert that features an embossed lettering and design technique that advertises the name of the product for sale. The background of this insert sports a streamlined, horizontal, raised "striping" reminiscent of the Art Deco era. When light is allowed to pass through the plastic, translucent insert, the insert appears to be magically illuminated so that the green-colored backside of the sign shines through with brilliance. This effect can be enjoyed by either hanging the sign in front of a window or by fastening tiny LED lights (not included) on the backside of the frame.

The dimensions are approximately 33"L x 5.5"W x 3/4"D, and the overall condition of the sign is very good. The plain metal frame has been repainted in a durable, semi-gloss, black finish. The frame is missing an approximate 5 inch piece at the top half of the left side of the frame; It is not noticeable when the frame is hanging.(see photo) There is also an unobtrusive crimp to the left edge of the frame. (see photo) The painted finish is in very good condition with areas of minor surface imperfection and slight areas of roughness here and there.

The vintage plastic insert is laminated in two tones, with the front noting a rich, aged, cream color, and the back noting a rich green tone. The front of the insert has faint surface imperfections and some areas of uneven discoloring. The lower left portion of the letter "M" has a minor, small, unobtrusive crack. Overall, the insert retains a nice glossed surface patina commensurate with its age.

A note: the first photo best represents what the sign will look like when illuminated from the back with LED or natural window lighting.

Incredible graphics say it all for this highly unique, female medicine bottle, BonKora, dating from the 1930s - 1940s era.

The bottle measures nearly 7.5 inches high and is complete with original contents. The condition of the bottle is very nice with only minor staining to the label next to the letters in the word, BONKORA. Although the box is damaged (see photos), it displays very well as it retains the image of the nude female- an interesting conversation piece!

A bit of history: BONKORA was actually advertised as a weight loss treatment in print advertising, although this usage is not stated on the box. With sales in decline in the late 1930s, the BONKORA manufacturer attempted to make their product a bit more interesting by streamlining the original, bulkier silhouette in their advertising and adding a naked lady on the label. While a clever touch, the product’s popularity continued to wane – perhaps due to a combination of the economics of the Great Depression and the increased federal enforcement of earlier-legislated laws prohibiting unsubstantiated, and wild, curative claims for any and all maladies.

This very rare, 1894, historically significant work of factually-based fiction by Marietta Holley, recounts the author's perspective of what life in the post-Confederate South was like, detailing the significant adjustment Southerners experienced once the Civil War ended and slavery was wholly abolished.

This nearly-lost historical work was originally published in 1892 exclusively for the subscription market and was entitled, "Samantha on the Race Problem". Two years later when the work was to be sold on the "popular" market, the publishers, Dodd, Mead and Company, New York, deemed it appropriate to re-title the work, "Samantha Among the Colored Folk", including the subtitle, "My ideas on the Race Problem" on the title page only. Interestingly, this re-titled, 1894, popular market edition still retains the title, "Samantha on the Race Problem" at the top of each of its 387 pages! This is truly a fascinating read, particularly for those who have a keen interest in this tumultuous period of American history.

The author, Marietta Holley of New York, born in 1836, was an American humorist who employed satire to comment on American society and politics. Early in her career, she published not as Marietta Holley, but as "Josiah Allen's Wife", sometimes with her own name also added in parentheses beneath his, as is the case in this particular edition. Interestingly, Marietta was never married, and Josiah Allen never existed. She eventually published under her own name enjoying a prolific writing career and becoming a bestselling author by the turn of the 20th century, although, sadly, she was largely forgotten by the time of her death in 1926.

Illustrated by Edward Windsor Kemble, this work contains over eighty of his pen and ink drawings. Each drawing is titled and a listing of all illustrations can be found at the beginning of the book. Kemble, who enjoyed a prolific career as a political cartoonist for a variety of the top US newspapers and periodicals, was well-known for his caricatures of African Americans, and he illustrated for some of the most famous American writers of the day such as Mark Twain (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn), Harriet Beecher Stowe (Uncle Tom's Cabin") and Washington Irving (Knickerbocker History of New York).

Written in dialect, this nearly 130 year old book bears evidence of its many, many years. The cloth-bound hardcover is very well-worn along all edges with the cloth spine showing the worst of the wear: small tears at top and bottom with some very small areas of missing fabric. The binding is separating from the spine, but all 387 pages still remain bound and attached (some pages just barely - see photos) with the exception of page 109/110 (see photo) which is present, but for some reason, was cut with scissors from the book. A good number of pages have some degree of staining (see photos), there is foxing throughout, and a very teeny tear here and there. An inked ownership inscription exists on the inside front cover.

Having described its significantly aged condition, it must again be emphasized that this 1894, 2nd edition, is EXTREMELY rare, seldom found available for purchase on the retail marketplace.

"Samantha Among Colored Folks - My Ideas On The Race Problem" is a must-read for those interested in the author's perspective of the societal, political, racial and economic struggles which existed in the post-Civil War South.

Offered is a wonderful, 1940 era, SENTINEL First Aid Kit sporting GREAT graphics. This visually-attractive, metal case contains all of its contents and appears to be in minimal and perhaps in unused condition!

This diminutive kit was designed to be portable and most useful for scrapes and scratches. The case measures 6" x x 3" x 1.25" and is in very nice condition with minor surface scratches and stains commensurate with age. The contents are near perfect.

Distributed by FOREST CITY PRODUCTS, INC. Cleveland, Ohio.

A wonderful kit for your medical, nursing or emergency-care student or professional in your life!

An additional tube of Ophthalmic ointment and a few early Band-aids are included!

Measuring just under 2 inches high, this cast iron, Black, Uncle Sam pencil sharpener was made in Occupied Japan in 1948. In wonderful condition with very minor paint loss due to light use, this piece is stamped on the backside of Uncle Sam's head: "Made in Occupied Japan".

A wonderful and rarely found piece of Black Americana!

Offered is a fabulous grouping of 10, VERY RARELY FOUND, 1880's, Black Americana die cuts printed in Germany and sold by the Bim Brothers, London.

The die cuts are a representation of every day European black folk of the 1880s- from a mother holding her infant to an officer in the army, these ten charming die cuts make for a thought-provoking display! Interestingly, yes, these die cuts do indeed have a bluish tinge to their skin color- an occurrence for which no explanation can be offered.

The products for which these die cuts were meant to endorse is unknown. The die cuts feature an embossed, glossy finish which compliments the beautiful detailing and intense coloring of each piece. This grouping would look fabulous framed!

Approximate measurements are as follows:
6 Musicians: 4.75" tall x 3.75" wide

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 the figures reveals that there are no restorations or repairs to any of the 6 figures whose verso can be viewed. Note that 4 of the figures remain loosely attached to the black construction paper; it will be left to the buyer to choose whether or not to detach them.

This entire grouping of die cuts is being sold as one single fabulous offering at $55.00.

Offered for sale is a desireable Civil War era, wide mouth, apothecary bottle sporting “FLOR. CASS.” on the under glass label! I believe that it means FLOWER CASSIA.

The nine inch tall bottle sports the following embossing on the base: "W.N.WALTON PAT'D SEPT. 23D 1862." The fancy, applied recessed label is complete, shows minor age related flaws and is in very good condition.

The bottle has a few unobtrusive manufacturing bubbles and flaws; otherwise no damage. The stopper is missing as seen. The inside of the bottle notes remnants of original contents.

Very nice indeed!

SOME HISTORY:
Cassia sieberiana, a deciduous tree primarily found in Africa, has been used in traditional medicine as purgative, diuretic, analgesic, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory agent.

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!

Offered is an 1854 edition of Dr. Calvin Cutter's instructional and educational book entitled "First Book of Anatomy, Physiology, and Hygiene, for GRAMMAR SCHOOLS and FAMILIES".

This difficult to find revised stereotyped edition, was published in Boston by the Benjamin B. Mussey and Co., the book having been originally published in 1852. It features 83 highly-detailed engraved illustrations and 191 information-packed pages. A very comprehensive and quite interesting volume that discusses normal and abnormal conditions, treatment of various diseases and recommendations for proper health.

This very early educational hardcover book is in fair to good condition. The front cover has separated from the binding as has the very first page which is blank, but both are present. All other pages remain bound. The majority of the exterior black leather edge binding cover is missing. This 168 year old book has expected, moderate yellowing and foxing to the pages, some minor staining and ancient water marks, and some tiny folds here and there. Measures approximately 7.25"L x 4.75"W.

A highly valued resource book of its time for instruction in the grammar school grades or for use by more financially well-to-do 19th century families who could afford to maintain personal, home libraries.

Quite an interesting read!

Measuring 3 inches high, this delightfully sweet, circa 1940’s, black bisque baby boy is in mint condition! Excellent paint, with not a chip or flake to be found! Dressed in painted blue shorts and white shirt, this little darling even retains his three, original yarn pigtails! Incised on back: JAPAN. A very, very charming piece of vintage Black Memorabilia!

Offered are two, choice, circa 1920s - 1930 era hickory shaft golf clubs.

The first club, the ladies' 7 iron, comes with considerable pedigree. It was offered by the golf professional Frank Belwood while employed as Club Pro at Garden City Golf Club in NY. This club is a handsome ladies' mid iron with a somewhat low profile construction measuring 38 inches to the heel. The hickory shaft has a nice original patina. Noted is a slight bend towards the club head with a faint split at the hosel. The leather grip appears original and is in good condition except for some loss as seen in the photo. The club head sports dot face styling and is in good condition with mild leading edge dings. The back of the club is stamped "F.BELWOOD - GARDEN CITY"- (within a double oval) plus "SPECIAL - HAND FORGED, and (L)" indicating a ladies club.

The second club, a Putting Cleek, is in very good overall condition sporting a solid hickory shaft with an original patina. The early grip is generally good except for a small missing piece. The head sports a dot-punched style on the front, and the shaft is straight. The back is stamped with the following: "GUARANTEED HAND FORGED - PUTTING CLEEK" - and H. WATE?? SPECIAL" in an oval.

SOME HISTORY ON FRANK H. BELWOOD:
Garden City Golf Club, founded in 1899, was one of the first golf courses established in the USA, and in 1902, hosted the US OPEN. Frank H. Belwood was a successful golfer for many years and was the club professional for Garden City Golf Club in NY until the early 50s. He was a charter member of the PGA, and during the early history of American golf, he participated in various major tournaments competing against the best players of his era.

ADDITIONAL INFO ON THE PUTTING CLEEK:
A putting cleek has more loft than a putter. The cleek putting style was popular in early golf and it was said to give the player more options. On smoother greens, the players hands would be placed forward in the stroke to de-loft the club and get the ball rolling smoothly. On bumpy/rough greens it would be held normally and the extra loft would "raise the ball above the roughness".

Measuring 5.50" in long x 8" wide, this delightful, C1910 cardboard box once held typewriter ribbons produced by the A.P. Little Company, manufacturer of typewriter ribbons and carbon paper.

The graphics on the cover of this box feature a smiling, happy, young African-American boy (the company's trademark) who is peering through a rip in the paper, unknowingly about to be pounced down upon by a very ugly and venomous-looking spider!

The box is in amazingly near-perfect condition despite its 100+ years of age with very insignificant soiling present as well as rubs and abrasions to box edges, all of which are more than perfectly reasonable given the age of the piece.

A very seldom-seen advertising piece featuring a Black Americana theme! The first that I have had from this company! is in excellent, all-original, perfect condition!

Well, this was recently acquired from the estate of a 100 year old resident. The nickel plated shaver is in very nice condition, complete with a blade and box that is lined in a purple velvet type material. The interior is labeled “ANTICOR – The Saftey Corn Shaver” and the directions are printed on the label noted on the bottom of the box.

The box measures 4 inches long and is in good condition.

A must for the foot doctor in your life.

Reading "SAFETY FIRST" "EMERGENCY SHOWER EYE BATH", this green, white and black painted sign dates to the 1950's and was likely meant for use in either a professional or academic laboratory.

The sign measures 14 inches wide x 10 inches high, and is quite bright and visually appealing.

This painted metal sign remains in fine condition with minor surface scratching, tiny areas of paint loss and tiny areas of superficial rusting, all as noted in photos.

Measuring approximately 23 inches high X 18 inches wide, this heavy cardboard restaurant menu from the 1940’s has never been used! This menu board was designed by the manufacturer to be a consumable, throw-away --- for jotting down the ever-changing, daily menu “Specials”!

Featuring a delightful, cartoon-like caricature of a black man, this board is in very good condition with minor edge wear, slight age-discoloration and a teeny missing piece of the front rim of the hat.

An interesting, seldom-found piece of Black Memorabilia!

Please disregard reflections in photos that are due to the presence of protective plastic wrap.

Measuring a diminutive 2 inches in diameter and in near mint condition, this interesting and unusual celluloid advertising pocket mirror features a person dosing with a magical "Nature's Remedy" tablet! (**Please note that any white spots in the photos are light reflections ONLY and not damage to the mirror.**)

The mirror front has a age-faded salmon colored border surrounding an image of a person's face with protruding tongue, about to swallow a "NR" (Nature's Remedy) tablet. The fading makes it a challenge to read the following which is imprinted around the circumference of the mirror: "Take One Tonight - You'll feel Better In The Morning."

AND....

"Better Than Pills For Liver Ills - Get a 25 Cent Box"

Original mirrored backing is in very fine condition with just a few very minute, superficial scratches.

Manufacturer name stamped on bottom edge: "Parisian Novelty Company, Chicago".

An interesting little advertising piece!

Offered is Dr. C.H. Fitch's Prescription Scale-- a wonderful, early, pharmacist/doctor, portable, pocket-sized, Victorian era scale! The fancy-scrolled and embellished metal case appears to be brass with nickel plating and reads, "Dr. C.H. Fitch's Prescription Scale Pat Sept 29th 1885" on the top.

The diminutive metal case with scale inside measures approximately 1.5" wide x 2.75" long x .75" deep and is in very nice, original condition. The scale's capacity is 1/2 to 20 grains. It was manufactured by the N.V. Randolph Paper Box Company, Richmond, VA.

****NOTE****There is no damage to the scale or case and no missing components! The original spatula, which is sometimes lost over the years, is present and completes this very handsome, visually-appealing piece!

Some history: Joseph Williamson Randolph (1815-1893) established his business as publisher, bookseller, and stationer in Richmond, Virginia, in 1831. By the early 1840s, he had formed a partnership with Joseph J. English, and the firm became one of the leading book dealers in the South by the time of the Civil War. After Randolph's death, his son, Norman Y. Randolph, operated the business until it passed into receivership. Norman Randolph was, at various times, president of the Randolph Paper Box Company, the Virginia State Insurance Company, and the Warwick Park Transportation Company. He also served as secretary-treasurer of the Virginia and North Carolina Wheel Company.

Offered is a bucolic and beautifully-colored, medium-folio, copyrighted 1854, Nathaniel Currier, New York, lithograph entitled, "Catching A Trout". The image measures approximately 10" x 14", and depicts a fancily-dressed African-American man "netting" the trout caught by one of the two well-dressed gentleman enjoying a relaxing day of fishing. This Currier + Ives lithograph is infrequently found, and is quite highly collectible.

Condition of the litho is considered very good given the rich coloration that remains. Some minor wear does exist: 2 small tears measuring less than 1/2 inch each on either side border edge-- one in the trees on the right side and the other on the left side in the water. There are several teeny holes in the sky to the right of the bearded gentleman's fishing pole as well as one single hole in the black gentleman's hair. (Please see photos.) Some wear to the border at top as shown in photos.

Despite the noted imperfections, this lithograph displays beautifully, with rich color and crisp lines. It presently resides in an early 1920's frame; ideally from a conservation point of view, it would benefit from a re-framing with acid-free materials to continue to preserve its historic importance.

Offered is a fine, all-original, aluminum, golf mallet putter from the Dave Cuthbert shop of St. Andrews Scotland.

This well balanced and sleek appearing club sports a straight hickory shaft and a nice leather grip. Deep checkering lines adorn the face and a well struck "D. CUTHBERT - SPECIAL" stamp is seen on the top.

The condition is very good with the expected small dings, scratches and wear of a club that is over 100 years old. The club measures 34 inches from the sole to the end of the club.

SOME HISTORY

David Scott “Dave” Cuthbert was born in St. Andrews, Scotland in 1885. He got his start in golf as a caddy at St. Andrews Golf Club, and as a young man, he worked in Old Tom Morris’ golf shop. He often caddied for Freddie Tait who was one of the greatest amateurs in Great Britain. In 1912, Cuthbert learned from a friend who had worked in America that Huntingdon Valley Country Club was looking for a golf professional, so he set sail at once. He arrived in Philadelphia during a March blizzard with his golf clubs and a suitcase. He then proceeded to seek out the Huntingdon Valley green chairman. Without an appointment he announced that he was David Cuthbert of St. Andrews and he had come all the way from Scotland for the position of golf professional. He was hired and stayed seven years. He relocated to Canada for four years and returned to PA when Ashbourne Country Club opened in 1923. Cuthbert was Ashbourne’s first golf pro, and he remained there for fifteen years. In the club's opening year, 1923, Cuthbert finished second by one stroke in the 1923 Pennsylvania Open.

Presented as a historical and cultural artifact, this extraordinarily RARE, very, very scarcely found, cloth book entitled "Pickaninny ABC" was published in London, Patented March 7, 1905, Number 39, by Dean's Rag Book Co. Ltd. The book measures 8.50 inches long x 6.75 inches wide, and is the companion volume to the also exceedingly rare 1904 Dean's Rag Book, "Ten Little Indians" which I have had the pleasure to offer for sale only twice in my decades-long antiques career (see final photo for a cover shot of the companion Ten Little Indians book).

Each of these rag books were published as alphabet and numerical teaching tools for the very young children of the wealthier class who could afford to purchase books to furnish their children's home library as well as to support their early home-tutorial education.

While clearly overtly racist in title (pickaninny) and conceptualization ("A" stands for Alabama Coon, "P" stands for Pickaninnies), the book also promotes age-old stereotypes as well ("W" stands for Watermelon, "U" stands for Uncle Tom, "H" stands for Hen-Roost, "C" stands for Cake Walk, etc) that were, unfortunately, acceptable societal references at the turn of the twentieth century.

This 116 year old book remains in all-original, very good condition with no alterations or repairs. While the front and back covers exhibit significant age-related staining, the interior pages are significantly "cleaner" and the illustrations remain very brightly colored. Interior pages present varying degrees of very light soiling, light foxing, and yellowing of linen, commensurate with age. The exterior binding has teeny spots of wear to the first layer of binding fabric which do not impact binding integrity. Top and bottom edges are subtly frayed.

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 the first I have ever had the pleasure of offering for sale in my nearly 40 years dealing in this field! This is an absolute cornerstone piece to any serious Black Memorabilia collection!

Offered is a scarce, vintage, boxed case of SS White Dental Burs from the 1920 era.

This awesome tool-of-the-trade includes many unused burs housed in their original, individual boxes! A detailed, complete label is pasted on the interior lid and is in good condition.

The hardwood case measures 11" L x 5.5" W x 3" H and has wear to the finish commensurate with age and use. A visually-appealing display piece that would enhance any dental instrument and artifact collection!