Also currently offered for sale and priced separately is a second pair of child’s shackles, also de-accessioned from the Middle Passage Museum. Please type the word "shackles" in the search box on our home page to find this 2nd set of child’s shackles.

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

Measuring 33 inches tall and 12 inches deep at its maximum depth, the bell hop carries a black tray topped off with a hefty aluminum ashtray. The ashtray is large enough to serve as a receptacle for a smaller potted plant, updating the use of this wonderful sculpture to a modern-day purpose!

The bellhop is quite sturdy as it is constructed of 3/4 inch thick wood, and it is well-balanced, as it is mounted upon a 12 inch diameter wooden base of equal thickness. Condition is wonderful with a great aged patina. At some point long ago, the bell hop lost the front half of his foot, but this loss was cleverly repaired so that it is not readily evident. Also cleverly repaired some many, many years ago, is the bellhop's wrist which appears to have been either broken off or cracked, but which has been nicely repaired and repainted.

The first piece is a 12 page paper pamphlet written by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions that discusses the Mission philosophy and world-wide global plan to convert or evangelize Africans, Asians, and Native Americans. An interesting historical perspective. Printed in Boston, Massachusetts, by Perkins + Martin, 1838-- excellent condition.

Holes to hold stick incense are present in feet(which are black boy faces!!!) as well as on top of the boy's head. Additionally, a hollowed-out space in the back will hold cylindrically-shaped incense and will allow the smoke to waft out of the boy's open mouth.

This rarely found activity book contains a single, black and white page devoted to each of the following "story book friends": Little Black Sambo, The 3 Little Pigs, The Gingerbread Man, and Peter Rabbit. Along with each story page is an accompanying, brightly-colored, gummed sticker page that children were invited to carefully cut, moisten and then place the pieces onto the proper place on the black and white story page.

The book is in un-played-with condition with the exception of 2 cutouts on the Three Little Pigs sticker page. These 2 pieces were carefully cut and glued on the accompanying story page. All other pages are in mint, original, unused condition!

Brightly colored and rarely found in this condition! A fabulous addition to one's Little Black Sambo collection!

The stories are:

The Story of Little Black Sambo, Little Black Sambo and The Baby Elephant, Little Black Sambo and The Tiger Kitten, Little Black Sambo and The Monkey People, Little Black Sambo in the Bear's Den, and Little Black Sambo and The Crocodiles.

Profusely illustrated in color by each of the authors, this marvelous book is 63 pages long and measures a substantial 8.25 inches wide x 10.25 inches long.

The book is in very fine condition with the exception of a child's doodling and writing in red crayon on the beginning pages of the book- spanning from the inside front cover to the very first page of the first story (see photos). Thus, most of the doodling was done on the beginning pages of the book and does not affect the actual stories or their illustrations.

A rare find, this treasury of stories is a must-have for Little Black Sambo collectors!

The first pamphlet is entitled "KANSAS--The Law of Slavery" given by the Honorable Daniel Clark, Senator from New Hampshire. It was delivered in the Senate on March 15, 1858, and is 23 pages in length. The back page is imprinted "Washington, D.C. Buell & Blanchard, Printers, 1858.

The second pamphlet is a printing of the speech entitled "Territorial Slave Code" given by the Honorable Henry Wilson of Massachusetts. It was delivered in the US Senate on January 25, 1860, and is 16 pages in length.

Two 78 RPM records originally accompanied the story book, but only one still remains. Young readers were supposed to silently read the story book while listening to the story being read aloud by Paul Wing on the record. When Little Nipper barked 3 times, that was the signal to turn to the next page!

Condition: edge wear as well as binding wear as noted in photos. Binding stitching is becoming loose as seen on one page (see photo). As previously stated, one of the two original records is missing. The remaining record has not been played but a visual inspection suggests it could be played if so desired.

A rare find! Despite its age-related faults, this colorful album displays just beautifully and is a must-have, complementary addition to one's Little Black Sambo collection!

In utterly excellent condition, this version of Little Black Sambo is seldom found on today’s market given the delicate nature of its thick paper pages. This particular edition was obviously never used and sat for all of its years, untouched in a desk drawer!

The illustrations executed by Ethel Hays are superb with rich coloration! A "giant" size, this book measured 9.75 inches wide x 13 inches long. A must have edition for the collector of Little Black Sambo books, unlikely to be found again in this outstanding condition!

Mounted to a thick piece of hardwood via 3 screws and devoid of manufacturer's mark, the match holder measures 4 inches high x 3 inches wide x 2.5 inches deep.

This circa 1900-1910 Johnny Griffin item is a double image still bank that features 2 images of Johnny's head placed back-to-back. The bank is constructed of cast iron in two pieces which unscrew to facilitate the emptying of coins. There is a coin slot at the top of Johnny's head for use in depositing the coins. This sweet bank remains functional for banking use today or may be simply used as an attractive desk paperweight!

It is in all original condition with delightful patina- NOT a reproduction- and measures 4 inches high x 3 inches wide. It retains a majority of the original gold leaf paint. Photos of both faces of the bank have been provided.

The Johnny Griffin image- in the arena of Black Americana collectibles- should form the cornerstone of any serious Black Memorabilia collection!

Please take a moment to view the slightly smaller version of this same bank, offered separately.

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

Constructed of an unidentified metal that is finished with a copper or bronze-colored wash and then covered in a final, black, top wash, the holder is of some heft and weight. This piece is unmarked and measures 9.5 inches in height x 7.5 inches in width. It has phenomenal visual appeal due to its well-executed design and substantial size!

This fab piece of vintage tobacciana comes with two wonderful, tax-sealed and unopened, soft-pack packages of vintage, circa 1930s - early 1940s, CAMEL & LUCKY STRIKE unfiltered cigarettes. (Lucky Strike's signature dark green pack was changed to white in 1942.) Additionally, a paper-covered, wooden box of made-in-Japan, safety matches completes the aesthetic appeal!

The holder was designed to hold a slightly opened box of safety matches to facilitate easy use (as shown in photos), as well as two cigarette packs (the compartment directly behind the safety matches) and several cigars (the taller barrel to the boy's left).

Each calendar features a different (and obviously socially derogatory), Black Memorabilia cartoon utilizing stereotypical dialect to convey its "humorous" message. The cartoons are well drawn, executed in brilliant colors and are copyrighted by the American Art Works.

Each hanging calendar opens in booklet style. The interior of each booklet expounds upon a different theme: Cheerfulness, Initiative, Resolution, Alertness, Determination, etc. The months of the year offered are: January, February, April, May, June, August, September and October.

This 1930-40s sign is white-washed on both sides with lettering completed in blue paint. Made of metal with 2 holes on either end for hanging. It has seen its share of vandalism with numerous, deliberately-inflicted scratches to the paint and crimps to the metal as seen in photos. The sign was de-accessioned from the ill-fated Middle Passage Museum.

Truly a one-of-a-kind historical artifact!

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