Catalog (460)

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.

This is a wonderful example of a Quack Medical device from the 1930s. Inside the black, cloth-covered, fitted case lies a beautiful massage apparatus complete with all attachments and 36 page instruction booklet.

Measuring about 7" x 4", this "Rolex" brand-labeled device and its three attachments are in very nice condition. The booklet has a copyright date of 1934 and is packed with photos and suggested uses for the massager including treatment of headaches and renewing vigor!

The case measures about 8" x 10" and sports a fabulous interior label. The cord is a bit dry so I opted to not plug it in. (I would expect that this device is functional as all the other electric medical devices from this collection were in working condition. Without plugging it in, I cannot guarantee if it works, so please purchase with this in mind.)

Working or not, this interesting, Quack Medical device is a unique "find" and is ready for your collection.

Measuring 5 3/4 inches high x 4 1/4 inches wide x 2 3/4 inches deep, this darling salesman's sample case advertises the Wholesale Grocers, Loverin and Browne Company. This Chicago, Illinois, company established business in 1872.

This diminutive tin case is painted black with gold accenting and gold lettering present on the front of the case. The black paint shows reasonable wear given its 130+ years of age with the majority of wear evident along seam lines and at the base. The gold painting on the front of the case remains quite nice with very small areas of unobtrusive paint loss present (please see all photos). This tin case was clearly well cared for over the years.

The case contains three, pull-out, tin drawers with tiny, circular, loop pulls at the ends, that when slid out, reveal 15 separate compartments designed to hold the corked, glass, sample bottles. Fourteen bottles remain present, all of which are original to the case. The bottles advertise the spices and perfume waters that the Loverin and Browne Company manufactured for wholesale purchase by various independent groceries. The base of each bottle sits on a spring which would have facilitated secure storage during travel.

An interesting addition to one's advertisement collection! Very easy to display with great visual appeal!

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.

In the mid-1800's, an unknown artist painted the face of a young Black boy in warm, soft colors, and unbeknown to the artist, forever immortalized the young boy's image! Since that time a variety of items were been produced in the image of the "Young Black boy with the Torn Hat" or "Johnny Griffin".

This circa 1920-30's Johnny Griffin letter opener is constructed in solid brass. It remains functional for such use today or may be simply used as an attractive desk paperweight!

It is in all original condition with delightful patina- not a reproduction- no replaced parts- and measures 10 1/4 inches long. Remnants of green paint are visible on Johnny's shirt. Interestingly, this piece also doubles as an advertising piece as on the reverse side it is impressed, “I. C. Herman + Co., 507-9 Broadway, NY (New York)”.

Johnny Griffin Black Americana collectibles should form the cornerstone of any serious Black Memorabilia collection!

To see all of the Johnny Griffin items currently available for sale, simply type “Johnny Griffin” into the search box on our web home page.

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.

In the mid-1800's, an unknown artist painted the face of a young Black boy in warm, soft colors, and unbeknown to the artist, forever immortalized the young boy's image! Since that time a variety of items were been produced in the image of the "Young Black boy with the Torn Hat" or "Johnny Griffin".

This circa 1900-1910 Johnny Griffin item is a double image still bank that features 2 images of Johnny's head placed back-to-back. It was manufactured by the A.C. Williams Company of Ravenna, Ohio, which at the turn of the 20th century and up until World War II, was the largest toy and still bank manufacturer in the world. (At the start of WWII, production declined sharply as iron was needed for military consumption, marking the end of an era.) 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 3 inches high x 2 1/2 inches wide. It retains traces of the original gold leaf paint and may (or may not!) have a replaced screw.

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

To see all of the Johnny Griffin items currently available for sale, simply type “Johnny Griffin” into the search box on our web home page.

Offered is a hard to find, circa 1900, Richard Leslie, Smooth Face Hickory Shaft Putter made in Scotland. Although smooth face golf clubs fell out of fashion by the very early 1900s, they were still offered in catalogues for a number of years beyond this date.

This smooth face club is stamped on the back "R. LESLIE - CHICAGO" - MADE IN SCOTLAND. The leather grip is in good condition, and the straight hickory shaft sports a nice aged patina.

Measures 35 inches from heel to top of shaft and is in very nice condition with only minimal wear commensurate with light use.

Leslie, who is of Scottish pedigree, was the designer of GLEN VIEW CLUB in Chicago in 1897, the site of the 1904 US OPEN and various US Amateur events. He was also was their first head professional, and by the looks and craftsmanship of this club, quite the club maker!

This colorful group of 5 empty drug store tins. One of the circa 1940s - 1950s tins is labeled “Hospital Packet” and the other 4 are noted as “Professional Packet”. The Hospital Packet tin differs in the front and back lithograph as well as the text. The medicine tins are marked DERMA MEDICONE and are topical anesthetic ointments labeled: Benzocaine, Oxyquinolone Sulphate, Ephedrine HCL, and more.

The 5 tins are all in nice condition with unobtrusive minor surface scratches with one having a minor rust stain to the lower edge from storage.

The tins measure just over 1.5 “ in diameter.

Perfect for your shop or collection!

Entitled "A Little Colored Boy and Other Stories, this extremely scarce, small folio book was the property of Reverend J. H. Jackson, pastor of the Greenburg, Indiana, A.M.E. (African Methodist Episcopalian) Church.

The book contains lovely black ink line drawings and etchings which accompany a great variety of wonderful short stories for children designed to teach strong moral values, attitudes and behaviors. The story, A Little Colored Boy, is the first and the longest tale in the book. Undoubtedly, Reverend Jackson often used this book in teaching the congregation's children their Sunday school lessons.

The book is inscribed in faded blue ink inside the front cover as follows: "Rev. J. H. Jackson Book. Pastor Greenburg Indiana's A.M.E Church".

Published by the Abingdon Press of Cincinnati and New York, the book contains no publishing date. However, it was likely published in the late 1890's as one story references President Grover Cleveland's eldest child who was born in 1891: "Little Ruth Cleveland, when she was the baby of the White House,..."

President Cleveland served two separate presidential terms of four years each from 1885-1889 and again from 1893- 1897. It is highly likely that this book was published during Cleveland's 2nd term of office or shortly thereafter when the populace would have been well familiar with "Little Ruth", who was popularly known as "Baby Ruth".

The book measures 4.5"x 6.5" and contains over 30 little stories within its 64 pages. Hardcover, the book is in amazing condition for its age, an 8 out of 10. The cloth-bound cover has minimal wear with only one 1/4' long split on the rear binding and some staining certainly commensurate with its 120+ years of age. The binding and pages are tight. Some minor, age-related staining here and there throughout the book, with one page noted as having a tiny tear at its top.

A highly unusual find!

Offered is a highly-collectible and seldom-found, circa 1850's, Staffordshire, England, earthenware, pictorial ABC plate featuring a Southern US slavery theme: slaves picking cotton.

Entitled "Gathering Cotton", the plate depicts eight slaves, including two children, picking cotton and placing it in woven straw baskets.

Plates such as this, particularly those with the alphabet embossed around the rim, were produced for use by children as subtle educational tools. England was well ahead of the United States in recognizing the moral evils of slavery abolishing it in 1833, but continued to produce slavery-themed plates for the American market.

This plate measures only a diminutive 5 1/2 inches in diameter, and the interior is decorated with the black transfer-printed scene which was then hand-painted in colors prior to firing. The rim is embossed with decorative swirls as well as the alphabet in capital letters.

Condition of the plate is quite good. It has a use/age-related spider-crack that is visible on the backside of the plate and is also partially visible on the front side. (see photos) This spider-crack is quite tight and does not pose any concern to the structural integrity of the plate. Also noted is some subtle edge roughness which occurred during firing; hardly noticeable when the plate is displayed on a stand. This plate has graced my collection for the past 30 years!

Despite its age-related imperfections, this plate displays absolutely beautifully, and for those collectors who are interested in slavery-related artifacts, this would be a noteworthy and visually-appealing addition to one's collection.

This delightful Black Boy Rag Doll has a face with a story to tell! What an expression!

Measuring 13 inches tall, he is constructed of black, machine-stitched, vintage 1930-1940's, polished cotton which has been stuffed with cotton batting. Facial features have been hand-embroidered, are quite expressive and are exceedingly well done. His hair has been styled in tightly wound little ringlets.

His brown-patterned, machine-stitched shirt and pants are also vintage 1930-40's fabric, accented with two miss-matched buttons holding up cute red suspenders.

A delightful piece of Black Memorabilia Folk Art! This wonderful, 1940's-vintage-look, one-of-a-kind, Artisan Doll was constructed in the 1990's by a Maine Folk Artist who is now deceased.

Please take a moment to view his big sister by typing the words "Maine Doll" into the SEARCH box.

Measuring 15.5 inches long, this delightful, folk-art styled, cloth and stocking-constructed rag doll was made circa 1920's.

Detailing in construction sets this sweet black doll apart! Her creation was very carefully executed through a combination of hand and machine stitching. She was lovingly dressed in machine-stitched clothing made from old red, pink, cream and rose-patterned scraps of cloth, while her body was hand-sewn and constructed of old, black stockings stuffed with cotton batting.

This young girl's nose and mouth are hand-embroidered, while her eyes are represented by small, black buttons. Her hand-applied and stitched hair is made of black wool yarn and has been fashioned into braided pigtails edged with faded red ribbon bows with fluffy bangs topping her forehead. Her hands are carefully hand-stitched to delineate fingers.

This sweetie is in near perfect condition with the exception of some fading to her clothing as well as two age-related, small holes to her stocking-constructed left foot and lower leg. (This wear and fading to the fabrics and stockings used in her construction may well be the very reason they were used, as they may have been discarded from personal use. Please refer to photos to view wear.)

Purchased in Charleston, South Carolina. Simply full of charm with lovely touches! A quite difficult-to-find-in-this condition, 90+-year-old, cloth rag doll!

Offered is a very scarce, 19th century, strength measuring medical device known as a dynamometer that was manufactured by the G. Tiemann Company, New York, the most renown and respected surgical device manufacturers of the 19th century. Sold in the US by a gymnasium apparatus company out of St. Louis, the Fred Medart Company, the device was designed to assess the strength of the chest, back and legs up to a pull capacity of 1400 lbs.

This fabulous early tool of the medical trade sports a visually-interesting, graphic, brass face with a scale delineating increments from 0 to 1400 pounds. There are 2 dials - one that notes the actual pressure achieved, and the second stationary dial that serves as the reference.

This instrument enjoys wonderful, rich patina on both the metal and wooden sections. It measures 13 inches at the widest point and 10 inches at the wooden handles.

A fabulous device which has great visual appeal and displays wonderfully! Sure to spark some interesting conversation at your next gathering!

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!

This is a fully-functional, ready to use vintage 1900 wood and porcelain pestle.

The condition is very good with only signs of mild wear commensurate of a modestly used tool of the trade. No damage or loss, just scruffs and a nice surface patina.

Measures about 10.5 inches long and ready for your collection or use. The #7 is stamped into the edge of porcelain.

This 1930s, Art Deco, VIGNY, 2 ounce, Golliwog Perfume Bottle is a rare find! This particular marketing of the very highly sought-after and well-known Paris Vigny Golliwogg perfume, was sold by the famous Fred Harvey stores which dotted the new railroad lines running through the American Southwest.

This 4 inch tall bottle retains the majority of its Fred Harvey price sticker on its base. Remnants of perfume are still visible, and the bottle's original paper labels remain in wonderful condition. This version of Vigny Golliwogg perfume is extraordinarily difficult to find as it was specifically marketed only in the Fred Harvey rail line stores.

A very scarce and delightful addition to one's Vigny Golliwogg Perfume collection!

A bit of Fred Harvey History:
Frederick Henry Harvey (June 27, 1835 – February 9, 1901) was a Liverpool, England-born entrepreneur who immigrated to the United States in 1853 at the age of 17. His first employment in the US was in a NYC restaurant where he quickly worked his way up from pot scrubber to waiter and line cook- an experience which later impacted his life choices.

In 1876 after working within a number of retail industries, Harvey returned to his first "love"- the restaurant business. As a result of his acquaintance with the superintendent of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, Harvey opened a very successful chain of "eating houses" all along the rail line. At its peak, a total of 84 Harvey Houses existed, all of which catered to wealthy and middle-class visitors alike. Souvenir shops and hotels were added by the innovative Harvey, and he became known as "the Civilizer of the West".

Fred Harvey is credited with creating the first restaurant chain in the United States, and he is also recognized as a leader in promoting tourism in the American Southwest in the late 19th century. Fred Harvey and his employees successfully brought unique and higher standards of both civility and dining to a region widely regarded in the era as "the Wild West."

Type "Vigny" in the SEARCH box on our homepage to see all French Golliwogg Perfume bottles!

To see all of our Golliwogg-related items for sale, type "golliwogg" into the SEARCH box on our home page.

Measuring 7 inches long x 4 inches high x 6 inches wide, this all tin, 1943 copyrighted, WOLVERINE “SEE and SPELL” educational school toy is in fine overall condition! The tin is lithographed with a delightful scene of school children standing at the front of the class during a spelling bee with the teacher seen in the lower left corner holding a spelling book! Just adorable! On the back of the toy, a lone boy is seen drawing pictures and practicing spelling at a portable chalk board.

The toy is operated by pushing either side handle in a downward motion, which makes the words and pictures spin inside the toy. When the motion stops, four different spelling words with their accompanying pictures appear in the eight different windows.

Other than light surface blemishes due to age and gentle use, and the 4 missing tab covers which are supposed to keep the spelling words hidden, this vintage toy is in remarkable condition and makes a very colorful display piece!