$165.00
George Thompson’s missionary service to Africa occurs approximately 7 years after the MENDI natives of the AMISTAD were accompanied by missionaries on their return to Africa. He serves this very same mission, now in the of colony Sierra Leone, a colony which was established to serve as refuge for the liberated Africans taken from slave ships.
356 pages long, this journal provides a fascinating account of all aspects of the Mendi culture seen through the eyes, however biased in his mission to convert the Africans to Christianity, of a genuinely well-meaning gentleman of his time. Condition: complete, tight binding, foxing throughout, spine wear as shown in picture.
Thompson states, “It is hoped that the following narrative may, in the hands of GOD, awaken a desire in many hearts to go to Africa, for the purposes of preaching, teaching, farming, building houses, mills, manufactories, etc., and thus assist in making long despised and neglected AFRICA, what it is capable of becoming, THE GARDEN OF THE WORLD.”
$95.00
All cloth and done in a great, red paisley fabric, this darling Black Mammy bag features an interesting, smiling face! Due to its small size, this bag would have held undies or stockings or also may have been placed on one's bed and used to hold one's nightie during the day!
Very sweet and displays nicely!
$125.00
Her composition face is in impeccable condition with sharp, well-drawn painted facial features. Her face is further accented by 3 darling curls peaking out from under her brightly colored cloth bandanna!
Her body is machine-stitched cotton fabric stuffed with sawdust. On the back of her right thigh, her place of origin is stamped: "POLAND". Her little flowered skirt is also machine stitched and is the only piece of clothing that may be removed.
Condition is superb with the exception of a hand-stitched repair to the seam line of her left foot where the foot is joined to the leg. Does not detract.
$35.00
The products which these advertisements were meant to endorse is unknown. The advertisements feature a high-shine, glossy finish which compliments the beautiful detailing and intense coloring of each piece. Both would look fabulous framed!
The advertisement featuring the strolling family measures approximately 7.25 inches wide x 10.25 inches long. The advertisement featuring the nine celebrators measures approximately 10.25 inches wide x 7.25 inches long.
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 advertisements. These pieces are approximately 140 years old, and while in very good condition given their age, both do have tiny surface imperfections, bend lines and light edge wear. The advertisement featuring the celebrators has significant edge wear and some paper loss along the horizontal top and bottom of the piece; however, with proper matting and framing, these imperfections can be easily and completely hidden.
The advertisements are PRICED EACH as follows: $35 for the family of five out for a stroll and $25 for the advertisement featuring the 9 celebrating and dancing folk.
$245.00
The child’s head nods up and down in a "yes" motion by pivoting on a tiny metal bar inserted through his neck (see photos).
Condition is mint, and the piece is signed on the bottom of his right foot: “Hand Painted Lenwile China Ardalt Japan 6530 A”.
Black nodders are quite difficult to come by and have become an interesting sub-collecting category in the field of Black Americana! Not to be missed!
Please see the companion piece also available - the darling Black Girl Child Nodder by Ardalt, Japan. And an additional offering that is not part of the Ardalt Black Child Nodder series is the RARE 1950s Black Americana Sailor Nodder by UCAGCO,Japan.
SOLD
"Picture cards" as they were called then, feature very colorful and highly detailed images on the front side with product advertising generally on the back side. For those with advertising on the backside, the advertising, in most cases, is written in French. These cards, of course, were a strategic marketing concept designed to provide the customer with a tangible reminder of the food stuff or article of clothing that had just been purchased.
All but one of the cards measure approximately 2.75 inches x 4.25 inches, with the remaining card measuring approximately 2.50 inches x 5 inches. All but two are in very good condition with no observable flaws or damage.
The two exceptions:
-the 2.50 inch x 5 inch card- which has been scissor-trimmed, has a fold line down the center, and was pulled from a scrap book obscuring some of the printing on the backside-
-and one Liebig card which is missing one corner edge.
Condition quite remarkable given their 80-100+ years of age.
A nice early collection of trade cards!
$675.00
This particular estate document is extraordinarily unique and atypical in comparison to other estate documents of this period as it lists 15 SLAVES among the articles of property, and it actually labels these individuals as SLAVES as opposed to the much more common and typical practice of listing "Slaves" as "Negroes". The slaves are listed on the back side of the document with all other inventory listed on the front side.
Each slave is listed by first name with the corresponding current market value written to the left of the name, with the total market value of the 15 slaves named at $8600-- quite a hefty sum when one considers that the remainder of the estate (furniture, livestock, transportation and work vehicles, tools, etc) is valued in total at $980.75. Also listed in the inventory was 13,000 pounds of seed cotton, indicating that Lewis Mattair owned a sizable cotton plantation, clearly farmed by the slaves.
Lewis Mattair is noted in the 1860 Federal Census as a resident of Suwanee County, Florida; the 1860 Federal Census- Slave Schedules references Lewis Mattair owning 28 male and female slaves, ranging in age from 4 to 58. Lewis Mattair is listed in the 1865 Florida Tax records, but his name does not appear in any archived state or federal records after that year. Thus, it is presumed that this document dates from or just prior to 1865, the year that the Civil War ended.
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.
In a 2003 statement, Jim Petty remarked, "The importance of the exhibit of these artifacts is to understand the harshness of what slavery and segregation was all about. The items in the exhibit remind us of the terrible heinousness of slavery. Viewing the collection can be very emotional, but it is a tool through which we can understand, honor and respect a great culture. We want to realize that out of slavery, a great culture emerged, and carried on, and continued to strive for a better life regardless of the adverse conditions that were placed upon them."
$395.00
She has a muslin, machine-stitched body which is stuffed with sawdust. Her feet are black cotton. Upper arms are also stuffed muslin with composition forearms.
Her curly-haired head is molded composition; eyes, nostrils, and lips are handpainted-- note the BLUE EYES!!
She wears a muslin slip under a Victorian styled, machine-stitched, tiered ruffled dress. Her clothing has been professionally laundered but does remain darkened with age in some areas- the photos make these dark areas appear more prominent than they are when viewed by the naked eye.
Condition: Difficult to photograph due to camera glare off the composition, her head remains in pristine, all original condition- no repaint- with just a couple of very teeny white flecks here and there! The breastplate has an old glue repair which appears to be quite solid. The repair is not visible unless the doll is undressed. Superficial wear to each thumb is evident as is seen in photos. No cracking or peeling to composition. She was very well cared for over the years!
A very lovely and rare Black doll!
$495.00
The image, itself, measures 32" long x 24" wide, while the framed artwork in total measures 41" long x 32.5" wide. The giclee print was framed using museum-quality, acid-free double-mat board and backing materials, within a fine quality solid wood frame and topped with non-glare glass. This artwork was purchased directly from artist, Kelvin W. Henderson, it was signed by him at the time of our purchase, and it cheerily hung in our dining room for ten years!
The artwork is actually brighter in color than my camera was able to capture- closeups appear a bit "darker" than reality. Condition is absolutely perfect! And its presence---well, it will command one's attention hanging on an entire wall-space all by itself! It is, as stated earlier, a Limited Edition giclee lithograph-- Number 18 of a 150 Limited Edition series, with an additional 50 canvas editions. The provenance of this piece with all details is attached on the back side of the artwork as seen in one of our photos. A buoyant and effervescent piece of art!
As this piece exceeds typical shipping criteria in terms of dimensional size and weight, we regret that we cannot offer free shipping. We will provide a $25 shipping credit, but the remaining cost of shipping will rest upon the purchaser.
$85.00
The darling boy and girl seated on a tree stump measures 2 3/8 inches high. With the exception of the girl's missing right leg, this seldom-found piece is in overall fine condition with age-related paint scrapes here and there. (please see all photos)
A very unusual and interesting figure group that displays exceedingly well!
$95.00
This circa 1940's (perhaps even earlier!) Mammy has a polished cotton half body firmly stuffed with cotton batting which is attached to a fabric-covered, cardboard platform that enables her to sit. Such a doll is often referred to as a platform or toaster doll as her voluminous skirt was designed to cover unsightly kitchen appliances - most commonly the toaster!
Most notable is this Mammy's exquisitely executed, hand-embroidered face, and her elaborate dangling beaded hoop earrings!
Mammy's clothing is machine stitched and is absent of holes, rips or repairs. While all her patterned clothing retains its original and uniform coloring, all of the purple cloth has faded- obviously a less stable dye used there. When one opens the folds of the cloth, one sees the rich, deep purple it once was!
An unusually well-detailed doll for its type!
$45.00
This offering features two lovely die cuts- one, a well-to-do Victorian era husband and wife sitting down to dinner, and the second, a colorfully dressed bride and groom at the altar about to take their wedding vows. The third offering is a glossy finish mini-size litho featuring three siblings arriving at school with book bags on their backs, and one sporting an umbrella in case it later rains. Three children peer out the school window awaiting their arrival.
The products for which these die cuts and litho were meant to endorse is unknown. The litho features a very glossy finish, and the die cuts feature an embossed, glossy finish which compliments the beautiful detailing and intense coloring of each piece. All would look fabulous either framed individually or as a grouping! Think gift!
Approximate measurements are as follows:
The dining couple & the Wedding: 4" tall x 5.75" wide
School children: 6" tall x 4.50" wide
Priced each at $45.
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 all three pieces reveal that only the wedding die cut has a small restoration made to one of the altar candlesticks using archival quality tape. There have been no repairs or restorations made to either the school litho or the Dinner die cut.
$45.00
Measuring 7.50 inches long x 3.25 inches wide, this Belgian cigarette or cigar, heavy paper/cardboard box features a fabulous litho of a very dapper Black Gentleman smoking one of the "JOHN" cigarettes. Its small size offers many options for display including framing for shelf or wall enjoyment.
A truly scarce find in phenomenal condition!
$235.00
In lovely condition with age crackling to the backside of the seashell, this stunning piece appears to have never been used for its original purpose as a hanging wall planter. The black paint is in impeccable condition and any white dots that appear in photos are the result of light reflection off of teeny glaze imperfections and are NOT chips, rubs or scratches to the surface. The gold stippling to the seashell is perfect!
The piece has a hole in the back to facilitate wall-mounting or it may be easily displayed on a shelf.
A very seldom found piece of vintage Black Memorabilia that is truly stunning in appearance!
$125.00
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.
$65.00
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!
$195.00
Cardboard candy boxes with African-American themes remain EXTREMELY RARE finds in today's market due to their inherent fragile nature!!!
This wonderful piece is in very good condition with the expected aging, and edge and corner wear given its 100+ years of age.
The top left seam of the cover has the most edge wear of all areas of the box, and the bottom right seam of the cover has split (see photos for each), but otherwise, the box remains intact with no missing pieces! A very subtle crease runs along the top of the box cover above the word "CLARK", but it is indeed very obscure and difficult to photograph. Please note that the corner edge taping to all four corners of the box base is original manufacture meant to provide extra stability to that section of the box that held the weight of the candy. The box base is in near-perfect condition!
D. L. Clark Company History:
David L. Clark (1864-1939) was born in Ireland and came to America when he was eight years old. He entered the candy business working for a small manufacturer in New York. After three years as a salesman, he bought a wagon, horses and merchandise, and went into business for himself.
The D. L. Clark Company was founded in 1886 when Clark started manufacturing candy in two back rooms of a small house in Pittsburgh's North Side. He began selling his candy in the streets of Pittsburgh. During his lifetime, his company became a leading candy manufacturer.
By 1920, the D. L. Clark Company was making about 150 different types of candy, including several five-cent bars, specialty items and bulk candy. Clark was also manufacturing chewing gum in a building across the street from his candy factory. In 1921, they incorporated Clark Brothers Chewing Gum Company as a separate business.
By 1931, the candy bar business was so expansive that Clark decided to sell the gum company, and it was renamed the Clark Gum Company.
The D. L. Clark Company remained in the hands of the Clark family until it was sold in 1955 to the Beatrice Food Company who operated the company until 1983 when in turn, it was sold to the Pittsburgh Food and Beverage Company. In 1995, the Pittsburgh Food and Beverage was thrown into bankruptcy. The company was shut down for several months and its assets divested. Restructured as Clark Bar America, the company operated until May of 1999, when it was purchased by New England Confectionery Company (NECCO), the oldest candy manufacturer in the United States.
$495.00
This wonderful piece is unmarked but is documented in numerous guides as the Black Chef cookie jar made in the 1940's by the National Silver Company. It likely once had a "NASCO" foil label on its base which dried up and fell off over the course of the jar's lifetime.
Fabulous cobalt blue accenting makes this cookie jar quite striking in its appearance. A great display piece!
As stated, the cookie jar remains in all original condition-- a rarity for a cookie jar of this vintage! Please take the time to view all photos as they represent condition quite nicely. Glaze crazing typical to the age of this 60+ year old piece is evident as well as small surface flakes present here and there along lid cover edge- a very common site for flakes/chips on any lidded ceramic piece given that the lid was continually taken on and off during use and thus easily subject to damage. A single superficial hairline occurring during firing can be seen on the interior base; it does not go through to the exterior.
It is quite rare to find a vintage cookie jar in such fine overall condition! Reproductions abound on today's market, but authentic pieces such as this are quite scarce and are truly collecting treasures when discovered!