Catalog (183)

Measuring just 2.25 inches in height (minus the hair!!), this extremely RARE, clear glass Golliwogg Perfume Bottle was sold by VIGNY Perfumeries of Paris, France in the 1920’s.

The clear glass perfume was the second version of the Vigny “Le Golliwogg” perfume produced from the 1920’s into the 1930’s. The bottle design and name are based on a character created by Englishwoman, Florence K. Upton, around the turn of the 20th century. The bottle, itself, was made by Verreries Brosse.

This darling, all-glass piece remains in superb condition-other than its partially missing label on the base of the bottle. If complete, this wonderful, original paper label would read in full, “Made in France, Fluid Cont oz 13”. Underneath the label, the base of the clear glass bottle is impressed, “Bottle Made in France”. Most importantly of all, the bottle retains its fabulous, all-original, front label which reads, "Le Golliwogg de Vigny France".

The Golliwogg’s head is the perfume stopper (which presently is quite securely affixed in place), and the facial enameling, which was hand-painted in France, remains as clear and crisp as the day it was applied! Even his black furry hair, which is genuine Siberian Seal fur, retains its vibrant, original, dark tones! The Golly’s glass collar is enameled/painted white with double rows of black polka dots, and his feet are accented in black.

A very, very special, rarely-found piece of Black Memorabilia that has appeal to Black Americana, perfume bottle, and Golliwog collectors alike!

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 9 1/2 inches wide x 13 inches long, this brightly colored, copyright 1931, Little Black Sambo, large softcover book illustrated by acclaimed American children's illustrator, Fern Bisel Peat, is very rarely found!

(Also currently available is Fern Bisel Peat's companion Little Black Sambo Puzzle!)

Published by The Harter Publishing Company, Educational Publishers, Cleveland Ohio, this book along with a companion puzzle which features one of the illustrations from this book, were likely released to the public at the same time. Both the book and puzzle were intended for use in the school setting, grades K-2, as well as in the home. The aforementioned Little Black Sambo puzzle is also available for purchase on this website (type Sambo into the SEARCH box).

This story is a much-beloved children's classic written in the early 1900's by Englishwoman, Helen Bannerman, for her two daughters while they lived in India. Sambo, in the original Bannerman tale, was an Indian boy and not an African-American child. He was converted to this race overtime, however, by subsequent story tellers and illustrators. This age-old tale tells of Little Black Sambo and his frightening tiger encounter, which fortunately, has a happy ending!

Condition is an 8.5 out of 10! This unnumbered, softcover book has seen little use with just a teeny bit of wear to book edges and very small creases here and there on the covers which do not effect structural integrity. The eight large folio, color illustrations retain their intensely vibrant hues and are simply just spectacular, and they alternate with lovely black ink line drawings. (My camera did not do justice to the intensity of color, washing it out.) An inked inscription is present on the inside front cover. The front and back covers have separated completely from the staple binding; there is separation of book pages only at the following point: below the lower of the two remaining staples. The third and lowest staple is missing.

Despite these imperfections, this rarely found,soft-cover, children's book is in amazing condition given its 90 years of age!

Fern Bisel Peat, 1893-1971, was born in in Erie, Pennsylvania, and went to public schools in Elyria. She attended Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, graduating with a degree in fine arts. Marrying Frank Peat in 1917 and settling in northern Ohio, Fern soon began painting children’s murals in both public and private venues.

As her work grew in popularity in the 1920's, she was asked to design children's wallpaper for a Cleveland company, designing a set of Mother Goose wall panels that sold widely. She soon was approached by the Saalfield Publishing Company where she went on to illustrate over 60 children's books!

From 1933 to 1955 she was editor and chief illustrator for Children’s Play Mate magazine, published in Cleveland, and nearly all of the covers during that time period feature her illustrations.

As the major breadwinner for the Bisel Peat family, Fern found every way possible to market her work to publishers, advertising firms and toy makers during the lean years of the American Depression and World War II. As a result, her distinctive children's illustrations can not only be found within children's books of the era, but also on holiday decorations, paper fans, playing cards, rag dolls, tin toys…not to mention coloring books, puzzles, paper doll books, and greeting cards!

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

This wonderfully rare, 1920s piece of Black Memorabilia ephemera is in utterly fabulous condition!

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!

These authentic and extraordinarily RARE, hand-forged, wrought iron, Slave Ship Ankle Shackles were de-accessioned from a private collection. Ankle shackles such as these were used to restrain and imprison kidnapped Africans below decks in the slaver ships' holds during what is known as the ‘Middle Passage’, the brutal voyage endured by captured Africans from the West Coast of Africa to enslavement in the Americas- the second portion of what was known as the transatlantic slave trade.

While the precise age of this late 18th to early 19th century old shackle is unknown, this type of ankle shackle has been documented to have been in use as far back as the 1780's by English slave traders, and was likely in continued use up until the 1860 onset of America's Civil War.

In 2015, the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool, England, acquired a set of ankle shackles very similar to the set offered here. In referring to the museum's acquisition, the museum's Head, Dr Richard Benjamin, related the following:

“A similar pair of shackles was purchased in Liverpool by the campaigner Thomas Clarkson in his antislavery crusade as evidence against the transatlantic slave trade. They were presented in front of Privy Council in 1788 as part of its enquiry into the transatlantic slave trade. An engraving of the shackles with a detailed description also appeared in Clarkson’s antislavery pamphlet."

These hand-forged, wrought iron ankle shackles remain in all-original and untouched condition, measuring approximately 11.75 inches in length. The cuff sizes vary slightly ranging from approximate lengths of 3.75 to 4 inches and approximate widths from 2.75 to 3 inches, a set likely used on a female slave. The shackles can be described as consisting of a wrought iron bolt with a pair of loops slid onto it via holes in both ends of each loop. One end of the iron bar is fixed closed by a triangular-shaped flange large enough to prevent the loops from being removed from the bar. The other end of the bar ends in a circular "eye" that is secured closed by a hand-wrought circular "lock washer" inserted at the time the shackles were applied.

An utterly gruesome, tangible testament to the malevolence and horrors of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade.

This delightful grouping of 3 black Aunt Jemima composition dolls from the 1930s enjoyed an interesting, more recent life as advertising display pieces in an old Vermont Country store!

The 3 dolls were grouped together in a creative display that supported the sale of Aunt Jemima Pancake products! Their costumes are all identical and were hand-stitched and made especially for the planned Aunt Jemima display.

Each of the dolls remain intact inside an encasement of glue and paper wrapping and are attached to home-made, plaster-of-Paris-based, rectangular platforms. The platforms were created in 1958 as is written on the bottom of each base, and the dolls remained in place until the store closed in the early 1980s.

The large doll is 11 inches tall and evidences age-crackling to her composition face and hands; her right hand is actually missing a small piece of composition (see photo). Black hair peeks out from inside her checkered head scarf framing her sweet face!

The doll on the left side is the shortest, measuring 5 3/4 inches high. She is in fine condition and her eyes are placed in an interesting sideward glance.

The doll on the right measures 6 1/4 inches tall. Her composition is in fine condition with the exception to some small loss at the very top of her head (see photo).

Certainly a very visually appealing trio, sold all together as a group of three!

Measuring 1 3/4 inches in diameter x 3/8 of an inch high, this circa 1920’s, dexterity game puzzle depicts a fancily dressed and top-hatted black man! Likely German-made, the puzzle is without markings. Vibrant color and detailing! The puzzle contains 4 tiny white balls, that with the proper manual dexterity, are to be placed in the gent’s mouth, eyes and bow tie!

Constructed of tin with a cardboard lithographed image and a glass cover, this game is backed with its original mirror. The puzzle is in all-original condition with the lithographed graphic remaining free of scratches and abrasions. The glass is rippled but is not damaged as it remains smooth to the touch. A "defective" piece of glass was likely just simply chosen for use in what was once an inexpensive penny game!. The mirror shows some tiny bits of loss to silvering as noted in photos. (Please disregard any light or shiny spots in photos which are due to flash reflection off of the glass.)

An interesting image and a delightful piece of early Black Memorabilia!

Measuring 3.25 inches X 4 inches, this early 1900's, Glass Magic Lantern Slide is in pristine condition!

Featuring wonderful, vivid colors, this slide is titled "Two Old Chums" on the paper label attached to the back of the slide. The slide depicts an older black gentleman standing, hat in hand, beside a seated, very despondent-looking, white gentleman- who appears to have been drinking.

The slide has wonderful detailing--In particular, please note the print of a Black Child playing the Banjo which hangs on the wall at the far right side of the room!

Very hard to find Black Memorabilia in fabulous condition!

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

Measuring 18 inches tall, Mammy 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. Her hair has been styled in six pigtails adorned with bows.

Mammy's red, machine-stitched dress is also vintage 1930-40's fabric and features the classic Grecian Key design in white.

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 Art crafts-person who is now deceased.

Please take a moment to view her little brother by typing the words "Maine Doll" into the SEARCH box.

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!

Measuring 23 3/4 inches long x 15 ¼ inches wide when completely opened, this very charming, circa 1940s, machine-stitched, linen towel bears a very delightful, colorful stencil of the well-known Black Memorabilia character, Little Brown Koko eating a watermelon!

The story book, Little Brown Koko, was first published in 1940 by author, Blance Seale Hunt, whose character became so popular that a series of Little Brown Koko story book adventures followed in quick succession!

In excellent, spotless condition, the towel may be folded and framed if desired! A great companion piece for those who collect Little Brown Koko books!

This circa 1940’s Black Mammy doll is diminutive in size and delightfully detailed!

Measuring just 6 ½ inches tall with a skirt circumference of 4 ½ inches, her head, torso, and arms are constructed of fabric with an inverted basket serving as her skirt. Her clothing is machine-stitched with attention paid to detail: teeny gold fabric braiding serves as earrings and necklace; delicate lace accents her skirt hem; her red shawl features zig zag stitching accents; her face is finely hand-painted.

A sweet addition to one’s Black Memorabilia or Doll collection!

This vintage 1920's Austrian, cast iron figural group is an authentic piece that was carefully hand-painted some 100 years ago! Austrian pieces of this era were known for their fine craftsmanship and attention to detail.

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!

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 inkwell is constructed in solid brass and has a hole for both placement of pen and glass insert for ink. This piece is offered without the pen and glass ink insert.

It is in all original condition with delightful patina- not a reproduction- no replaced parts- and measures 6 inches long x 3.25 inches wide and 2 1/2 inches high. It does not retain any marking other than a mold number 4557.

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.

Measuring 7.5 inches long x 10 inches high, this rarely-found, circa 1930's, wooden pull toy depicting a Smiling Black Boy is fully functional! He was manufactured by Wood Commodities Corporation, New York, and was called, not the typical Sambo as one might expect, but "Little Jasper"!

Little Jasper was created by George Pal, a cartoonist who worked for Paramount Studios and who created the Puppetoons, a popular cartoon series played in movie theaters of the era prior to the screening of the feature film.

Push or pull him along, and he twirls around while the two present wooden flowers spin along with him! (One wooden flower top is, unfortunately, missing--the only imperfection to this fabulous toy!)

Overall condition is rated as excellent, barely-used condition! There is very insignificant edge wear to paint here and there, but the four wheels don't show even the tiniest trace of wear from use, suggesting that this toy quite likely sat either in a display cabinet or was packed away for its entire existence! Even the original, paper manufacturing sticker remains intact and in pristine condition!

"Little Jasper" is very RARELY found, and the opportunity to acquire him should not be overlooked!

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.

A very RARE and highly appealing Black Memorabilia Advertising Die cut!

Marked "Copyright 1924", in the lower left hand corner, this extremely hard-to-find advertising piece measures 10.5 inches wide x 13.5 inches high. Colorful and visually interesting, the heavy cardboard die cut depicts an engaging Uncle Wabash serenely strumming his banjo on his front porch! Guess the message to the consumer was, "Eat one of Uncle Wabash's cupcakes to experience your own little slice of heaven and serenity!"

Condition of this charming piece of Black Historical ephemera is quite good given its nearly 100+ years of age!! Old water staining to bottom of the die cut does little to detract from the piece. Crease line to one cupcake edge. Appropriate age-related foxing to back.

This extremely rare, circa 1900, COMPLETE set of 4 Magic Lantern glass slides with Black Americana theme is in mint condition! True to the era in which they were produced, these 4 slides typify the black derogatory stereotypes prolific during this period.

Measuring 4 inches wide x 3 3/4 inches high, the black color-toned set was manufactured by A.D. Handy, Stereopticon & Supplies, Boston.

The four slides tell the story, through drawings and southern black dialogue, of a black boy attempting to steal a watermelon (slide 1). Four other black boys hiding behind a fence and watching, spook him, making the boy think there is a ghost behind him (slide 2)! Dropping the watermelon in fright, he dashes off for safety (slide 3). The shattered watermelon is then left on the ground, already broken into bite-sized pieces for the 4 other boys to enjoy!

This offering is truly an exceptionally scarce Black Americana collectible!!

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.

This vintage 1920's cast iron figure is an authentic piece that was carefully hand-painted long ago. The interesting little hooded drummer measures just 1.5 inches high and is in fine condition with paint scrapes here and there (see all photos). Great facial detail! An interesting figure that displays exceedingly well! Please see the other African-American cast iron figures available for purchase!

Those who are ardent collectors of the famed Florence Upton creation - the Golliwogg - recognize this 19th century, first edition, children's book as an extraordinarily RARE find indeed, very seldom available for purchase in today's market!

"The Golliwogg at the Sea-Side", published in 1898 by Longmans, Green & Co, London & New York, was illustrated by Florence K. Upton, with story written by her mother, Bertha. This book was the 3rd Golliwogg adventure in a series of thirteen Golliwogg adventures by Upton, with the last published in 1909-- all of which are incredibly difficult to find today.

This hard cover book, measuring 8.75 inches high x 11.5 inches long, is a total of 63 pages in length. The book is lavishly illustrated with 32 full-color illustrations and tells the story of Golly's adventures at the sea shore. Golly and his friends, suffering from boredom, go off to the seashore to try their hand at sunbathing, swimming in the ocean, crab fishing, boating—all with considerable catastrophe—until finally trying a hoped-for-peaceful hayride through the countryside—all for naught!!

The Golliwog, itself, was based on a Black minstrel doll that Florence Kate Upton, born in 1873 of English parents, had played with as a small child in New York. Upton's Golliwog character was first introduced to the world in her 1895 book entitled The Adventures of Two Dutch Dolls. Like the rag doll that inspired it, the Golliwog in her book was a less-than-handsome creature with very dark, jet black skin, large white-rimmed eyes, red clown lips, and wild, frizzy hair. Golliwogs are typically male and are generally dressed in a jacket, trousers, bow tie, and stand-up collar in a combination of red, white, blue, black, and occasionally yellow colors.

The book is in very fine but not perfect condition-- not surprising given the book's 113 years of age! Wear to hard-board-cover edges and corners. Binding remains strong and tight with center-taping coming a bit lose on one side, but not effecting integrity. A couple of the pages have 1/2inch tears at base, likely the result of simply turning the pages. Book is complete, with no missing pages.

Truly a fabulous find! Only the 2nd time I have EVER had the pleasure of offering one of these wonderfully-rare, 1st edition, Upton, children's book in my 26 years of dealing in Black Memorabilia!!

The book, THOMPSON IN AFRICA or AN ACCOUNT OF THE MISSIONARY LABORS, SUFFERINGS, TRAVELS, AND OBSERVATIONS is the compilation of the journal kept by missionary George Thompson while working at the Mendi Mission in Sierra Leone, Africa, during the period 1848-1851. This is a second edition published in 1852, printed for the author by William Harned, 48 Beekman Street, New York City (the first edition was published in 1851).

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.”

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 item is constructed in solid brass and is known as a document clip used to hold together important papers. 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 4 1/8 inches long x 2 3/8 inches wide. It does not retain any marking other than a mold number 5241.

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.

Offered is a very interesting, scarcely-seen, Black Americana child's toy from the 1930's era.

Measuring 7" long x 4.5" high x 4" wide, this colorful toy features two African-American boxers who are activated by jiggling the paddle which causes the boxer's arms and legs to freely fly about.

The boxers have painted wooden bodies with lithographed tin arms and legs. They are attached to the wooden paddle by a thin metal wire.

The toy is complete and in all-original condition and has not been subjected to any repair or repaint. Wear to the painted faces is evident as noted in the extreme close-up photos provided. No manufacture marking evident.

This seldom-found toy displays very nicely and would be a delightful addition to a Black Americana toy collection.

Entitled "A Chip O' The Old Block", the theme of this 1906 copyrighted lithograph features a derogatory stereotype not recognized as such when it was published 115 years ago. A very young African American toddler, bare-bottomed and still just crawling, is attempting to catch a fleeing hen - the caption implying, just as would his parent. The great irony here is that the artwork is quite skillfully and beautifully executed.

Measuring 8.5" wide x 6.6" long, the original frame is unusually embellished in the lower left hand corner with a very detailed, three-dimensional image of a wicker baby carriage fashioned from an unidentifiable medium. The carriage is missing part of the handle, part of one carriage wheel, and a teeny bit has also been lost on the upper part of that same wheel, but these missing pieces do little to take away from this embellishment's unique character. This is a unique and interesting piece, indeed!

The lithograph measures 5.5" wide x 3.5" long and is signed "Wall" in the grass under the toddler's left foot. The copyright date, 1906, and the publisher, The Ullman Mfg. Co. of New York, appear in the lower right corner. The original backside paper liner is missing.

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!

Measuring 2 2/8 inches in diameter x 5/16 of an inch high, this rarely-found, circa 1910’s, dexterity game depicts a wide-eyed, black man wearing a hat, a wide white collar and a big red bow! The puzzle is quite colorful and is very visually appealing! The puzzle contains 5 tiny white balls of unknown material, that, with the proper manual dexterity, are to be placed two in the gent's eyes and the remaining three between the lips as teeth!

Constructed of tin with a cardboard lithographed image and a glass cover, this game has a mirrored back. The puzzle is in all-original condition with the graphic remaining in bright color and free of scratches and abrasions. Although the glass front is somewhat cloudy, as one can see in photos, the image is readily visualized. The mirrored back shows significant loss of silvering due to its 110+ years of age. (Please disregard any light or shiny spots in photos which are due to flash reflection off of the glass.)

A delightful piece of early, pocket-toy, Black Memorabilia!

Measuring just 2.5" tall and wide, this diminutive, metal, Black Face, Googly Eye toy or game is all original and completely functional despite its near 100 years of age!

Pull the original string attached at the base, and Mr. Googly's eyes move into all sorts of silly positions! Three photos are included to demonstrate the variety of eye positions possible.

The paint is in wonderful condition with just the tiniest, pinprick size dots of loss noted here and there, and only well-seen under magnification. A small crease under the nose is present with no impact to the toy's integrity. This toy was also designed to be wearable, and on the backside one of the two original clothing pins remain.

The toy is marked "Made in Germany" on the reverse side. Two photos were taken in an attempt to clarify this marking, although the beginning and the end of the word "Germany" have worn away over time, making the task difficult!

A seldom found vintage toy in functional, all-original condition! Displays nicely!

Enter "Googly" into the SEARCH box to see our other Googly-Eye collectibles!

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.

Offered is an absolutely wonderful, original, 1930s watercolor portrait of a young "Black Shoe Shine Boy", a figure quite reflective of one aspect of African-American cultural history, as the iconic "shoe-shine boy (or man)" was so very frequently seen on city street corners plying a meager living during the first half of the 20th century.

The piece is signed in the lower right hand corner by LISTED American artist, Olga Lea Rosenson, who was born September 10, 1892, in Brooklyn, New York (died 1959). She was best known for her work capturing town and city landscapes as well as portraiture. This portrait intimately captures the soul of its subject as he pensively awaits his next customer, and it is supposed to have been inspired by a young man whom Ms. Rosenson frequently observed on the streets of Brooklyn.

Painted in 1934, the framed piece measures 20" x 26.5"; the watercolor, 13” x 19.5 “. It is completed in various subtle tones of blue, gray, green, and brown, and it is double-matted in cream with a subtle gray under-mat.

This watercolor remained in the same collection for over 60 years and was professionally re-framed by the original owner in 1987, with information on this re-framing taped to the back side of this piece. The wood frame is in very good condition with a couple of small, age-related areas of wear that are minimally noticeable. There is a 5 inch vertical tear to the paper backing as seen in a photo that was taped closed by the earlier owner; there is no damage to the foam-core backing underneath. To the left of this tear, is cut-out information on the artist that was also taped on back by the earlier owner.

Ms Rosenson's works are owned both privately and by museums around the world, including Washington D.C.'s National Gallery of Art.

Offered for individual sale are two, circa 1960's, "Days of the Week", cotton muslin Hand Towels each featuring a cross-stitched Mammy hard at work tackling a different household chore on each day! The towels are priced at $38 each or both for $65. Please specify preference when making inquiries.

One of the hand towels, "Monday", is entirely hand-cross-stitched and hand-hemmed on a somewhat heavy-weight, cream-colored, cotton muslin. It measures approximately 36 inches square and features Mammy washing clothes using a washboard in a wooden barrel. Condition is quite good with small, scattered, stain spots here and there- none in the area of the cross-stitching.

The other hand towel, "Friday", is made of a slightly lighter weight and whiter-colored, cotton muslin. It measures 28 x 29 inches, and again, it has a tiny stain spot here and there away from the cross-stitched area. The hems are machine stitched while the cross-stitching is entirely hand-completed. This towel features a humorous scene of Mammy serving/making pancakes while a pitcher of milk or water unknowingly spills behind her!

These delightful towels would look charming folded and displayed on a kitchen wall rack or could even be framed - folded so that only the cross-stitched area is visible in the frame!

As the towels are priced both separately or as a pair, please email us stating whether you wish to purchase the pair or only one of the towels so that we can customize your order form.

Measuring 6.25 inches long x 5 inches wide, this rarely found and well detailed, circa 1910, brass ashtray depicts a smiling black male native reclining on a stylized seashell.

In fabulous condition with 100+ years of all original surface patina, this phenomenal piece is very highly detailed and displays wonderfully! It authentically depicts the highly fashionable Art Nouveau styling which was so wildly popular at the turn of the 20th century. This brass ashtray promotes the English settlement of the CONGO on the African continent, and thus, the words "CONGO" are impressed across the native's chest. The earliest version of this ashtray was crafted in BRONZE did not feature the Congo label across the native's chest.

A must-have piece for the sophisticated Black Americana collection!

Offered is the extremely rare, circa 1930s, children's toy sand pail, marked "HappyNak Seaside Pail No4, Made in England" along the folded tin seam of the pail. This darling toy pail clearly had very limited production as it rarely appears on the antiques market for sale, nor can it be readily found in the many existing Black Americana or Black Memorabilia reference books or online sites.

Measuring a diminutive 3 1/2" high excluding the bale handle and 5.75" high including it, this adorable tin pail features colorful graphics of five little golliwoggs playing kickball! The interior and base are painted a bright sky blue while the interior base features a copper color finish over the tin.

The pail has with very minimal wear, with tiny bits of paint loss noted at each entry point of the bale handle into the pail. Some bits of paint loss are also noted on the rim, and there is crackle to the finish, rating it an 8 out of 10.

A very rarely found and quite visually appealing piece of Black Memorabilia!

To see other Golliwogg items currently being offered, enter "golliwogg" into the SEARCH box on our home page.

Offered is a series of 18, circa 1920s, colorfully lithographed trade cards published by the Liebig Extract of Meat Company of London. Each "picture card" as they were called then, features very colorful and highly detailed images on the front side with extensive educational information on the back side, written in French, on the various African tribes living in the Belgian Congo during this time period. The cards, of course, were a strategic marketing concept designed to provide the customer with a tangible reminder of all of the delicious soup extracts and bouillons it produced.

The cards measure approximately 2.75 inches x 4.25 inches and are in very good condition with no observable flaws or damage- quite remarkable given their 100+ years of age. Liebig cards were lavishly produced in Germany from 1875 to 1930 using chromolithographic printing techniques incorporating 12 different colors- an extravagance! The cards were enclosed as "give-aways" with purchase of Liebig products, and the Liebig Company was the first to give away serialized images with its products.

The Liebig Extract of Meat Company was established in London in 1865 by Belgian entrepreneur, George Christian Giebert, when he became interested in commercializing the Belgian chemist, Baron Justus von Leibig's, formula for beef extract. The venture was a resounding success, producing various meat extracts, soups and bouillons into the early 1970s.

Measuring 1 3/4 inches in diameter x 5/16 of an inch high, this rarely-found, circa 1920’s, dexterity game depicts a small black boy with Fez blowing bubbles out of a pipe! The puzzle is quite colorful and is very visually appealing! The puzzle contains 4 tiny white balls of unknown material, that, with the proper manual dexterity, are to be placed in the four bubbles the boy is blowing!

Constructed of tin with a cardboard lithographed image and a glass cover, this game has a mirrored back. The puzzle is in all-original condition with the graphic remaining free of scratches and abrasions. The mirrored back shows evidence of subtle, minor scratching. (Please disregard any light or shiny spots in photos which are due to flash reflection off of the glass.)

A delightful piece of early Black Memorabilia!

Offered are two, circa 1930's, Made in Japan, ceramic bisque, African-American, baby dolls. A very sweet pair, these dolls measure a diminutive 2.5 and 3.5 inches long. The larger doll is marked "Made in Japan", while the smaller is simply marked "JAPAN".

Both dolls retain their 3 original pigtails, all tied off with tiny pieces of string. Their hand-painted lips and eyes remain in excellent condition as is the dark brown paint which covers the bisque bodies which were originally white when manufactured (the white bisque coloring is visible at the joints).

Both dolls have jointed arms and legs which allow them to assume different positions. The string holding the larger doll's legs in place has stretched over these many years resulting in looser leg joints. (This can be repaired if so desired by the new owner.)

The larger doll is dressed in a hand-made outfit consisting of an ivory, yarn-knitted petticoat under a yellow crocheted dress while the smaller doll remains au naturalle! A darling, teeny tiny pair that display quite nicely!

Measuring 12 inches high x 9 3/4 inches long x 6 inches wide, this extraordinarily rare, circa 1920's, Black Americana, wooden pull toy is called Shufflin' Sam!

Demonstrating some degree of age-related paint loss as seen in photos, Shufflin' Sam remains fully functional, shuffling his feet and twirling his blue umbrella when he is gently pulled along a flat surface. His manufacturer is unknown. On his base is written in ink, a very OLD price of $22.00!

The paint loss imperfections do not interfere with the toy's overall charming visual appeal! This exceptional toy has never been repaired or repainted; it remains in all-original condition!

Wooden toys were produced with less frequency than their tin counterparts and also tended to be less hardy, and thus, a far fewer number of them survive today as compared to the more frequently discovered tin and metal toys of the same era.

"Shufflin' Sam" is very RARELY found (The FIRST time I have ever been able to offer him!!!), and the opportunity to acquire him should not be overlooked!

Measuring 6 1/2 x 11 3/4, this lovely, early 1900's, Black subject die cut by Enoch Morgan & Sons, England, features three individual Sapolio Soap die cuts used to advertise the company product. Each die cut features the head of a young black boy centered inside a piece of fruit or vegetable- a cabbage, a watermelon and a (?) pear.

Sapolio was a brand of soap noted for its unique and clever advertising, led by Artemas Ward from 1883–1908. Bret Harte, an American short story writer and poet, wrote jingles for the brand, and the sales force also included King Camp Gillette, who went on to create the fabulously successful Gillette safety razor and the razor and blades business model. Time magazine described Sapolio as "probably the world's best-advertised product" of its time period!

This pleasant trio of Sapolio Soap die cuts is in excellent condition and comes protected in an attractive, walnut-toned, oak decorative frame!

This very rarely found advertising trio together create quite a visually appealing decorative piece!

A vividly colorful piece, this 1940's vintage, all-original, chalkware Black Mammy memo paper holder measures 9.75 inches high x 5.75 inches wide. This particular color and form is less seldom seen on today's collectible's market!

Mammy's paper memo pad is original to the piece; however, she is missing her original pencil which would slip into the hole in her right hand and down into the broom top to form the broom handle! A present day pencil may be used as a replacement.

Condition is quite good with some tiny, age-related, surface and edge flecks as seen in photos. No repaint, cracks, repairs, no breaks! No maker's mark.

Measuring approximately 3" x 3", this rarely found tin mechanical toy features a monkey at the unfortunate mercy of a black lady hitting him with a mallet!

Unmarked, the toy was likely produced in post WWII Germany. It is in wonderful, barely-used condition with just the tiniest degree of scratching wherever metal rubs metal during toy movement. To operate the toy, one simply squeezes the metal lever on the back, which causes the woman to hit the poor monkey on the head with a mallet!

A RARE toy with crisp color and which displays wonderfully!

Measuring 13 inches high, this delightful, hand-made, brother and sister pair of Black cloth dolls were made circa 1940's, by "Roxie" of Asheville, North Carolina, as attested to by the dollmaker's tag sewn on the brother's backside.

Both dolls are in near perfect condition with the exception of a tiny teardrop mark under brother's left eye and a tiny hole next to sister's left side of face on her hairline. Detailing is very sweet with nicely embroidered facial features and color-coordinated, machine-stitched clothing. Hair is authentic looking made of fuzzy wool yarn-- brother's hair is curly and nubby--- sister's is done in a head full of bow-tied pigtails! Bodies are machine-stitched, brown cotton that are each stuffed with cotton batting.

A pair of cuties!!!

Measuring 26.5" long x 13.75" wide, this fabulous, one-of-a-kind segregation sign is felt to be circa 1930s.

The sign with its flat black background, features a decorative free-hand, skill-fully executed, corner-looped edge design in old white paint advertising: SLEEPING ROOM FOR RENT.

Beneath the words 'FOR RENT', the words "WHITE ONLY" have been covered over with a layer of similar-colored background paint. Both words are still visible beneath this layer of paint with the word "WHITE" being most readily visualized.

I believe that this "paint-over" can be easily, professionally removed, and I toyed with the idea of having this done, but then felt that I should offer the sign as it is in its current state, as it is reflective of a small yet positive progression in history, in the viewpoint of at least this proprietor in our society in this time period. What prompted this change of viewpoint, which obviously occurred decades before the Civil Rights Act of 1964, is forever lost to history. The place of origin of this sign is unknown.

The sign is hand-painted on Masonite, a smooth-faced, compressed wood hardboard that was invented in the 1920s and was in popular use during the Depression-ridden 1930s due to its relatively inexpensive price tag. The sign has nine holes to facilitate hanging: three on each end and three down the center of the sign. The sign retains an original surface patina with age-related crackling to the lettering. In addition to the words "White Only" being painted over, a decorative flourish centered between the words "Sleeping Room" and "For Rent" has also been painted over, reason unknown. Mild surface paint loss, scuff-marks, and edge wear are present, commensurate with a 90+year old sign.

An exquisite example of Segregation Era signage that tells a story of prejudice evolving to an acceptance of equality.

Measuring 3 3/4 inches long, this circa 1920s, miniature, Black Mammy doll is unique in construction- its head and body have been fashioned from an old black rubber baby nursing nipple!

This Mammy nipple doll is more unusual and less seldom found because she holds a tiny, plastic, white baby in her left arm. Typically when found, the Mammy nipple doll has empty arms.

Mammy’s sweet little face has been hand-painted, and she has been nicely dressed in a red and white polka dot dress with linen apron and red flowered head scarf. The little baby wears a linen gown edged with lace and has a molded face.

Condition of this wonderful miniature Mammy is very good! With the exception of her nipple face which has contorted a bit due to the ravages of time, she is in delightful condition!

Offered is a wonderful 1934 edition of Topsy Turvy and the Tin Clown by Bernice G. Anderson and illustrated by Esther Friend.

This seldom found copy was originally published in 1932 by Rand McNally & Company of New York.

This copy has superficial scratches to the front and back covers, as well as surface soiling, and wear on book cover edges.(see photos). The front cover has a slight tear at the crease that does not effect strength or integrity of the cover board. A couple of pages have minor staining. The binding is super-tight and all pages remain present.

Topsy's adventures are divided into three chapters in length, approximately 59 numbered pages. Book is filled with a variety of black-ink and black and red illustrations as represented in photos. The story of Topsy was likely inspired by the Little Black Sambo stories which originated at the turn of the 20th century. PLEASE NOTE: in the photos, the printing seems light and faded- not so! It is merely the function of over-lighting or light reflection.

A wonderful and truly RARE book not to be missed!

Please see the other Topsy Turvy book available for separate purchase, a 1938 copy of Topsy Turvy's PigTails.

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

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.

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 are a grouping of 11, circa 1920-30s, colorfully chromolithographed trade cards published by the Liebig Extract of Meat Company of London as well as a smattering of other French and Belgian producers of sweets and clothing for men and women.

"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!

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.

Measuring 7 1/2 x 9 1/2, this lovely, 1920-30's, English or Continental origin, Black subject die cut features a very pretty, smiling young woman in a straw bonnet with unknown book in hand.

This die cut was manufactured to advertise a specific item, store or location but was never used for that purpose or otherwise personalized. Likely, this vintage advertising piece was discovered and then framed so that it could be enjoyed despite its anonymity.

This pleasant die cut is in excellent condition and comes protected in an attractive, walnut-tone, oval decorative frame! The frame bears some minor veneer loss that does not impact the frame integrity, nor is it immediately noticeable.

A sweet piece!

Measuring approximately 11 inches tall, this wonderful, vintage 1940s, Black Americana Chef cookie jar, remains in all original condition-- no repairs or repaint-- and it is NOT a reproduction!

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!

This charming grouping of FOUR vintage, wooden, Black Railroad Porter and Mammy clothes brushes were all made in the 1930's by the Rhody Brush Company of Woonsocket, Rhode Island.

All of these colorful brushes have natural bristles, and range in height from 7.5 inches and 8 inches tall to the smaller, 4.5 inches tall, green and red-dressed little Mammy brushes.

The two railroad porter brushes are priced at $85 each. The two smaller 4.5", green and red-dressed mammy brushes are priced at $60 each.

The black and cream railroad porter brush and the small red Mammy brush are all in near excellent condition with evidence of having been very lightly used as described:
Black and Cream Railroad Porter: teeny, superficial "dings" to paint here and there with one teeny mark near the mouth; paint wear to edges of cap.
Small Red Mammy: paint in excellent condition; faint trace of original red dots on natural bristle skirt.

The following brushes are also in very nice, barely used condition with minor imperfection as described below:
Small Green Mammy: green cap and blouse, small, 4.5" tall --in very good condition with exception to paint striation on face that occurred during manufacture (close-up photo makes this appear more prominent than what is seen with the eye).
Red and Cream Railroad Porter brush: has minor paint wear to his cream colored pant legs, to the edges of his cream colored hat and also has some very teeny paint wear spots round his eyes. The Porter's wear is consistent with where one would hold onto the brush while using it.

Please note that many of the white spots seen in the photos are light reflections and are NOT areas of missing paint. If one looks closely, the teeny areas of missing paint can be distinguished from the light reflections.

Enter "BRUSH" into the SEARCH BOX to find other Black Americana brushes for sale.

Measuring 8.25 inches long, this vintage, Black Mammy Spoon rest was made in JAPAN in the 1950's. Along with its jolly, wide-eyed caricature, the spoon rest features a purple-colored tulip painted on both sides and reads “SPOONREST” in black lettering at the top of the Mammy's polka-dotted, purple headscarf. Note small "hanging hole" in back for display on the kitchen wall!

Very few of these pieces survive due to the high level of use they encountered. This piece has obviously not seen much if any use as the paint remains absolutely perfect! A single, very minor, very tight age crack is present at the outer edge of the handle bottom. Two superficial craze lines noted: one at the base of the right-side tulip, the second noted at the "R" in "SPOONREST". No other imperfections.

This fine and very hard-to-find piece of Black Memorabilia is an essential addition for the advanced collector! Fabulous detailing!!

Measuring a total length of 26 inches including strings, this fabulous, late 1940's, black character marionette is in wonderful, never-played-with condition!

The puppet, itself, is 14 inches tall and is colorfully dressed in blue and white checked pants, red shoes, orange and whit polka dot shirt, straw hat and red patterned neck scarf.

The puppet's face is composition and bears evidence of some age-related crackling as noted in photos. He has a tiny piece if composition missing on the left side of his neck partially covered by his neck scarf, so it is very difficult to notice. He bears a manufacturer stamp on the bottom of his right foot, but it is partial and unreadable. His hands which hold colorful pink straw maracas are a heavy molded plastic.

The puppet is free of stains, dirt and odor. He retains his original black strings and wooden airplane controller!

Measuring 8 1/2 inches wide x 11 3/4 inches long, this brightly colored, all original, copyright 1931, Little Black Sambo Puzzle by acclaimed American children's illustrator, Fern Bisel Peat, is in very good condition! This very rarely-found puzzle attracts additional interest due to the unusual, geometric, highly angular cut of the individual puzzle pieces- suggesting a very strong Art Deco influence!

(Also currently available is Fern Bisel Peat's companion Little Black Sambo storybook!)

This puzzle rendition of Little Black Sambo depicts Sambo strutting out into the jungle dressed in his newly acquired outfit complete with shade umbrella- all of which is soon to attract the attention of those nasty tigers! This scene has been taken directly from the 1931 copyright, softcover, large folio, Little Black Sambo book illustrated by Fern Bisel Peat and published by The Harter Publishing Company, Educational Publishers, Cleveland Ohio. It is likely that both the puzzle and the book were released to the public at the same time. They were intended for use in the school setting, grades K-2, as well as in the home. The aforementioned large folio Little Black Sambo Book is also available for purchase on this website (type Sambo into the SEARCH box).

Ready to be framed, the puzzle has retained all of the brilliance of its original colors and also sports the artist signature of Fern Bisel Peat in the upper right hand corner. Slight and subtle edge wear to some puzzle pieces as noted in photo. A wonderful addition to one’s Little Black Sambo collection by this highly sought-after, renowned American children's illustrator!

Fern Bisel Peat, 1893-1971, was born in in Erie, Pennsylvania, and went to public schools in Elyria. She attended Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, graduating with a degree in fine arts. Marrying Frank Peat in 1917 and settling in northern Ohio, Fern soon began painting children’s murals in both public and private venues.

As her work grew in popularity in the 1920's, she was asked to design children's wallpaper for a Cleveland company, designing a set of Mother Goose wall panels that sold widely. She soon was approached by the Saalfield Publishing Company where she went on to illustrate over 60 children's books!

From 1933 to 1955 she was editor and chief illustrator for Children’s Play Mate magazine, published in Cleveland, and nearly all of the covers during that time period feature her illustrations.

As the major breadwinner for the Bisel Peat family, Fern found every way possible to market her work to publishers, advertising firms and toy makers during the lean years of the American Depression and World War II. As a result, her distinctive children's illustrations can not only be found within children's books of the era, but also on holiday decorations, paper fans, playing cards, rag dolls, tin toys…not to mention coloring books, puzzles, paper doll books, and greeting cards!

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

Measuring 33 inches long x 15 inches high, this vintage 1869, black ink, original lithograph was published as an art supplement to Appleton's Journal.

The litho was executed by John Karst with his signature appearing in the lower left hand corner. Highly detailed, the litho reproduces a bustling New Orleans' dock scene featuring numerous slaves at work.

This litho was professionally re-framed using museum-quality, acid-free materials in 2004. The frame is a classic styled, black painted, beaded, hardwood accented with a dark rose, acid-free mat.

A fascinating glimpse into life on the docks of the Mississippi River at New Orleans!

Please note that any white spots or streaking appearing in photos are the result of light reflection and are not damage to the litho.

This unusually diminutive, vintage, C1920s, Black Valentine Cupid die cut is protected in a 4 x 6 inch, decorative wood frame, surrounded by a gold foil mat featuring white foil roses. Additional tiny die cuts of pink roses are placed at each corner.

This adorable, smiling Valentine cupid die cut is in very good condition. Two very teeny fold lines are present that are very difficult to see unless using magnification (see closeup photo) - one in the left arm and another in the left wing. Otherwise, perfect!

A very unusual, vintage, Valentine's Day find!

Measuring nearly 8 inches tall, this fabulous and rarely found, early, lithographed, tin toy, No. 1750, retaining its original box, was made by the Lindstrom Tool & Toy Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut.

This late 1930's toy is the later version of the two Mammy walker toys produced by this company. It is marked on back just under the white apron tie, "Lindstrom Corporation Made in USA". The marking is very faint, and thus, difficult to read without scrutiny. The contrast in this photo has been enhanced so that the manufacturer labeling is easier to visualize online.

Mammy shuffles along quite vigorously via her original wind-up mechanism while she holds her broom and quickly "sweeps" back and forth.

Over 70 years old, Mammy is still quite sturdy as she was well made, but she does show some minor scratching and paint loss from play over the years as the photos indicate. Her coloring remains brilliant!

The box remains in very good condition with minimal wear to seams considering its age. Coloring is strong. One flap at the top of the box is detached but present.

Sweeping Mammy is a must-have addition to any Black Memorabilia Toy collection!

Offered is this exceedingly rare and unusual, circa 1910, Dallas, Texas, 10 page, all-paper (including front and back covers), advertising "Give-Away" pamphlet which tells the complete story of LITTLE BLACK SAMBO, featuring both black line and color illustrations. I have not seen anything quite like this before!

On the back cover are the advertisements of six local, Dallas, Texas, merchants who joined together to produce this little pamphlet for children as an advertising promotion for each of their respective businesses. Named are the Stacey Baking Company, T.P. Hudson Kodak Picture Developer and Sundry Shop, Moore Brothers Laundry and Dye Works, Star Messenger Service, McKinney Furniture Company, and Thornton and Bracey Fine Stationery and School Supplies.

Such an unique and very exceptional piece of turn-of-the-20th-century, Dallas, Texas, historical ephemera!

The story of Little Black Sambo, of course, was to become a much-beloved children's classic written in the early 1900's by Englishwoman, Helen Bannerman, for her two daughters while they lived in India. Sambo, in the original Bannerman tale, was an Indian boy and not an African-American child. He was converted to this race overtime, however, by subsequent story tellers and illustrators. This age-old tale tells of Little Black Sambo and his frightening tiger encounter, which fortunately, has a happy ending! Condition is an amazing 7.5 out of 10, remembering, of course, that this is an ALL PAPER PAMPHLET that is now approximately 110+ years of age! All pages have been photographed which clearly show condition throughout.

The pamphlet is bound together via two staples which remain intact and are firmly holding all pages and the covers together. The front and back covers have separated from one another at the top and bottom of the pamphlet up to each respective staple; however, the area between the two staples remains intact. A few tiny edge rips are present as noted in photos. The black line drawings have been "expertly" colored-in with crayon by a budding artist of long ago who carefully and very diligently stayed within the lines. As such, one tends not to even notice that this "artwork" was not original to the publication. Original in-color illustrations remain very bright and vibrant. Pages have darkened with age. Measures approximately 6.75 inches x 9.5 inches.

Interestingly, in addition to relating the complete tale of Little Black Sambo, four pages are devoted to illustrations that identify specific characters and situations within the story, all individually entitled such as "First Tiger", "Tigers Fighting", "Purple Shoes Gone", "Lucky Sambo", "Pancake Supper", etc.

Amazing condition for a 110+ year old advertising story pamphlet that was clearly enjoyed by at least one youngster long ago - and one that may very well be the only copy remaining in existence! For the collector and lover of the tale of Little Black Sambo, this is a must-have!

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

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!

Offered is a truly one-of-a-kind piece of Black Memorabilia!

This 1920-30s, hinged, wooden game piece box features an original, hand-executed, ink-on-paper drawing of a black figure in a tuxedo that has been pasted to the box cover. The drawing has been preserved with a shellac covering.

The box contains fifty, sequentially numbered 1-50, wooden game pieces painted red and white. The game pieces are in mint condition and appear to have only been lightly used. They remain firmly in place within the box with the support of non-stick, archival tape which may be easily removed without damage to the game pieces, if desired.

The game box measures 5.25 inches wide x 10.50 inches long x 1 inch high.

Truly a one-of-a-kind piece of vintage Black Memorabilia! Displays wonderfully!

Offered is this 1959 copyright, LITTLE BLACK SAMBO TELL-A-TALE Book with illustrations by Violet LaMont. A Whitman Book publication, copyright by Western Publishing, Racine, Wisconsin. Hardcover, 28 pages.

A much-beloved children's classic written in the early 1900's by Englishwoman, Helen Bannerman, for her two young daughters while they lived in India, Sambo, in the original tale, was an Indian boy and not an African-American child. He was converted over time to this race, 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 9 out of 10! This book has seen little use with just a teeny bit of wear to book edge points as well as very minor wear in a couple of areas on the exterior binding. Otherwise, intact and tight with no tears, creases, pen/pencil markings or soiling!

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