Catalog (183)

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!

Offered are five different, circa 1890-1901, Jim Crow era, stereoview cards, highlighting African-American history at the turn of the 20th century, some 120+ years ago. They feature: grueling rice field labor in South Carolina, a slave market in St. Augustine, Florida, a group of Florida sugar cane grinders, five English Springer Spaniels at U.S. Field Dog Trails being held at bay by a young black man, and seven very young black children seated on a mule awaiting orders for work in the fields.

The stereoview cards are titled: "Hoeing Rice, South Carolina", "Old Slave Market At St. Augustine, Florida", "Native Cane Grinders in Sunny Florida", "Who said quail?" (young man holding English Springer Spaniels) and "Waitin Fo De End Man" (7 Boys Sitting on a Mule).

The cards are priced at $35.00 each or all five cards for $140.00. All are in fine condition, and all but "Waitin Fo De End Man" and "Who said quail?" have a detailed, historical description on the reverse side.

As each is priced separately as stated, please specify which stereoview card(s) you wish to purchase so that we can customize your order form.

Offered are two, VERY RARE, 1880's, romantically-themed advertisements printed in Germany and sold by the Bim Brothers, London. The two advertisements both feature well-dressed African American gentlemen attempting to woo and capture the exclusive attentions of pretty young African-American ladies, one via a banjo serenade and the other via an offer of lovely flowers.

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 banjo playing gent (with that snarling black dog in the lower right corner) measures approximately 7.25 inches wide x 10.25 inches long. The advertisement featuring the shy woman being presented with pretty flowers measures approximately 7.25 inches wide x 9 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, lines and light edge wear. The advertisements are priced at $35 each or two for $60.

Offered are two, VERY RARE, 1880's, Black Americana advertisements printed in Germany and sold by the Bim Brothers, London. The two advertisements both feature African Americans- one showcasing a family of five out for a stroll in the park, and the other featuring a group of nine folks of varying ages playing musical instruments and dancing in celebration.

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.

Offered are three different 78 RPM records featuring JIM CROW era, minstrel music of the 1900-1920's. All three records come with their original paper jackets. They are priced at $30 each.

The records are in used condition with minor scuffing and/or scratching typical of used records of 80+ years of age. These records have not been recently played and are presented as historical artifacts, and as such, they are offered for sale without guarantee of "playing quality".

Offered are:

1) 1912 "I'se Gwine Back to Dixie" by the Haydn Quartet

2) 1923 "Two Black Crows Part 1 and Part 2" A Comedy Sketch by Moran and Mack

3) C1915 "No One Loves You Any Better Than Your Mammy" by Link-Nelson

As each is priced separately, please email us stating which item you wish to purchase so that we can customize your order form.

Measuring a very diminutive 2 inches long x 1 ½ inches wide x ½ inch deep, this tiny cardboard match box was made in Sweden in the 1930’s. It still retains its wonderful lithographed image of a Black Man carrying jugs of coconut juice among the palm trees. It is entitled “THE PALMTREE” and is additionally labeled “IMPREGNATED SAFETY MATCH, MADE IN SWEDEN” along the bottom of the litho. It is in near mint condition but no longer contains any matches! The box simply slides out of its cardboard casing with a push of the finger!

Measuring approximately 3 1/4 inches long x 2 1/4 inch wide x 1 1/8 inches deep, this vintage, sweetly depicted, steam-molded Brown Doll Face from the 1930’s has never been used! Eyes and lips are both hand-painted; condition is quite fine with no stains, tears, or discoloration—ready to be used!

While the photo depicts a grouping of 3 different, vintage 1930-40's, French Rum labels, only the oval label is available at $14.00, as the other 2 have been sold.

The label is unused and is in excellent condition with wonderful, even coloring (any appearance of fading is due to light reflection only).

Approximate measurements: the oval label measures 4.50 x 3.50 inches.

Would look wonderful framed!!

Please take a moment to view my other grouping of vintage French rum labels!

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.

This handsome Black Memorabilia Male Golliwogg doll comes straight from an English home!

A brief history of the Golliwog doll: The Golliwog is based on a Black minstrel doll that the Victorian era illustrator, 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 an ugly 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.

Measuring 21.5 inches long, this delightful and appealing cloth Golli is unmarked and is thought, by his original and quite elderly owner, to have been made in the mid 1940's! (She speculates that he could even be a bit older than that, but she remembers not acquiring him until after the end of WWII.)

His nose and mouth are hand-stitched and he has round, cloth covered button eyes- the pupils were hand-colored using black ink! His nicely coiffed, black hair appears to have been styled from soft, "stuffed animal-type" fur! Rather interesting and ingenious! He has a machine-stitched, cotton batting stuffed, black sock cloth body. His colorful wardrobe is also machine stitched- green wool mourning coat, gold vest, and red and white polka-dotted cotton pants and matching bow tie!

He is in wonderful condition with the exception of some tiny moth holes to the back of his mourning coat (see photos) as well as another tiny moth hole to the back of his right arm and back right pants leg. The polka dot clothing shows the slightest hint of fading. His dark black fur hair also shows some age-related color change to brown at the roots. Hmm...then again...perhaps he's simply overdue for another hair coloring appointment at the Salon!

A very sweet addition to one's Black Memorabilia or Golliwogg collection!

Measuring 21 inches in length, this very handsomely attired, gentleman golliwog doll hails from the early 1950's and remains in near pristine condition. Displayed under glass all of these years, his clothing retains good color and is free of soiling with the exception of his white cotton vest which has one small spot on either side that are both nicely concealed when his jacket is set properly in place. (Clothing is removable if the new owner wishes to launder.)

The golly's clothing is machine stitched; his red mouth and white eyeballs are constructed of felt. His body is tightly stuffed with cotton batting allowing him to be displayed either in a sitting position or standing with the support of a doll stand.

A brief history of the Golliwog doll: The Golliwog is based on a Black minstrel doll that the Victorian era illustrator, 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 an ugly 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.

A very sweet piece!

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

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.

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

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

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

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