$895.00
This vintage, 120 year old+ piece of Black Americana is in wonderful condition absent two very tiny edge breaks- one at the extreme edge of the right tip of the base, and the other in the very minor loss to the tips of the right thumb and index finger. Neither of these points of extremely insignificant loss are at all readily evident and do little to distract from the truly incredible rarity of this piece.
The frame easily comes apart into 3 pieces for safe shipping and/or storage.
An extraordinary opportunity to acquire an extremely RARE and highly coveted piece of turn-of-the-19th-to-20th-century Black Americana!
$625.00
From 1901-1924, Bruckner produced this original, 12" Topsy Turvy doll for Horsman's Babyland Rag Doll line that features Caucasian, "Betty", on one end and African American, "Topsy", on the other. The inspiration for this doll is based on the character of Topsy in Harriet Beecher Stowe's classic 1852 novel, "Uncle Tom's Cabin".
The Bruckner Topsy Turvy doll was advertised in a 1907 Babyland Rag Doll catalog as follows:
"TOPSY-TURVY---What is this?
Looks like just a pretty miss.
But turn her over and you'll find,
She is quite another kind.
First she's White and then she's Black,
Turn her over and turn her back.
Topsy that side--Betty this--
Yet complete, each little Miss."
The detail on this hard to find classic doll is lovely. Both heads indeed have the pressed, molded mask faces with lithographed features. Topsy's face is in mint condition! Betty's face is very fine with superficial rubs to the flesh-toned coating of her mask; her lithographed facial features, however, remain beautiful. (Such rubs are not unexpected as these particular doll masks are, unfortunately, prone to rubbing.)
Grinning Topsy has red bows tied to her black mohair braided pigtails which are tucked into her red headscarf. Her red blouse, which matches her head scarf, is trimmed with cream banding around the sleeve and neck edges. The cream scarf she wears around her shoulders tucks into her very full, red/cream checked, gingham skirt. Flip her over, and....
Betty's more subtle Anglo face and her hair are lithographed. She wears the same red/cream checked gingham fabric of which both her dress and ruffled bonnet are constructed. Over her very full gingham dress, Betty also wears a sheer, ruffled pinafore.
Both dolls have the typical "mitten" hands of the stuffed rag dolls of this era. There are no other difficulties to report other than the rubs to Betty's face and some tiny, stray (original) glue spots here and there. No rips, tears, soiling, or odors, and she has been stored in a smoke-free home. The photos show it all- these two girls are a charming pair! A very difficult to find doll in near excellent condition!
$65.00
Featuring a delightful, cartoon-like caricature of a black man, this board is in very good condition with minor edge wear, slight age-discoloration and a teeny missing piece of the front rim of the hat.
An interesting, seldom-found piece of Black Memorabilia!
Please disregard reflections in photos that are due to the presence of protective plastic wrap.
$475.00
These dolls were conceptualized as advertising pieces and were only obtainable from the Aunt Jemima Mills of St. Joseph, Missouri, in return of 24 cents in stamps along with 4 box tops from select Aunt Jemima products for the full set which also included children, Little Diana and Wade Davis, OR for JUST ONE DOLL, 1 box top and 6 cents in stamps! Dolls were then shipped promptly, postpaid upon receipt!
The original purchaser of these uncut dolls, Mrs O. W. Lewis of Ethel, Missouri, clearly only ordered the Aunt Jemima and Uncle Mose dolls, as these dolls remained within the family, untouched in the original mailing envelope, until their recent discovery by the purchaser's descendants.
It is quite unusual to find uncut versions of these dolls -along with the original mailing envelope which typically is quickly tossed away- as more commonly, the dolls are found by chance as "singletons" here and there-- already cut, sewn, stuffed and played with as opposed to the pristine, uncut versions offered here.
The pair is in quite wonderful condition given their 100+ years of age and are suitable for framing. Each doll is printed on a separate piece of linen, and the color of each doll remains amazingly crisp and brilliant! Aunt Jemima measures 10.5" wide by 35" long, and Uncle Mose measures 10" wide by 35" long. (Please note that any variation in color noted in photos is a result of lighting issues and light reflection only. Background of linen remains its original, crisp, bright white with each doll retaining its "like-new" consistent and brilliant color.)
Mild foxing is noted only on Aunt Jemima and not on Uncle Mose, likely due to the manner of storage. The Uncle Mose doll fabric was folded and stored inside of the Aunt Jemima fabric, and then they were placed inside of the envelope, with only Aunt Jemima coming into contact, for decades, with the high-acidic content of the envelope which caused the foxing. Fold lines are evident as well; however, these fold lines are the result of original factory packaging and storage in the envelope for over 100 years. Other than the foxing as described, the pair remain in truly fine condition!
A rare opportunity for the advanced collector to acquire an uncut, complete pair of C1917, Aunt Jemima and Uncle Mose Advertising Rag Dolls, suitable for framing!
This offering will only be sold as a pair; offers for an individual piece will not be entertained.
$55.00
The die cuts are a representation of every day European black folk of the 1880s- from a mother holding her infant to an officer in the army, these ten charming die cuts make for a thought-provoking display! Interestingly, yes, these die cuts do indeed have a bluish tinge to their skin color- an occurrence for which no explanation can be offered.
The products for which these die cuts were meant to endorse is unknown. The die cuts feature an embossed, glossy finish which compliments the beautiful detailing and intense coloring of each piece. This grouping would look fabulous framed!
Approximate measurements are as follows:
6 Musicians: 4.75" tall x 3.75" wide
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 the figures reveals that there are no restorations or repairs to any of the 6 figures whose verso can be viewed. Note that 4 of the figures remain loosely attached to the black construction paper; it will be left to the buyer to choose whether or not to detach them.
This entire grouping of die cuts is being sold as one single fabulous offering at $55.00.
$395.00
This unique, Japanese made, 6" tall Black Sailor or Pirate ceramic nodder by UCAGCO is in mint condition--no cracks, chips, paint wear or repaint!!! Any white spots, etc in photos are purely the function of poor photography!
This interesting fellow wears blue and white striped pants, yellow and green shirt, and yellow jacket. His head nods "yes" and his flowered-painted fan can be made to wave in any direction.
Both head & fan have "Pat T.T." impressed on the weighted stem.
Truly a quite rarely-found piece of Black Americana with a book value exceeding $450.00.
Please see the two additional Black Memorabilia nodders also available by Ardalt Co., Japan - the darling Black Girl Child Nodder and her companion piece, the adorable Black Boy Child Clown Nodder.
$95.00
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!
$225.00
ENTIRELY hand-stitched, this gent is dressed in fancy striped pants, straw shoes and hat, green belt, and in a navy blue and white polka dot shirt with a tiny breast pocket that holds a teeny pack of CAMEL cigarettes, labeled with a "C"! His outfit is topped off with a red tie that is held in place by a bean tie tack!
His face is hand-stitched with careful attention noted to the creation of his molded, 3-D nose. The weather must be warm as he wearily wipes his hot neck with a red and tan checked handkerchief!
A delightful African-American Southern character doll!
$450.00
From 1901-1924, Bruckner produced this original, 12" Topsy Turvy doll for Horsman's Babyland Rag Doll line that features Caucasian, "Betty", on one end and African American, "Topsy", on the other. The inspiration for this doll is based on the character of Topsy in Harriet Beecher Stowe's classic 1852 novel, "Uncle Tom's Cabin".
The Bruckner Topsy Turvy doll was advertised in a 1907 Babyland Rag Doll catalog as follows:
"TOPSY-TURVY---What is this?
Looks like just a pretty miss.
But turn her over and you'll find,
She is quite another kind.
First she's White and then she's Black,
Turn her over and turn her back.
Topsy that side--Betty this--
Yet complete, each little Miss."
The detail on this hard to find classic doll is lovely. Both heads indeed have the pressed, molded mask faces with lithographed features. Topsy's face is in mint condition! Betty's face is also in excellent condition with no superficial rubs to the flesh-toned coating of her mask; her lithographed facial features remain just beautiful!! (Such rubs are not unexpected as these particular doll masks are, unfortunately, very prone to rubbing. To find one of these 100+ year old dolls without such rubbing is quite rare!)
Grinning Topsy has red bows tied to her black mohair braided pigtails which are tucked into her red headscarf. Her red blouse, which matches her head scarf, is trimmed with cream banding around the sleeve and neck edges. The cream scarf she wears around her shoulders tucks into her very full, red/cream checked, gingham skirt. Topsy’s cream banding is lightly soiled and there is also some subtle fading to her red head scarf, most notably in the back. Flip her over, and....
Betty's more subtle Anglo face and her hair are lithographed. She wears the same red/cream checked gingham fabric of which both her dress and ruffled bonnet are constructed. Over her very full gingham dress, Betty should also wear a sheer, ruffled, white pinafore, however, it has been lost over time. Betty’s cream banding around each sleeve is also lightly soiled as are her hands.
Both dolls have the typical "mitten" hands of the stuffed rag dolls of this era. There are no other difficulties to report other than some tiny, stray (original) glue spots here and there. No rips, tears, or odors, and she has been stored in a smoke-free home. The 1901 Patent Bruckner Topsy Turvy doll typically carries a $650+ dollar price tag, but deductions to price have been levied to account for the minor imperfections that are noted in this doll.
The photos show it all- these two girls are a charming pair! A very difficult to find doll in such wonderful condition!
Also offered for sale is a COMPLETE 1901 Patent Bruckner Topsy Turvy doll with absolutely no soiling or fading. To view, simply type Bruckner into the SEARCH box on our homepage.
$125.00
Measuring 13 inches tall, he is constructed of black, machine-stitched, vintage 1930-1940's, polished cotton which has been stuffed with cotton batting. Facial features have been hand-embroidered, are quite expressive and are exceedingly well done. His hair has been styled in tightly wound little ringlets.
His brown-patterned, machine-stitched shirt and pants are also vintage 1930-40's fabric, accented with two miss-matched buttons holding up cute red suspenders.
A delightful piece of Black Memorabilia Folk Art! This wonderful, 1940's-vintage-look, one-of-a-kind, Artisan Doll was constructed in the 1990's by a Maine Folk Artist who is now deceased.
Please take a moment to view his big sister by typing the words "Maine Doll" into the SEARCH box.
$1,595.00
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.
$175.00
Measuring 1.5 inches long x 1 inch wide, this sharpener depicts a derogatory caricature of a Black Man. The glaring eyes are painted a stark white with teeny black pupils, while the red painted lips surround the pencil sharpener blade which takes the place of the man's teeth. Curly molded hair and eyebrows are painted black, while the face is painted brown- inside and out.
The pencil sharpener is stamped GERMANY on the back inside.
Condition is very good with approximately 75% of the original paint remaining. There is no repaint! The paint is worn in expected areas, with the majority of paint wear seen on the sides of the face and bottom of the chin where one would grasp the sharpener. Facial feature paint is strong.
Germany apparently made a good steel blade as the sharpener still works!
$125.00
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 7.5 out of 10! All the wear on this brightly colored hardcover book was absorbed by its cover with wear to book edge points, book cover edges, and splits to the exterior spine. The interior binding is intact and tight as are all pages. No rips, creasing or bends to pages or pen/pencil markings. Illustrations remain very brightly colored and vibrant and are known for their very fine artistry. There is a small spot of brown paint that likely dropped onto the book while it was closed because a tiny remnant of this paint appears on the very edge of each page approximately one inch from the top of the pages (as seen in photos). Interestingly, both the front and back covers are identical in design!
Amazing condition for a nearly 90 year M.A. Donahue Publishers book- a 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 type “Sambo” into the search box on our website homepage.
$95.00
A tiny bisque black boy holding a watermelon slice is seated on a throne of sea shells. The name of the location that this sea shell souvenir was meant to commemorate is worn and is no longer readable.
Two very minor chips are present as shown in photos which do not detract from the beauty of this piece!
$975.00
The single page, 16" x 25" document was folded in half by its author, and the charge is written out on one side of the folded page and then completed on the back of the same side of the page (see photos). The folded page was then flipped over, folded into fourths, and the title of the charge was written out: "The State VS Henry Negro Boy Slave".
The text of the charge reads as follows, Paragraph one:
"Georgia Warren County"
"Before me Matthew Sheilds a justice of the peace for said county, personally came Stephen Blount who being duly sworn deposeth and sayeth that according to the best of his knowledge and belief Henry a negro boy slave the property of the estate of Hardy Pitts late of said county deceased, did commit a violent assault and battery with intent to kill Deponent, with a heavy stick - and Deponent believes said stick was ferreled (an action suggestive of a wild beast)- upon the person of Deponent - on this night of the thirteenth of this Instant in said county of Warren to wit upon the plantation of Thomas Persons, near Warrenton.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 14th March 1842."
"Matthew Sheilds JP"
"Stephen Blount"
Paragraph two:
"Georgia Warren County"
"By Matthew Sheilds one of the Justices To Sheriff the Constables of Said County and to all other lawful officers for as much as Stephen Blount who being duly sworn deposeth and sayeth that according to the best of his knowledge and belief Henry a Negro boy Slave the property of the estate of Hardy Pitts late of Said County deceased did commit a violent assault and battery with intent to kill Deponent - with a heavy stick and Deponent believes said stick was ferreled upon the person of Deponent on the night of the thirteenth of this Instant...." (continued next page)
Next Page:
"in Said County of Warren to wit on the plantation of Thomas Persons near Warrenton. These are therefore to Command you that you apprehend the Said Negro Boy Henry and bring him before me or some other Justice of the peace of Said County to Answer the said charge and to be further dealt with according to Law Herein fail not. Given under my hand and Seal this 14th day of March 1842."
"Matthew Sheilds JP" (JP written a second time and encircled in a squiggle to simulate a wax seal)
Condition of this very unique slavery document is quite fine given its 180 years of age. Expected aging of paper with insignificant and minor tears at creases. Also present are three long spillages of ink (as seen in photos) which likely occurred at the time this document was written out with, obviously, no intention of the author to start over again and rewrite!
An extraordinarily rare historical document that defines a specific slave-related incident.
$55.00
The assortment features die cuts of musicians, jugglers, a boxer, actors, a bagpipe player, comically portrayed African natives, and die cut heads of adults as well as die cut heads of children. All but the four African die cuts remain connected as a grouping, just as they were when originally produced and shipped from the factory- a very rare find which increases each grouping's value.
The products for which these die cuts were meant to endorse is unknown. 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!
Approximate measurements are as follows:
The 2 standing, connected figures: 3.25" tall x 4.50" wide
Connected Adult Heads: 2.25" tall x 3.75" wide
Connected children Heads: .75" tall x 4.50" wide
4 African loose figures: 2" tall x 1" wide
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 reveals that no repairs or restorations were made to any of the die cuts in this offering.
This entire grouping of die cuts is being sold as one single offering at $55.00.
$475.00
Measuring just 7 inches wide x 9 inches high, this unsigned piece is very skillfully executed accomplishing a three-dimensional sense of depth through the expert use of light and dark, while capturing the intriguing expression on this young boy's face. Just what is he thinking?
Was this enchanting charcoal portrait completed as a study in preparation for a final, more complex piece, or was it, indeed, the final execution of a subject caught in passing?
Condition is quite fine. Note the faint trace of the artist's title for this work done in a lighter charcoal hiding behind the darker, final printing of the title. Framed in an old black wooden frame, this intriguing charcoal portrait would benefit from professional framing using archival, acid-free materials to enhance its life for many years to come.
$65.00
The book contains lovely black ink line drawings and etchings which accompany a great variety of wonderful short stories for children designed to teach strong moral values, attitudes and behaviors. The story, A Little Colored Boy, is the first and the longest tale in the book. Undoubtedly, Reverend Jackson often used this book in teaching the congregation's children their Sunday school lessons.
The book is inscribed in faded blue ink inside the front cover as follows: "Rev. J. H. Jackson Book. Pastor Greenburg Indiana's A.M.E Church".
Published by the Abingdon Press of Cincinnati and New York, the book contains no publishing date. However, it was likely published in the late 1890's as one story references President Grover Cleveland's eldest child who was born in 1891: "Little Ruth Cleveland, when she was the baby of the White House,..."
President Cleveland served two separate presidential terms of four years each from 1885-1889 and again from 1893- 1897. It is highly likely that this book was published during Cleveland's 2nd term of office or shortly thereafter when the populace would have been well familiar with "Little Ruth", who was popularly known as "Baby Ruth".
The book measures 4.5"x 6.5" and contains over 30 little stories within its 64 pages. Hardcover, the book is in amazing condition for its age, an 8 out of 10. The cloth-bound cover has minimal wear with only one 1/4' long split on the rear binding and some staining certainly commensurate with its 120+ years of age. The binding and pages are tight. Some minor, age-related staining here and there throughout the book, with one page noted as having a tiny tear at its top.
A highly unusual find!