Catalog: Archives: Collectibles: Memorabilia (159)

Offered is a VERY RARELY found, 1890's, Black Memorabilia-themed trade card advertising Welcome Soap, a product manufactured by Curtis Davis & Company.

The advertising card measures 2.75 inches x 4.50 inches and is entitled "Photography Under a Cloud". It features a fabulous litho of 5 African-American boys with exaggerated facial features who are attempting to take a photograph using an early camera. The litho is marked in the lower right corner "Bufford, Boston". The reverse side further advertises WELCOME SOAP and features two shaking hands.

The trade card is in very fine condition with nice color and some very subtle evidence of age staining as seen in photos. The card has no rips, bends, or fading, and would be lovely matted and framed!

Measuring approximately 7 inches high, this highly sought after Black Americana Vargas wax figure is mounted on its original wooden platform and is one of a series of fascinating "street character wax dolls" conceived of and crafted by Mrs. Concepcion Vargas Alfonso, daughter of the world-renowned, turn-of-the-20th century, New Orleans, Spanish sculptor, Francisco Vargas.

From approximately 1910 through the 1930's, Mrs. Concepcion Vargas-Alphonso, influenced by the great artistry of her father who also famously sculpted in wax, crafted a variety of wax dolls inspired by the black folk she saw on New Orleans's street corners selling their wares or practicing their trade - black folk performing everyday activities that would have been daily seen on the streets of the city.

Sold exclusively at the time through Harriet's, of 318 Rue Royal in the French Quarter of New Orleans, the completely hand-made, one-of-a-kind dolls are seldom found on today's market due to their inherently fragile nature, making them highly sought after in the Black Memorabilia / Black Americana Collectible arena.

This figure, known as the Praline Seller, was recently de-accessioned from the Louisiana State University Rural Life Museum collection, Baton Rouge, LA, having been acquired by the museum from a private collector in January 1979.

The Praline Seller was one of the most popular of the renowned Vargas figures, highly sought after by visitors to the city of New Orleans. She holds a wicker basket in her right arm that contains five incredibly realistic praline cakes, and tucked under her left arm is a paper "fan" used to ward off any flies from landing upon her delicious pralines.

Vargas wax figures are distinctly characterized by their interesting but highly exaggerated facial features. This gentlewoman Praline Seller wears a yellow floral kerchief around her neck, a red, yellow and blue bandanna on her head, a red and yellow plaid shirt, an ecru linen waist apron, and a delightful yellow skirt patterned all over with whimsical bunny rabbits, which nearly conceals her black "leather" shoes. Her costume is entirely constructed of actual cloth fabric that was coated with a fine layer of clear wax to stiffen them.

The Praline Seller's wax body is internally supported by a wire frame through which the figure is securely attached to the wooden base. The bottom of the base has the word "Praline" scripted on it.

This wonderful figure is in amazing condition for her 90+ years of age with one imperfection: a missing thumb on her left hand- a common condition occurring due to the extreme delicacy and fragility of the wax. At very close inspection, it appears that her right forearm may have been professionally repaired some many years ago, likely by professional staff at the museum.

A true must-have piece for the ardent collector of New Orleans Black folk character figures!

Please take a moment to view the additional Vargas figures we currently have the pleasure of offering for sale. Type "Vargas" into the search box on our website homepage.

Offered is an ULTRA-RARE, UNCUT, 1924, COMPLETE SET of the FOUR members of the Aunt Jemima Rag Doll Family---Aunt Jemima, Uncle Mose (Aunt Jemima's Husband-- so labeled on his upper back), Little Diana, and Wade Davis.

The dolls were conceptualized as advertising pieces and were only obtainable from the Aunt Jemima Mills of St. Joseph, Missouri, in return of 25 cents in stamps or coins along with 4 box tops or backs from select Aunt Jemima products (proofs of purchase!). Dolls were then shipped promptly, postpaid upon receipt!

I have never come upon a complete, uncut set!!! Rather, these dolls are more typically found as "singletons" here and there by chance-- already cut, sewn, stuffed and played with as opposed to the pristine, complete, uncut versions offered here.

The set is in quite wonderful condition given its 93 years of age. The color of each doll remains amazingly crisp and brilliant! Mild foxing is noted here and there throughout. Fold lines are evident as well; HOWEVER, it must be noted that these fold marks are the result of ORIGINAL PACKAGING and SHIPMENT as these linen pieces were carefully folded to fit within a simple, small to medium-sized envelope when mailed out from the factory.

Additionally, a prior owner likely had framed these pieces as mild tape staining is noted on the backsides of each piece of linen, with some mild, tape-stain, bleed-through noted at the feet of Uncle Mose and Aunt Jemima on the front side. The set is truly in fine condition given its age and was obviously prized and very well cared for over the years.

Each figure is printed on its own, separate piece of linen. Aunt Jemima measures 10.5" wide by 35" long; Uncle Mose measures 10" wide by 35" long; Diana and Wade each measure 12.5" wide by 17.5" long.

A rare opportunity for the advanced collector to acquire an uncut, complete set of 1924, Aunt Jemima Family Advertising Rag Dolls!

This offering will be sold as a complete set ONLY; offers for individual pieces will not be entertained.

An absolutely RARE piece that crosses over many areas of collecting- Black Americana, Ye Old Country Shoppe, or Chocolate!!

"Twin Babies - The Best Choice Providing Quality Chocolate Since 1908!"

Measuring 7 inches in diameter x 7 inches high, this round, 2-piece-mold, clear glass, candy jar has a flattened base to allow the jar to sit on a shelf at angle that facilitates viewing of the both the chocolate advertising and the delightful, smiling Black Twins Chocolate logo graphic! The chocolate jar is in wonderful condition, free of chips or scratches.

The jar graphic and text are both done in black and remain in superb condition- as crisp and clear as the day the piece was first manufactured!

The jar has a 5 inch diameter opening with decorative edging that allows the chocolate jar to be easily filled and better yet, emptied!!

The jar also retains its original metal cover whose bright green painted surface is generally free of wear. The cover is completed by a black wooden knob. The underside of the cover has some very superficial rust staining that has not impacted the integrity of the lid.

A very, very RARE piece of Black Memorabilia that is both visually pleasing and continues to remain quite functional!

Once part of the Middle Passage Museum inventory, these authentic and extraordinarily RARE child’s slave shackles have been de-accessioned. These plantation-made, iron, 19th century shackles were once used on a Georgia plantation. They remain all-original and untouched with sixteen small chain links. These RARE shackles measure a total of 20 inches in length and retain their original iron key, a find that is virtually un-heard of! A horrible, tangible testament to the malevolence of slavery.

Also currently offered for sale and priced separately are a second set of rarely found, Georgia, child's, slave shackles (no key with this set) that is featured in the last photo. An additional set of ADULT shackles is also available. Please type the word "shackles" in the search box on our home page to find all 3 sets of shackles currently offered for sale.

The Middle Passage Museum was the dream of Jim and Mary Anne Petty of Mississippi as well as that of an anonymous Georgian benefactor who had together compiled a collection of slave artifacts numbering over 15,000 pieces and who had hoped to find a permanent site in Mobile, Alabama, for their museum. While they formed a non-profit organization to raise funds for their hoped-for museum, their dream was never realized.

In a 2003 statement, Jim Petty remarked, "The importance of the exhibit of these artifacts is to understand the harshness of what slavery and segregation was all about. The items in the exhibit remind us of the terrible heinousness of slavery. Viewing the collection can be very emotional, but it is a tool through which we can understand, honor and respect a great culture. We want to realize that out of slavery, a great culture emerged, and carried on, and continued to strive for a better life regardless of the adverse conditions that were placed upon them."

Offered is a rarely found, circa 1921, Parker Brothers dexterity game entitled "The Game of Sambo".

The game features a brightly colored lithograph target depicting "Sambo, a Good Old Southern Darkey".

This brightly lithographed game retains 2 of its original 4 cardboard throwing rings, Sambo's wooden pipe upon which the circular rings are meant to land, and two original, wooden stands designed to keep the Sambo target upright as well as the original cardboard cover upon which, on the reverse side, are printed the directions to play the game. The game box base is missing and the box cover no longer retains its sides.

Measuring 10 1/4 inches tall x 6 1/4 inches wide, the game cover as well as the SAMBO target piece displays absolutely wonderfully! As evident in the photos, the box cover shows expected wear given its 90+ years of age. The box cover has some pencil writing, some missing spots of paper and some soiling. The Sambo target piece, which is constructed of wood faced with lithographed paper, is in quite fine condition, as are the wooden pipe and the two, cardboard, target throwing rings. The extant game pieces do not retain a copyright year, but this game is very similar to another Parker Bros SAMBO game that is copyrighted 1921.

A RARELY found, quite visually captivating Black Memorabilia collectible!

Offered is an 1809, Augusta, Georgia, slave document - a Bill of Sale between John Woolfolk of Edgefield District, South Carolina, to Thomas Cumming of Augusta for a total of three slaves, all of whom were related: an adult woman named Judy, who was a seamstress, and her two children, Eliza and Edward.

This document is quite unusual in that it was generally atypical that slave families were permitted to remain together when a slave sale was conducted, regardless of the age of any children involved.

The single page, 15.5" wide x 19" long document was folded in half by its author, and the bill of sale is written out on one side of the folded page (see photos). The folded page was then flipped over, folded into thirds, and the title of the document was written out: "Bill of Sale John Woolfolk, Edgefield District. S.C. (South Carolina) for Judy- a Seamstress Edward (and) Eliza her children".

The text of the Bill of Sale reads as follows, First Paragraph:
"Augusta the 8th June 1809, Received from Thomas Cumming, Six hundred Dollars, being the consideration money infull for the following negro slaves sold and delivered to him this day. Judy a woman of about 21 years old Edward a Boy of about three years old and an infant female, named Eliza, Both Children of the said Woman Judy, which Said three negroes, Judy, Edward and Eliza, I do hereby warrant and defend against the claims of all persons whomsoever"

Second Paragraph:
"Given under my hand and seal the day and date first above written."
"John Woolfolk"

Condition of this slavery document is quite remarkable given its 213 years of age! Expected age-related discoloration of paper and slight (approx 3/4 inch)paper split at one end of one fold only. (see photos)

In wonderful condition, this hard-bound, 2nd printing of Elvira Garner's "EZEKIAL" retains its original dust jacket.

Printed in 1937, this delightful story of little Ezekial and his Florida family was both written and illustrated by Ms. Garner.

The book is tightly bound with some foxing at the front and back cover interior seams. The colors are much brighter and more vivid than they appear in my photos. No rips, tears, or repairs. Photos provide a representation of condition of interior pages, cover and dust cover. Excellent condition for its 70 years!

A very difficult to find Black Memorabilia children's story book!

This fabulous later 19th century/early 20th century, wool, needlepoint sampler measures 19" wide by 17" long and contains many truly fascinating images that add to the mystery of the sampler’s origin: an American flag and a Royal crown, a Canadian maple leaf, numerous varieties of lovely flowers, two black children on a see-saw, a black girl with her hands on her hips, a center hall style colonial era home, a woman carrying a bag with her hand extended out to a little dog, "Jumbo" the elephant from the circus; a yellow Labrador Retriever, several cats, a rooster, horse, and winged bug, a doe and stag, a bird on a branch, 2 little children -- a girl and boy -- with their backs to us, the initial “S” repeated twice, what appears to be a Celtic design, and a cross with wreath.

One cannot help but wonder whether or not this sampler was completed by black female who was illustrating her life history which included involvement in the UNDERGROUND RAILROAD! The references to BOTH Canada (the maple leaf and the crown) and the US (the American Flag) along with the black images are rather curious, making this a very plausible theory! The sampler certainly depicts happy images of life within an affluent (Irish?) household. Hmmm…could this well-executed sampler have possibly been completed by an ex-slave?????

This magnificent sampler is in very good condition for its 100+ years of age. There is some running of the red wool yarns, most probably the result of a previous owner’s attempt to clean the piece. This likely can be removed professionally, although I do not feel it is a significant detraction and question the necessity of attempting to do so. The edges are a bit frayed, but there are no dirt stains, holes, tears, or repairs, and except for isolated areas, the needlepoint stitching remains in wonderful condition!

This colorful and mysterious sampler would be a thought-provoking addition to one’s Black Americana collection!

Measuring 4 3/4 inches high, this pre-World War II, Austrian-made, metal ashtray features a very intriguing, slouching, black nodder figure smoking a cigar!

In wonderful, working condition, the black man's head is attached to his body via the original, flexible, metal rod which allows the head to bob back and forth when jiggled.

Marked on the base of the ashtray "Made in Austria". Paint loss as seen in photos with no repairs or repainting!

An interesting character!

Offered is a rarely found, copyright 1910, Milton Bradley Company of Springfield, Massachusetts, dexterity game entitled "Ring A Pin".

The game features a wooden target with a brightly colored, paper lithograph depicting nine different male faces, including that of an African-American with exaggerated facial features. The target is in very good condition with some minimal surface soiling and paper loss. It retains its original, orange wooden stands.

Each gentleman sports a metal hook from his mouth upon which one is to attempt to toss a very small ring. NOT an easy task by any stretch!

This brightly lithographed game retains four, original, celluloid-like throwing rings. The game directions, which are printed on the back side of the box cover, do not specify the number of rings that were originally included in the game, so it is not known if four was the original number. The game box cover, featuring the original paper lithograph, no longer retains its sides. The cover lithograph is in good condition given its 103 years of age with small areas of surface loss, some tiny rips and missing paper segments, and some light pencil writing evident.

The game box measures 6 1/2 inches tall x 9 1/2 inches wide x 2 inches deep.

The game cover as well as the target piece displays absolutely wonderfully! A RARELY found, quite visually captivating, Black Memorabilia collectible!

Offered is an extraordinarily rare, 1787, Fairfield, Connecticut, Bill of Sale for five SLAVES owned by Ephraim Willard of Fairfield, sold in November 1787 to two brothers, Ebenezer Whiting of Savannah, Georgia, and Bradford Whiting of Fairfield, Connecticut. The two Whiting brothers then resold these five slaves three months later in February 1788, to Thomas Cumming of Savannah, Georgia.

Also included with the 1787 Bill of Sale are three other Cumming's family documents, two measuring approximately 2"L x 8" W, and one 14"L x 8"W (see photos for condition). They are: an 1815 Receipt from Thomas Cumming to Richmond County, GA, for a $25 payment in taxes; a Dec 8, 1848, Receipt from Henry Cumming of Augusta, GA, a son of Thomas Cumming and a very prominent figure in 19th century Georgia politics, to George W. Crawford, Agent of the Bank of Augusta and Henry's law practice partner, a promise to pay on "the first day of January, 1849,"..."one hundred and three dollars for value received in house rent"; a 28 page 1812 Land Dispute document, Superior Court of Chatham County, GA, executed by Thomas Cumming btwn J. Knowle Fanning and the Joseph Clay Sr estate (Thomas Cumming's father-in-law).

The 1787 Bill of Sale is a single page, 7.5" wide x 12" long document, with text written on both sides of the document. Condition is quite remarkable given its 235 years of age!(see photos) Expected age-related discoloration of paper and some very slight paper loss in center of document ONLY noticeable when doc is held up to light.

The text of the 1787 document reads as follows, Paragraph one:
“Know all Men by these Presents that Ephraim Willard of Fairfield and State of Connecticut for and in Consideration of one Hundred and Sixty Eight Pounds Lawful Money Rec. (Received) to my full Satisfaction Of Eben,, (the double comma “,,”representing an abbreviation for Ebenezer) Whiting of Savannah of the State of Georgia & Bradford Whiting of Fairfield and the State of Connecticut do give, grant, bargain sell & Deliver unto them the said Eben,, Whiting and Bradford Whiting One Negro Man Named Peter Aged about Twenty one Years old, and his Wife Named Cate about Twenty Six years old, and her Two Children one a Girl about Five Years old, and the other a Boy about Eighteen Months old, and one other Negro Woman Named Vilot about Twenty One Years old.”

“To have and to hold the above granted the Bargainer Premises with the appurtenant thereof unto them the Said Eben,, & Bradford Whiting their Theirs Executors And Administrators and the Said Ephraim Willard do for myself my heirs Executors and Administrators Covenant with the Said Eben,, & Bradford Whiting their heirs Executors and Administrators that I am Now the Soul and Lawful Owner of the above Granted and Bargained Premises, and That I have said Right to Sell the Same as aforesaid, and that the same are free of all Incumbrances whatsoever -and I do by these Presents bind myself my Heirs Executors and administrators and assign forever against all claims and Demands whatsoever in Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my hand and Seal in Fairfield this Twenty first Day of Nov,, (November) in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty Seven~ Ephraim Willard”
(Witnesses?)
Jonathan Mattbig
Ebenezer Dimon

“Savannah, February 23 1788. I have Sold the five Negroes, mentioned in this Bill of Sale to Thomas Cumming of Savannah, for which I have received a consideration to my satisfaction~”
Ebenezer Whiting
Bradford Whiting

A bit of History-
Slavery in Connecticut:Connecticut, in 1848, was the last New England state to abolish slavery. The state's city of New London was one of the New England port cities that was an integral trading partner in what is generally referred to as “The Triangle Trade”- between New England, the West Indies, and the African Gold Coast. In this triangular trade, molasses produced in the West Indies from sugar cane was sent to New England, New England sent rum made from this molasses to Africa in exchange for enslaved people, and the enslaved were sent to the West Indies to work the sugar cane plantations that produced the molasses, maintaining the prosperity of the northern colonies through the 18th century and into the 19th.

Thomas Cumming: Thomas Cumming, to whom the above five slaves were sold in Savannah, Georgia, in 1788, was born in Frederick, Maryland, having moved to Georgia as an adult. In 1787, the year before this purchase, he married Ann Clay, the daughter of Joseph Clay, a wealthy owner of multiple Savannah-area rice plantations. It is hypothesized that Thomas purchased these slaves in conjunction with or for his father-in-law. At some point in the 1790s, he moved his wife and children to Augusta, and served as Augusta’s first mayor upon its incorporation in 1798. From 1819 until his death at age 68 in 1834, Thomas Cumming was President of the Bank of Augusta.

Measuring 15 ¾ x 19 ½ inches, this extraordinarily RARE, circa 1920’s (or earlier!), heavy painted cardboard, BIMBO RINGO Ring Toss game board is all original and complete. Included are 6 rubber toss rings that have the appearance of mason jar washers and which may or may not be original to this game board. At any rate, the previous owner had these rings displayed with the game board at the time of acquisition, and they will be passed along to the next owner.

This item has phenomenal visual appeal! The striking graphic of an African native holding a shield and spear has been completed in red, black, cream and green colors that show no evidence of fading over these many years. The native's facial features are exaggerated which is quite typical of early 20th century depiction of African Americans.

Manufactured by the G.H. Robinson Company of Chicago (the paper manufacturer’s label remains affixed to the back of the game), the game comes with an attached cardboard stand in back that allowed it to remain upright during play. The game board retains its 5 original metal ring hooks at the native’s ears, nose, shield and spear. The object of the game was to successfully toss and hook a ring onto each of the hooks, with different point values awarded to the various hooks. The first person to accumulate 200 points won the game!

As stated earlier, condition is quite fine with no fading of colors. The metal ring hooks have acquired a nice patina. This game was attentively cared for over the years and at one time was reinforced at each of the four corners with cotton stitching. There is some creasing to the upper right hand corner and a ½ inch long tear- as opposed to a missing piece- to the top border directly aligned with and above the right ear. The stand was also sewn and taped at one time, but remains intact.

This Black Memorabilia game is truly quite rare as it is not documented in any of the extant Black Memorabilia source guides! It is quite likely that not many of the Bimbo Ringo Ring Toss games have survived given the inherently fragile nature of a cardboard – as opposed to a metal- toy!

This is a fabulous and eye-appealing toy that should not be missed by the serious collector of Black Memorabilia!!!

Measuring 4 ¼ inches high with a 3 /14 inch diameter, this UNUSED, 1 pound can of circa EARLY 1930’s, Old BLACK JOE Axle Grease is in very fine condition! There is some wear to the paint along the edge of the lid cover and at the top and bottom side surfaces, but virtually no rusting! The only noted rusting was to the base of the can and this is very superficial and can be buffed away. The can is quite structurally sound with no leaking as demonstrated by the photos taken on unprotected, white, antique bed linens!

Old Black Joe Axle Grease was manufactured by the John Hancock Oil Company of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota- the Twin Cities. The can was made by the St. Louis Can Company and is so labeled (see photos). Note the exaggerated facial features of OLD BLACK JOE---an unfortunate, but very typical depiction of African Americans during this time period.

A wonderful and scarce find Black Memorabilia collectible in near excellent condition!

Published in 1939 by the Whitman Publishing Company of Racine, Wisconsin, this very rarely-found, large folio, fine heavy stock, softcover book measuring 12.5 x 9.75 inches, offers a very unique continuation of the original Little Black Sambo story!

Entitled A New Story of Little Black Sambo, this tale picks up the story of the original Little Black Sambo tale 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. Two hungry tigers soon arrive threatening to eat Little Black Sambo, trapping him up in the tree for the entire day! Eventually, Sambo's friend, Tusker the Elephant arrives, successfully chasing off the tigers, saving Sambo. Tusker carries Sambo back home, where his worried parents await him. Relieved that Sambo is finally safely home, Black Mumbo decides not to punish him too harshly by spanking him with a hairbrush for running off without permission and all alone. The conclusion of the tale then moves forward one month, one week and one day before Little Black Sambo is finally allowed to wear his fine clothes once again!

Although no author is attributed, it is thought by some that this continuation tale of Little Black Sambo was co-authored by Clara Bell Thurston and Earnest Vetsch, who illustrated Whitman Publisher's earliest and first known edition of this story version in 1926.

The hallmark of this version of A New Story of Little Black Sambo is the utterly fabulous illustrations that make this edition stand out. The vibrant colors used, the stunning detail applied, make each of the 12 full color plates simply gorgeous works of art! This softcover book is constructed of very sturdy, heavy, high quality stock which likely accounts for its very good condition. No fading of color, writing or missing pages. Binding is tight with all three original staples present although the cover pages have separated at the bottom to just above the lowest staple. Some page edges are subtly worn with minor creasing, and age-related, light soiling is present.

This very rarely found continuation of the original Little Black Sambo story is a must have addition for the collector of Little Black Sambo books! Given the extraordinary quality of the illustrations, this is a book that one will want to display- under protective cover, of course!

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

A wonderful and extremely RARE hard cover book with original paper dust cover by Kate Gambold Dyer, copyrighted 1942 by Platt and Munk Publishers and measuring 8 x 9.25 inches.

Fabulous black and red line illustrations as represented by photos adorn this 38 page book! The book features the Christmas-time adventures of eight year old Turquoise "Turky" Trott, one of six of Mammy Trott's children. Featured in the book is a Black Santa!

Interior pages are in fine condition--they are tightly bound together; front and back covers are also tight. The hard bound covers appear to be in mint condition, having remained protected by the original dust cover which has remarkably minimal wear to its edges and retains its brilliant coloration. A penciled in number has been written on the interior front of the book. Stamped on the edge of the interior of the paper dust cover is the original 1942 selling price of 85 cents!

A charming addition to one's Black Americana collection, and a black-themed children's book that is very rarely found in today's collectible market!!

Measuring 14 inches long by 11 inches wide, this delightful watercolor features a charming rendition of a young, straw-hatted black boy straddling a fence while clutching a plump watermelon! Signed "M. Shirreff" in the lower right corner.

Remaining in its original frame, this watercolor retains its vibrant color. A lovely piece of Black Americana executed with some naivete!

Please ignore any white streaks seen in photos; these are the result of light reflection off of the glass.

Published in 1938, by Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston & New York, this seldom-found, children's book tells of the misadventures of little Epaminondas, who despite his Mammy's attempts to instruct him otherwise, has much difficulty successfully navigating the day without getting into some sort of trouble. Poor Epaminondas cannot do anything right!

Measuring 6.75 inches wide x 8 inches long, the book is illustrated in both black silhouette and colored, line drawings. 16 pages long. Great condition-- tight binding, no tips or missing pages, clean. Cloth-bound hard covers.

A delightful addition to one's Black Memorabilia collector!!