Catalog: Popular Collectibles: Memorabilia (187)

Offered are two, circa 1930's, Japan, colorfully decorated, Black Americana Tea Pots in pristine condition! A darling and diminutive, novelty elephant piece with riding black native completes the trio! All three elephants proudly point their trunks upward, awarding "Good Luck" (according to superstition) to anyone who displays them (or drinks their tea)!

Cleverly designed, the elephants themselves, serve as the body of each tea pot, while the turbaned Black Natives lift off the elephants' backs revealing their function as tea pot lids. A wicker handle facilitates handling on the two large tea pots. The base of all three pieces are marked "JAPAN".

The largest tea pot measures 7 inches high by 8 inches long; the middle-sized tea pot measures 6 inches high by 7 inches long; the tiny novelty piece measures a diminutive 3.25 inches long by 2.75 inches high.

Condition is excellent on all three pieces with the exception of the wicker handle on the middle-sized tea pot. One end of the handle is missing its looped section of the wicker that would have wrapped around the ceramic loop to secure the handle to the tea pot. As is noted in the photos, that end of the handle can be propped against the ceramic loop to maintain its proper appearance for display purposes.

Handsome and difficult-to-find pieces of vintage Black Memorabilia! All three Good Luck Elephant pieces are offered as a single group, priced at $245.00!

Measuring approximately 10.5 inches tall, these sweet, hand-made, circa 1930's, Great Depression era, Mammy and Pappy dolls feature dried apples as heads! Common household items such as chicken or turkey breast bones, dried corn cobs, old rubber baby bottle nipples, wooden clothespins and dried fruit were frequently employed to make play-dolls when money was tight and store-bought toys were beyond reach!

These two folk art pieces came straight from the 93 year old great grandma who played with them as a child!

While the heads were constructed from dried apples painted black, the bodies were cut from various pieces of sponge which were then hand-sewn together. Hands were cut from pink--- and not brown or black felt--very interesting---while the teeth were formed from tiny white beads, and the white fuzzy hair fashioned from nothing more than small, cotton batting pieces. Eyes are glued-on googly eyes.

The homemade clothing is nicely constructed via a combination of hand and machine sewing. Mammy's green, teal and rust flowered dress is embellished with a bit of lace at the sleeves, and she also wears a fancy, white eyelet petticoat and a soft pink crocheted shawl. She is barefoot. Pappy's light blue shirt features 3 button detailing, and he wears denim pants and black felt shoes and hat with a red felt vest.

Condition is quite fine with no observable issues! No odors, rips, stains or missing parts. A very sweet pair!

Measuring just barely 6 inches in length, this fabulous example of 1920's folk art and hand craftsmanship exemplifies the stereotypical Mammy of the early 20th century.

Constructed with care and skill, Mammy's floral dress, white apron and white under-pantaloons were neatly machine stitched. Her facial features--- eye brows, eyes, nose, and lips --- are hand-stitched with embroidery thread. She has yarn-constructed black curls peeking out from under her red and white polka dot head scarf. Her arms, torso and head are stuffed with cotton or cloth scraps with the torso securely tucked over the top of the clothespin and into the pantaloons. Her black-painted clothespin legs are hidden under her long skirt.

A very sweet little doll in wonderful all-original condition-- no repairs, rips, stains or odor. Displays quite nicely!!

Measuring 12 inches in length, this circa 1930’s, Topsy Turvy Doll is in superb condition and is unusually and wonderfully appointed with great attention to detail! Both black and white sides of the doll have been very finely dressed with rose blossoms on their bandannas as well as at their waists- very, very rare for the “Black Topsy” to be so well attired!

”Black Topsy” is dressed in a striking pink, green, orange, and black cotton, geometric-patterned dress- very Art Deco! Her mouth and nostrils are stitched in red thread and she has white pearl button eyes.

The Caucasian doll is dressed in a cotton lavender dress- also with a geometric, Art Deco pattern in black, green and yellow. Her blouse and bandanna are lavender sateen. Her entire face has been finely stitched. She has pink nostrils and mouth, black eyebrows, and her black stitched eyes have pretty lashes that highlight her silvery gray irises! She has the very palest of staining to her face above her nostrils, but it is barely noticeable, and there is some light fading to her sateen bandanna.

Condition and detailing of both sides of this Topsy Turvy is really quite extraordinary, setting her apart from other Topsy’s!! A wonderful addition to one’s doll or Black Memorabilia collection!

Black Memorabilia sewing items are becoming very difficult to find! Offered is a wonderful, 1930’s, cloth Mammy Pin Cushion!

While her little body was machine stitched together, the remainder of Mammy is all hand-completed! She has a sweet, cheerful, hand-embroidered face that is framed by a tall red, white and blue bonnet! She continues her patriotic look with a red and white checkered top and blue and white flowered pants---how racy---pants instead of a skirt!!!

Mammy clutches a gold colored tomato which, of course, is designed to keep the sewing pins!

In wonderful condition!! Just waiting to be displayed with other sewing or black American collectibles!

Measuring 6.5 inches long and approximately 4 inches in both width and depth, this wonderfully RARE, Black Americana, Red Cap, Railroad Porter, pottery string holder is in very fine condition with just a sprinkling of white speckling where the black cold paint has worn away.

A stunning and very visually striking piece, it is labeled on back, "Fredericksburg Art Pottery USA", a pottery once located in Fredericksburg, Ohio, manufacturing between 1939-49. The back has 2 original hanging holes for placement on a wall.

Truly in wonderful, vintage condition with no cracks, chips, repairs or repaint! A fabulous addition to one's Black Americana collection!

Please note that the natural outdoor lighting used to photograph this piece has amplified the white paint flecking --the teeny white spots really show up more in these photos than on the actual piece in an indoor setting--- photo number one gives an accurate depiction of appearance.

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!

Measuring 11 inches tall, this wonderfully detailed, circa 1930's, gentleman, African-American doll is phenomenally well detailed!

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!

Increasingly more and more difficult to find, this pot metal pencil sharpener was made in pre-WWII Germany in the 1930's.

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!

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 very scarce piece is very much reminiscent of Johnny Griffin items with the exception of the intact, broad-rimmed hat on this piece versus the torn rim typically seen on all "named" Johnny Griffin pieces.

This circa 1920-30's novelty piece is constructed in solid brass, is hefty in weight, and was likely used as an ash tray given its tobacco leaf design/theme. The "Johnny Griffin-like" head of the young African-American boy that serves as the centerpiece of this wonderful piece, was molded separately and screwed into place. The screw is concealed under an original brass cap, done purely for esthetics.

The piece is in all original condition with the delightful, warm, rich, golden patina of old brass- not a reproduction- no replaced parts- and measures 7 inches long x 4 1/2 inches wide. It does not retain any markings, and country of origin is unknown, although likely of European origin.

A very seldom found piece of Black Memorabilia, that indeed pairs well with Johnny Griffin items or one's Tobacciana collection!

To view 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 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.

This 1930s, Art Deco, VIGNY, 2 ounce, Golliwog Perfume Bottle is a rare find! This particular marketing of the very highly sought-after and well-known Paris Vigny Golliwogg perfume, was sold by the famous Fred Harvey stores which dotted the new railroad lines running through the American Southwest.

This 4 inch tall bottle retains the majority of its Fred Harvey price sticker on its base. Remnants of perfume are still visible, and the bottle's original paper labels remain in wonderful condition. This version of Vigny Golliwogg perfume is extraordinarily difficult to find as it was specifically marketed only in the Fred Harvey rail line stores.

A very scarce and delightful addition to one's Vigny Golliwogg Perfume collection!

A bit of Fred Harvey History:
Frederick Henry Harvey (June 27, 1835 – February 9, 1901) was a Liverpool, England-born entrepreneur who immigrated to the United States in 1853 at the age of 17. His first employment in the US was in a NYC restaurant where he quickly worked his way up from pot scrubber to waiter and line cook- an experience which later impacted his life choices.

In 1876 after working within a number of retail industries, Harvey returned to his first "love"- the restaurant business. As a result of his acquaintance with the superintendent of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, Harvey opened a very successful chain of "eating houses" all along the rail line. At its peak, a total of 84 Harvey Houses existed, all of which catered to wealthy and middle-class visitors alike. Souvenir shops and hotels were added by the innovative Harvey, and he became known as "the Civilizer of the West".

Fred Harvey is credited with creating the first restaurant chain in the United States, and he is also recognized as a leader in promoting tourism in the American Southwest in the late 19th century. Fred Harvey and his employees successfully brought unique and higher standards of both civility and dining to a region widely regarded in the era as "the Wild West."

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.

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 6 1/4 inches high x 5 3/4 inches wide, this circa 1930's, VERY RARE, Japan made, Polka Dot Kerchief, Mammy Head String Holder is in near mint condition with no chips, cracks, or hairlines! Mammy is the mate to the Maruhon Ware Mammy series--Cookie Jar, Basket Handle Biscuit Jar, Teapot and related kitchen items-- all made with this same Mammy's face.

The String Holder is stamped "JAPAN" on the back side, and it has a hole in the center of her mouth to accommodate the string! This wonderful piece has expected and typical glaze crazing and even comes complete with vintage string! On the upper right hand side of her forehead, these is a small white spot about 1/4 of an inch long where the face paint was not applied prior to factory glazing (see photo)- a tiny, insignificant manufacturer imperfection that does not detract from this rare piece! The entire piece is glazed with the exception of Mammy's lips which are cold-painted (meaning that the paint was applied after firing). As such, this area of paint would be the most vulnerable to wear, and Mammy does have 2 microscopically-sized specks on her upper lip where the paint has come off. Too tiny to be picked up in a photo!

Please note that photos were taken with a flash, so any white markings on the piece are flash reflections only and not imperfections.

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!

Offered is this 1932 copyright, LITTLE BLACK SAMBO Book with lovely illustrations signed "EULALIE", A Platt and Munk Company Book publication. Softcover, 10 unnumbered pages. These beautifully illustrated drawings alternate by page between full color and black ink. The Platt and Munk Company was renowned for its exquisite, highly-detailed illustrations of children's books.

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! This softcover book has seen little use with just a teeny bit of wear to book edge points. The front and back inside covers are separated at the lower of the two binding staples downward; the remainder of the cover binding is intact as are all pages. There is mild, vertical creasing to the book throughout near page edges (see photos), likely from someone folding the book at some point in its lifetime; the front cover at the lower right corner also shows crease lines. None of the crease lines effect structural integrity. No pen/pencil markings.

Amazing condition for a nearly 90 year soft-cover book!

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 13 inches in height, this vintage 1930's, Mammy Bottle Doll is in lovely condition, with nicely detailed clothing and a very darling face! Mammy bottle dolls were constructed to be quite functional; they were used as doorstops back in the day. Their sand-filled bottles added enough weight to readily keep that door in place.

This mammy's cute face is completely hand-stitched and is accented by original celluloid hoop earrings. She wears a flowered bandanna, a cream colored flowered shawl, and an off white apron over her green and black mini-checked dress. She even has a cream colored petticoat underneath all! Her machine-stitched clothes are odor free and are nicely constructed, although her apron does have tiny age holes!

Although her bottle frame is covered by a black stocking, the stocking has risen up revealing her sand-filled milk bottle with red lettering from R.W. Tripp's Dairy, established 1889. The milk bottle lettering is in great shape and even features a graphic of a school boy and girl! Among milk bottle collectors, this particular milk bottle is quite rarely found and quite highly sought after, adding further collectible value to this sweet doll!

This great, early mammy bottle doll is one of 3 currently offered mammy bottle dolls --- rarely found in today's market and all priced separately.

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.