Catalog (61)

Measuring 8.5 x 11 inches, this vintage 1934, paper, window advertisement promotes the "COTTONTIME MINSTREL" show at Kenilworth School on Friday, November 2, 1934, at 8:15PM!

Poster reads further: "Benefit- Pals Bible Club-Elm Street Baptist Church". "Directed by Churchill Traylor". Features a very sweet Black Minstrel caricature graphic! It is believed that this event took place in the Petersburg, Virginia area.

Fine condition with very subtle age-related edge tears that do not interfere with image. Would look just wonderful framed!!

Offered for consideration, is a wonderful and rarely found, 19th century American "DENTIST" sign in brass measuring 12 3/4ths inches wide x 7 inches high.

The sign advertises the office of "James H. Groom. Dentist.", and remains in fine condition with deep-toned, original patina and with some very minor warping due to its many years of age. The lettering is actually impressed into the surface and is painted black. Any white marks appearing on the front of the sign are due only to light/sun reflection---the sign has a very even-toned coloration.

The sign has a hole at each corner to facilitate hanging, or it may be easily displayed upon a shelf!

A fabulous , rich-looking display piece with great "eye appeal"!

Measuring 7.5 inches high x 7.50 inches wide x 3.50 inches high, this all-original, new-old-stock, cardboard display box for Whittemore’s Oil Paste Shoe Shine Polish of Cambridge, Massachusetts, is complete with all 12 of its original polish tins! It is presumed that all tins still contain polish--they are all closed too tightly to easily open for an inspection! That will be left to the new owner!

Interesting and extremely eye-catching graphics on both box and tins! Displays just wonderfully!

The cardboard box has some expected wear as seen in photos with small rips and abrasions, but it retains its structural integrity- still able to support the weight of twelve metal polish tins! The majority of the tins are in very, very nice condition as well with expected, slight superficial scratches here and there. Three of the twelve tins have a bit more surface wear to their lids than the others and are pictured as a trio for the buyer’s perusal---still very appealing.

A very difficult to find vintage country store display piece!

Vividly colored, this unusual, C1920s, Black Memorabilia-themed, advertising diecut measuring 12 3/4" long x 8 1/2" wide, features two utterly horrified, shabbily attired, young, African-American girls faced with an encounter with a very diminutive, very equally-upset dog-- a deliberately crafted, most unfortunate, stereotypical image used to advertise who knows what back in the day!

Recently acquired from a private collection, the framed diecut is without glass (which can be easily and inexpensively added).

The embossed-surface diecut is in near excellent condition, the only noted issue being a crease in the bigger girl's left leg (see close-up photo). An unusual find, with vivid, colorful imagery!

Measuring 9-7/8 tall x 13-1/2 inches wide, this extraordinarily rare, Jim Crow era, segregation sign advertises a "colored-only" hotel, Coleman's of Ashland, Virginia.

Constructed of cardboard with black printing, this circa 1930-40's sign reads: " Coleman's Hotel Colored. Special Attention to Tourists. Ashland Virginia".

The sign remains in all-original condition inclusive of minor discoloration as noted in photos and small chips to the upper right and lower left corners. Print source is noted: "Herald-Progress Print, Ashland, VA".

This is NOT a reproduction, but rather a fortunate preservation. It is quite amazing that this sign has survived the many years being constructed out of cardboard. It was clearly stored away in such a manner that preserved its original condition.

Travel for African Americans during the Jim Crow period was difficult and complicated, with limited options for eating, sleeping, even procuring gasoline for the car. As a result, black-owned hotels and motels placed signs such as this one prominently in their windows. There were even special travel-guides to help African Americans plan their trips, hopefully, without incident. Victor Green's "Green Guide" provided state by state lists of colored hotels, motels and other travel-related businesses that catered to African-Americans.

Quite possibly the ONLY sign remaining extant from this particular, racially segregated establishment. An historically significant piece!

Measuring a diminutive 2 inches in diameter and in mint condition, this interesting and unusual celluloid advertising pocket mirror features a person dosing with a magical "Nature's Remedy" tablet! (**Please note that any white spots in the photos are light reflections ONLY and not damage to the mirror.**)

The mirror front has a faded salmon colored border surrounding an image of a person's face with protruding tongue, about to swallow a "NR" (Nature's Remedy)tablet.

Imprinted around the circumference of the mirror is the following, "Take One Tonight - You'll feel Better In The Morning."

AND....

"Better Than Pills For Liver Ills - Get a 25 Cent Box"

Original mirrored backing is in very fine condition with just a few very minute, superficial scratches. Some fading of color around the very edge of the mirror as seen in photos.

Manufacturer name stamped on bottom edge: "Parisian Novelty Company, Chicago".

An interesting little advertising piece!

Measuring 6 1/2 x 11 3/4, this lovely, 1920's, Black subject diecut by Enoch Morgan & Sons, England, features three individual Sapolio Soap diecuts used to advertise the company product. Each diecut features the head of a young black boy centered inside a piece of fruit or vegetable- a cabbage, a watermelon and a (?) pear.

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

Quite visually appealing!

Offered is a graphically appealing, 1950s, Kodak Film Advertising Display. This beauty comes in the original box and shows very little wear. There is scant patina from minimal use, minor surface scratches and blemishes, and one bend in the metal as seen in the photo. The display turns easily on its circular base, and the colors are as bright as if it was brand new! Definitely a discerning collector's dream!

Measures 20.75" tall x 7.25" in diameter. The overall height includes the removal top pediment.

A five-sided display seldom found in this condition!

Offered is a seldom found grouping of 2 doctor signs that were used by a Canadian pediatrician's during his early years of practice in the 1930s.

The large brass sign measures 5" x 14", exhibits some tarnishing, and was most likely placed on the doctor's office building exterior.

The diminutive brass sign, measures 6.5" x 3.5" and was most likely attached to an interior door.

Both signs are in very nice condition and are easily displayed either on a shelf or on the wall!

The pair is offered at $100.00 or either one of the signs may be purchased individually at $60.00 each.

This is an authentic signed baseball from former Negro League baseball player Luther "Luke" Atkinson. The ball was signed at an autograph show in March 2006. Luther "Luke" Atkinson was #20, a stand-out performer for the Wilson, North Carolina All Stars, the Carolina Tigers, and the Satchel Paige All-Stars, who played baseball in the Negro Leagues from 1955 to 1960, starting his career right out of high school. As of spring 2018, Mr. Atkinson, who lives in Maryland, remains an active volunteer in the newly opened, Hubert V. Simmons Museum of Negro Leagues Baseball, Inc., at the new Owings Mills Metro Centre Complex.

A brief history of the Negro League:

African Americans first began to play baseball in the late 1800s on military teams, college teams, and company teams, eventually finding their way to the established professional baseball teams of white players. However, racism and “Jim Crow” laws would force African Americans from these teams by 1900, with black players left to form their own teams.

In 1920, an organized league structure was formed under the guidance of Andrew “Rube” Foster, a former player, manager, and owner for the Chicago American Giants. In a meeting held at the Paseo YMCA in Kansas City, Mo., Foster and several other Midwestern team owners joined to form the Negro National League. Soon, rival leagues formed in Eastern and Southern states, which brought black baseball to major urban centers and to rural countrysides in the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. The Leagues maintained a high level of professional skill and inspired economic development in many black communities.

In 1945, when Major League Baseball’s Brooklyn Dodgers recruited Jackie Robinson from the Kansas City Monarchs, Robinson became the first African American in the modern era to play on a Major League roster. While this historic event was a key moment in baseball and civil rights history, it marked the decline of the Negro Leagues. The best black players began to be recruited for the Major Leagues with their black fans following them, and the last Negro Leagues teams folded in the early 1960s.

An extraordinarily RARE 19th CENTURY piece of Black Americana advertising featuring a fabulous graphic of 2 young African American painters holding a "White-Wash Boy's Hydrated Lime" box.

This product was produced by the lime manufacturers, Hatmaker and Place, of Canaan, Connecticut, in the late 1800s. This small company was located within a large "lime belt" that stretched from Connecticut to Vermont. Back in the day, lime powder mixed with water was quite commonly used to "white wash" or paint numerous surfaces, and it was also used as a medicinal disinfectant! The manufacture of lime from marble was one of the earliest and most successful mineral industries in Connecticut, with historical records dating the establishment of the first CT lime manufactory to 1722.

Given its age and the fragility of paper, condition of this wonderful box is quite good. The lower portion of the back side of the box evidences light surface wear with some of the printing on the lower portion of the box worn away as a result. The front of the box has a 3.25 inch long tear which resulted in the loss of the lime powder from the box.

This early piece of Black Americana advertising is EXCEEDINGLY RARE and may well be a ONE-OF-A-Kind item! The Hatmaker and Place Company was one of a number of very small manufactories located within the "lime belt" that were ALL bought out and immediately closed down by a wealthy group of investors who then created and incorporated the mammoth monopoly, The New England Lime Company, early in 1902.

This fabulous piece of Black Americana is NOT to be missed by the serious collector!

Measuring 27 inches long x 18 inches wide, this wonderful, vintage, School Crossing Guard sign remains in all-original condition and is even dated "5-64"!

Double-sided, this visually-appealing school collectible displays stunningly whether displayed on the bright yellow "SLOW" side or the nearly-glow-in-the-dark red and white "STOP" side!

The metal sign retains its original wooden handle as well as its share of age and use-related surface scuffs, scratches and even a couple of errant paint spots that absolutely do not detract from its conversation-provoking appeal!

An interesting and unique enhancement to one's Vintage School Collection!

Measuring approximately 23 inches high X 18 inches wide, this heavy cardboard restaurant menu from the 1940’s has never been used! This menu board was designed by the manufacturer to be a consumable, throw-away --- for jotting down the ever-changing, daily menu “Specials”!

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.

Measuring 12.5 inches wide by 8 inches high, this vintage, hand-painted on board, 1940's No Smoking sign is most emphatic in its message: "NO SMOKING MEANS NO SMOKING"! Most definitely a conversation piece! Fab visual display! Condition is good with paint wear to edges as seen in photos. Light pencil lines to guide the hand-painting are still visible on the front of the sign. (The left side of sign appears darker in photos than the right side. This is a function of less-than-perfect photography! Coloration and brightness are uniform throughout! No dark or shadowy areas!)

Measuring 9 inches in width x 3 inches in height x 1.75 inches deep, this vintage 1920’s, country store advertising display reads, “We Give And Redeem Gold Stamps”. A very unusual find!

Black with hand-painted, gold lettering, this interesting advertising display would sit nicely on a shelf! In fine, all-original condition with the expected nicks and superficial surface scratches.

Used by the Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, New York, - the A & P grocery store chain - for advertising purposes, this sizable diecut has been protected in a 12 3/4 x 9 1/2 inch, gold-toned frame.

Vividly colored, this Black Memorabilia themed piece features a smiling black girl seated on a large straw basket while holding 2, smaller-sized, flower-filled straw baskets in each arm. The young girl is nicely attired in a ruffled blue and yellow dress and wears red sandals, white lacy gloves, and a rose-accented, straw bonnet!

The diecut is in excellent condition! An unusual find!

Offered is a fabulous, early 1900s, veterinary doctor sign, advertising the practice of a Dr A. A. Bennet. This 18 inch x 11 inch brass sign is a wonderful advertisement piece. The black painted lettering has been cut into the brass sign to give a two dimensional effect.

Veterinary signs of any type are quite scarce! Wonderful patina!

Offered for your consideration is a vintage, all-original, framed paper advertising sign for the cure of Gonorrhea, Gleet and Syphilis in men. Of interest is the matching 10.5" x 7.5" wood frame with the lightly stamped word "OKAY" on the top. This unusual piece of advertising dates to the early 1900's.

Condition: Mild, unobtrusive wear to the paper. The blue round label is affixed to the glass, not the actual paper. The frame retains 2 early holes used for hanging along with various surface dings and an early slice of wood missing from the right side of frame.

Historically, Pabst's Okay Specifics was cited by the 1906 FDA Act for various violations including failure to mention alcohol content, having no known curative ingredient, etc, resulting in frequent seizure and destruction of the product!