CATALOG 102

 

BOOKS

 

Adams, E. C. L. Congaree Sketches. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1927.  1^st Edition.  116 pp. 8vo.  VG+/G.  The book has very light, general wear. The dustjacket has some edge and corner wear and is missing about 2 inches at the top of the spine, though none on the front or back.  This is a collection of African-American stories from the Congaree Swamp in South Carolina. While much of this book is in dialect and Adams was white, he still tried to present his subjects with dignity. The Introduction is by Paul Green, the Pulitzer Prize winning North Carolina playwright, who wrote works sympathetic to the situation of Southern African-Americans.  Blockson 5044  $85.00.

 

Alhamisi, Ahmed and Harun Kofi Wangara (eds.)  Black Arts: An Anthology of Black Creation.  Detroit: Black Arts Publications, 1969.  158 pp.  large 8vo. VG/None.  Softcover. African-American magazine of creative arts and radical politics.  This copy has general wear and aging.  Certain letters of title appear to have been inked in by hand. Copy is square and securely bound.  $25.00.

 

Allen, Wm, Kenneth, M.D.   Historical Reflections: the Community and the Afro-American Pioneer Physicians of Columbus, Ohio.  Blacklick: Contronics Systems, Inc., 1989.  1^st Edition.  59 pages, spiral bound.  NF/None.  Softcover.  This copy has only traces of corner wear.  This is a self-published compendium dealing with African-American physicians in the Columbus Ohio area.  Quite scarce.  $90.00.

 

Andrews, Raymond. Appalachee Red.  New York: Dial Press, 1978.  1^stEdition.  283 pp.  8vo. NF/VG+.  Book has only a hint of wear. Dustjacket is close to NF but has a couple of small marks on the front. Brilliant first novel -- winner of the James Baldwin Prize -- by Georgia-born writer Raymond Andrews. The illustrator, well-known artist Benny Andrews, was Raymond's brother. This sometimes ribald and humorous novel was highly acclaimed.  Blockson 4704.  $75.00.

 

Angelou, Maya.  Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ‘fore I Die. New York: Random House, 1971. 1^st Edition. 48 pp. 8vo. VG/VG.  Book has some toning around the edges and a bump on front, lower right corner. Book is square and securely bound. Jacket has light edge and corner wear along with general aging.  This was Angelou's first book of poetry, after the publication of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.  Blockson 5636 $20.00.

 

Armstrong, William H. Sounder.  New York: Harper and Row, 1969.  Later printing.  116 pp.  8vo. VG/VG-.  Signed, inscribed and dated (1981) by Armstrong on the title page. The book shows general aging. The dustjacket has some edge and corner wear and one short tear. There is a gold, John Newberry Medal sticker on the front.  Newberry Award winner, made into acclaimed motion picture.  Illustrations by James Barkley.  $40.00.

 

Arnett, Benjamin W. (ed.).  Duplicate Copy of the Souvenir from the Afro-American League of Tennessee to Hon. James M. Ashley of Ohio.  Philadelphia, Publishing House of the A. M. E. Church, 1894. 851 pp.  VG-/None. Blue boards with black stamped titles and decoration on front and gilt titles on spine. Some wear on corners and edges but still square with a secure binding. This volume came from the library of the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society. The call number sticker has been removed from the spine as well as any card pockets. There are some bookplates on the front pastedown and some stamps and numbers on the title page -- all reasonably unobtrusive.  Book says Library Edition on one of the prelim pages though it appears that all copies say the same. Arnett, the Editor was a well-known African-American Methodist and politician. One of his speeches makes up the additional Appendix.   $300.00

 

Bailey, Pearl.  Hurry Up, America & Spit.  New York, Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1976. Later Printing.  106 pp.  8vo. VG+/VG+.  Top and bottom edges of boards are slightly faded, folds of DJ a little tanned. Wear is probably from being on a shelf for 30 years. Book looks unread.  Inscribed and signed by Bailey on a half title page after the title page. This is a collection of poems and essays by the singer.  $25.00.

 

Baldwin, James. Another Country. New York: Dial Press, 1962.  1^stEdition.  436 pp.   8vo. VG+/VG-.  Light shelfwear and some tanning on foredges. Dustjacket has some edge and corner wear including small tears, chips at top of spine and some creases and tanning. Former owner's name on half title.  Arguably James Baldwin's greatest work.  Blockson 4693.  $80.00.

 

Baldwin, James. The Devil Finds Work. New York: Dial Press, 1976.  1^stEdition.  122 pp.  8vo. NF/VG.  The book has only a slight hint of aging. The dustjacket is quite attractive with very light edgewear. The front flap fold does have a long diagonal crease and a small bit of discoloration on the top corner. It looks NF on the book. The flaws are visible only when the book is opened.  Essays on film by James Baldwin.  Blockson 5140.  $25.00.

 

Baldwin, James. The Evidence of Things Not Seen.  New York: Holt, Rinehart, Winston, 1985.  1^st Edition.  125 pp. 8vo.  NF/NF.  Both book and jacket have only very light wear; the dustjacket has slight bumps at the top corners.  Baldwin's meditative and influential book on the Atlanta Child Murders and Wayne Williams. Blockson 10361.  $25.00.

 

Baldwin, James. Little Man, Little Man. New York: Dial Books, 1976. 1^st American Edition.  96pp. 8vo.  NF/VG+.  Book is about NF with some very light wear and aging. Jacket has light wear and small chips on the corners, otherwise, it is without flaws.  Children's book by Baldwin. Beautiful illustrations by Yoran Cazac.  Blockson 5729.  $25.00

 

Baldwin, James. Nobody Knows My Name. New York: Dial Press, 1961.  1^stEdition.  241 pp.  8vo. Signed. VG+/VG.  Red, patterned boards with black spine. The book has only light wear. The dust jacket has light edge and corner wear with a small tear along the bottom edge.  A collection of essays by Baldwin. This copy is signed along with the inscription, "Peace," on the ffep.  Blockson 3641.  $300.00.

 

Blockson, Charles. “Damn Rare”.  Tracy CA: Quantum Leap Publisher, Inc., 1998. 1^st Edition.  334 pp.  8vo. NF/NF.  Signed and inscribed by Blockson on the ffep.  Book appears As New. Dustjacket shows only light shelfwear. Biography and reminiscences of famed African-American book collector, Blockson, who donated his collection of over 20,000 African-American related items to Temple University.  Scarce.  $125.00.

 

Bowden, Martha Burden. Mountain of Dreams. Sevierville: Nandel Publishing Co., 1988.  Softcover. 1^st Edition. 285 pp.  8vo. VG+/None.   Minor edge and corner wear. Miscellaneous soiling. Spine is uncreased; book is square and securely bound and appears unread. Interesting, and somewhat unusual, story of an African-American family from the Great Smoky Mountains. They lived in Sevierville, Tennessee -- the same hometown as Dolly Parton. Many photographs.  $35.00.

 

Branham, Levi.  My Life and Travels.  Dalton, GA, Whitfield-Murray County Historical Society, 2000.  1^st edition thus. 64 pp.  8vo. VG+/None. Softcover.  White wraps with photo of author. Book is close to NF except for small and light crease and stray marks on back of wrap.  First person account by an African-American who was born a slave in 1852 in Murray County, northwestern Georgia. He spent part of his life in South Georgia in Terrell County (Dawson) , but returned to the northern towns of Chatsworth, Spring Place and Dalton. He tells his story in a rambling fashion but presents much information about life in North Georgia during Reconstruction, including murders committed by the Ku Klux Klan. The book has no other information; it is just Branham's story.  $15.00

 

Brawley, Benjamin. Doctor Dillard of the Jeanes Fund.  New York: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1930.  1^st Edition.  151 pp. 8vo.  G+/None.  Signed by Dillard.  Light discoloration on spine and some damage at top. Old stain on front cover. Square and securely bound.   Biography of J. H. Dillard who was a Director of the Jeanes Fund, which supported education for rural African-Americans. This book is signed (and inscribed in Latin) on the ffep by Dillard. Interesting inscription and association with Brawley.  Blockson 477. $45.00. 

 

Brawley, Benjamin. Paul Laurence Dunbar: Poet of his People. University of North Carolina Press: Chapel Hill, 1936. 1st edition.  159 pp. 8vo.  VG/G. Book shows very light wear on one corner, foredges show aging, front foredge has a small soiled spot. Jacket has wear, chips and a small missing portion at top of spine. Well-known biography of Dunbar: somewhat scarce, especially in this condition with dustjacket.  Blockson 6098.  $150.00.

 

Brawley, Benjamin. A Social History of the American Negro: Being a History of the Negro Problem in the United States Including a History and Study of the Republic of Liberia.  New York: Macmillan, 1921.  1^stEdition.  420 pp.  8vo. VG-/None.  There is some edge and corner wear as well as general aging. This is an ex-lib book with call numbers on the spine and card pockets and such on the rear pastedown and endpaper along with an inked in number on the back of the title page. I see no other marks or stamps. There is a bookplate of Alexandra Gamble Duke, a former owner, on the front pastedown. She appears to have been a member of the Duke family for whom the University was named.  This is a famous sociological study done by well-known black educator and academic, Benjamin Brawley.  Blockson 10070.  75.00.

 

Breitman, George. Leon Trotsky on Black Nationalism and Self-Determination.  New York, Merit Publishers, 1967.  1^st edition.  66pp. 8vo. VG/None. Softcover.  Pictorial wraps have some edge and corner wear. Book is still square and binding is secure. While the book has some outer wear, it appears to be unread with a bright and crisp interior. Essays that show Trotsky's attitude toward the African-American. The essays appear to be put together by Breitman from various interviews and discussions with and speeches by Trotsky.  $25.00.

 

Bulletin of Lincoln Institute.  Jefferson City, Lincoln Institute, 1918-19. 83pp. 8vo. G/None. Softcover.   Gray wraps are worn and faded in places and the spine has missing and pulled areas. However, the binding is still secure and square. See scan. Half dollar sized chip on top edge of back wrap. Interior is in EX condition with a number of photographs.  Lincoln Institute was started after the Civil War with contributions from soldiers of the Sixty-second and Sixty-fifth US Colored Infantry. By the time of this Bulletin it was a co-ed institution for African-Americans. This bulletin includes a history of the Institute, courses of study, administrative details, school rules, students as of 1918-1919, and photos of the campus and various student organizations. An insert inside the front wrap says that students should not spend money on new suits but instead buy school uniforms. The Institute is now a racially diverse University. This is an unusual piece of African-American history.  $125.00

 

Bundles, A’Lelia.  On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C. J. Walker.   New York: Scribner and  

          Company, 2001.  1^st Edition.   415 pp.  8vo.  NF/VG+.  Book appears to be New. Dustjacket has a small

          remainder  mark on bottom and some staining on the rear. In terms of edge and corner wear the jacket is NF.   

          Biography of famed African-American business-woman, Madam C. J Walker who rose from poverty to  

          affluence through a line of hair care products. This biography is by her granddaughter.  $20.00.

 

Campbell, E. Simms. More Cuties in Arms. Philadelphia: David McKay Company, 1943. 12mo.  VG+/VG-.  The book is close to being NF. It has some very light corner wear. The dustjacket has one area of creasing (that has flattened) on the top rear. A very attractive copy of this book.  This is a collection of cartoons from WWII usually featuring voluptuous cuties with soldiers. E. Simms Campbell was the first, widely known African-American cartoonist/illustrator. His work appeared in Esquire, The New Yorker and Playboy among others. When Campbell was asked what he thought racist whites might think about his pictures of lightly-clothed women, he answered, "Who gives a damn. I guess they get over it. " Beautiful copy of this amusing book.  $60.00.

 

Campbell, Emory S. Gullah Cultural Legacies. Hilton Head: Gullah Heritage Consulting Services, 2005.  2^nd Edition.  106 pp. 8vo.  NF.  Book has only light shelf wear. Spine is uncreased. Book looks unread.  The author heads up Gullah Consulting Services on Hilton Head. In this book he documents his many findings about Gullah culture and tradition. Signed and inscribed by Campbell on the ffep.  $25.00.

 

Coleridge-Taylor, Samuel.  Twenty-Four Negro Melodies Transcribed for the Piano.  Boston: Oliver Ditson Company, 1905.  127 pp. 4to.  1^st Edition.  G/None. The covers have edge and corner wear along with some chips and tears both front and back. The spine has some damage both top and bottom but with almost no loss of material -- there is some slitting along the edges (2" or so at the top and about 1" at bottom. The gilt lettering on the spine is still in excellent, readable condition. The spine could be neatly repaired with a bit of glue. There is a previous owners name top right on the front (see scan). The interior is excellent and the book is square and securely bound. Samuel Coleridge-Taylor came to America for the first time in 1904. Influenced by W. E. B. DuBois and Paul Lawrence Dunbar, he produced these twenty-four compositions based on slave melodies. The work has a Preface by Booker T. Washington. Oliver Ditson Company published this as one of The Musicians Library.   Blockson 8183. $100.00.

 

Cooley, Rossa B. Homes of the Freed. New York: New Republic, 1926. Softcover.  1^stEdition.  199 pp.   8vo. G+/None. This softcover book is in exceptional condition except for a missing corner on the front wrap, and a little loss at the top and bottom of the spine. It is slightly cocked, probably from having been read but is still securely bound and attractive.  Rossa B. Cooley was a white teacher/administrator who left a position at the Hampton Institute in 1901 to go South and take over the Penn School on St. Helena Island in South Carolina, a school originally established for freed slaves. She served this school for 25 years. This book is an account of her experiences. Black and white woodcut illustrations by J. J. Lankes.  Blockson 3050.  $65.00.

 

Cooper, Clarence. The Scene.  New York: Crown, 1960.  1^stEdition.  310 pp. 8vo.  VG+/VG-. Book is square and securely bound with light corner bumps and general, overall aging. Dustjacket has some edge and corner wear with small chips and some toning on the back. One small scuff on front.  Important novel by an African-American writer dealing with black life, the drug scene, and addiction at the beginning of the '60's. This was a highly acclaimed first novel. However, Cooper's own addiction and lack of sales forced him to paperback publishers. He eventually wound up in and wrote about treatment programs and died destitute. A possibly important novelist destroyed by what he wrote about. Blockson 6318.  $50.00.

 

The Crisis.  Roy Wilkins (ed.).  Vol 45 No. 1. New York: NAACP, January 1938.  30 pp.  4to. VG.  Slick paper magazine has some edge and corner wear and light age toning. Small scrapes and tears. Still attractive.  This issue was edited by Roy Wilkins and shows changes from the earlier issues edited by DuBois. Articles include Hollywood's New Negro Films, Virginia Teachers in Revolt, Free Negroes in Old Texas, Can the States Stop Lynching and much more.  $60.00.

 

Culp, D. W. (ed.). Twentieth Century Negro Literature or a Cyclopedia of Thought.  Atlanta: J. L. Nichols Co., 1902.  1^st edition.   472 pp. Large 8vo.  VG-/None.  The covers have wear, scrapes and stains. Corners are bumped. Long ago there was some water damage on the top back which left what appears to be residue from paper that was under the book. The water does not seem to have affected the interior. The book is square and securely bound with no tears or parting. All photos are present. Despite cover issues this is a solid and attractive copy of a relatively scarce book. It is a compendium of essays by important African-American scholars and activists at the turn of the twentieth century. Each writer takes up an issue of importance to African Americans and discusses it in an essay. Photos of each contributor accompany his or her essay. This scarce volume offers a detailed picture of African-American thinking in 1902. Blockson 4245.  $250.00.

 

Davis, Reuben.  Butcher Bird.  New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1936.  1^stEdition.  298 pp.  8vo. VG-/G.  Yellow boards with farm picture. This copy has some sunning or toning around the edges along with some generally light wear. There is also a light odor from storage. Dustjacket has edge and corner wear with small tears and chips and one larger chip, half-dollar sized on the back. The book is square and securely bound with no tears or parting. Still an attractive copy. Novel of black Mississippi sharecroppers by critically-respected, but often overlooked, Southern author.  $75.00.

 

Day, Beth.  The Little Professor of Piney Woods: The Story of Professor Laurence Jones.  New York: Julian Messner, Inc., 1955.  8vo. 1^st Edition.  192 pp. VG/VG-.  Dust jacket has about a 1" piece lost at head of spine, water stain on back, several very small chips and tears to edges. Book has some light tanning and foxing to edges, very light offset from DJ to ffep; interior very clean. Biography of Laurence Jones who started the Piney Woods School in Mississippi. Jones has signed , inscribed and dated this copy on the ffep. Blockson 554.  $25.00.

 

Decosta-Willis, Miriam, Reginald Martin and Roseann P. Bell.  Erotique Noire/Black Erotica.  New York: Doubleday, 1992.  1^st Edition.   456 pp. 8vo.  NF/NF.  Book and jacket have only very minor shelf wear. Famous collection of erotic writing by African-American writers. The book is dedicated to Charles Blockson, who discusses this book in his autobiography,Damn Rare.   $35.00.

 

DuBois, W. E. B. Color and Democracy. New York: Harcourt Brace and Company, 1945.  1^st Edition.  143 pp. 8vo.  VG+/None.  This copy has light, general wear and aging, with minor bumps to corners. The book is square and securely bound.  DuBois' brief study of the racial situation in America at the end of WWII.  Blockson 2039.  $75.00.

 

DuBois, W. E. B. Darkwater.  New York: Harcourt, Brace & Howe, 1920. 1^st Edition.  276 pp.  8vo. G+/None.  Dark blue covers have edge and corner wear with light soiling and some small indents. Interior has some toning and the top corner of ffep has been torn off (about two inches) . The book is square and securely bound. Collection of DuBois' essays on a number of African-American related subjects. Blockson 2681.  $190.00.

 

DuBois, W. E. Burghardt.  Dusk of Dawn: An Essay Toward an Autobiography of a Race Concept. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1940.  1^st Edition.  334 pp. 8vo.  VG/None.  Some edge and corner wear along with minor scuffs and spots on covers, spine and foredges. Some interior toning. Book is square and securely bound.   DuBois called this both an autobiography and an attempt to define the concept of race as well. An important, somewhat overlooked, work.   Blockson 2745.  $65.00.

 

DuBois, W. E. B. The Quest of the Silver Fleece.  Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company,  1911. 1^st Edition.  434 pp.  8vo. VG-/None.  Novel by famed African-American activist.  Green pictorial covers with repeated image of man hauling a bale of cotton. There is some flaking along the spine edge and one small indention on the back edge. Also, light damage at the bottom of the spine (slight loss of color) and a bit at top. Soiling on foredges. The book is square and securely bound. The book was printed cheaply and difficult to find in much better condition.  Blockson 6205.  $250.00.

 

Du Bois, W. E. Burghardt (Ed.). Some Notes on Negro Crime Particularly in Georgia A Social Study made under the direction of Atlanta University; together with the Proceedings of the Ninth Conference for the Study of the Negro Problems, held at Atlanta University, May 24, 1904.  Atlanta, Atlanta University Press, 1904. Vol.9, Atlanta University Publications. 1^st edition. 68 pp. 8vo. VG-/None.   Pamphlet is ex-lib in a yellow library binding. Someone has tried to remove the call numbers on the spine and caused a bit of loss to the surface of the binding material (see scan of spine. The original wrapper front has been glued to the library binding. Card pockets and bookplate on pastedowns have been removed. WITHDRAWN stamp and identification stamp of Meredith College in Raleigh NC on the title page, The book itself is square with a secure binding. This is an uncommon pamphlet. The study was an indictment of the racism of the Georgia prison system. The study was conducted while Du Bois was a professor at Atlanta University. Blockson

          10509.  $350.00

 

Dumas, Henry with Eugene P. Redmond.  Jonah and the Green Stone.  New York: Random House, 1976.  1^st Edition.  168 pp. 8vo.  NF/NF.  Both the book and the dustjacket show almost no wear.  This novel was published after the accidental shooting of African-American writer Henry Dumas. This first novel was unfinished but Dumas' notes existed. Eugene B. Redmond edited and prepared the manuscript for publication. Dumas, a very talented writer, has achieved great notoriety since his death. $50.00.

 

Dunbar, Paul Lawrence. Joggin’ Erlong.  New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1906.  1^stEdition.  8vo.  G.  The book has edge and corner wear with boards showing at the corners and minor loss at top and bottom of spine. There are also some scrapes, bumps and soiling on the covers. See scan for a general idea of the books appearance. However, the book is still square and securely bound and is overall a solid copy. The spine label is present but with some tears and scrapes; the "J" is missing. "Joggin' Erlong" was one of Dunbar's last poetry collections. It has great b&w photos of African-Americans by Leigh Richmond Miner with illustrations or decorations by John Rae.  Blockson 5600.  $125.00.

 

Eberhardt, Clifford. Out of Chattanooga: The Bessie Smith Story.  Chattanooga: Ebco Inc. 1994.  1^st Edition.  183 pp. 12mo. VG.  Gray wraps with photo of young Bessie Smith. Corner bump with a small crease bottom right. Creasing along front spine edge but spine is neither cracked not creased. Square and securely bound. Volume 1 of a proposed three volume fictionalized biography of Bessie Smith by a native Chattanoogan. This seems to be the only volume published so far. Signed and inscribed by Author on the half title.  $25.00.

 

Edwards, William J. Twenty-Five Years in the Black Belt.  Boston: The Cornhill Company, 1918.  1^st Edition.  143 pp. 8vo.  VG/None.  The book has light general wear with lightly bumped corners. Interior has mild toning along the page edges. Square and securely bound.  This relatively scarce work chronicles Edwards’ founding of Alabama's Snow Hill Institute, a training school for black youth. He ran the Institute for 25 years. Two of Edwards’ speeches are in the Appendix.  Not in Blockson.  $100.00.

 

Ford, James W.  The Negro and the Democratic Front. New York: International Publishers, 1938.  1^st Edition.  222 pp. 8vo.  VG/F-G.  Green boards with slight stain at the top of the spine, front. The dust jacket is in one piece but has a number of tears, chips and creases.   Significant book on the situation of African-Americans in the late 1930's. This appears to be a first edition; no additional printings are listed.  Blockson 3458.  $25.00.

 

Frazier, Franklin E. Black Bourgeoisie: The Rise of a New middle Class in America.  Glencoe: The Free Press & The Falcon’s Wing Press, 1967.  1^stEdition.   264 pp.  8vo. VG/F.   Book has edge and corner wear along with general aging. Square and securely bound. Jacket is in two pieces, parted along back spine edge. Edge wear and chips with some loss at top and bottom of spine. Actually, still presentable in mylar. Important study in the early days of the Civil Rights movement, by African-American sociologist.  Blockson 2298.  $20.00.

 

Friends Review.  Vol. XV.  # 5. October 5, 1861.  15 pp.  Large 8vo. G+.  This copy has light edge and corner wear as well as some light toning and/or soiling. There are two small pin holes where this was probably stored in some type of binder. Overall a presentable copy. This Quaker publication from the Civil War era has a number of feature articles including a continuing biography of Stephen Grillat (a Quaker) , news from various Quaker groups, news reports from North Carolina (Cherokees join Confederacy) , Tennessee, and Kentucky about the war, and articles on Slaves Taking Care of Themselves (examines the argument of slaveholders that most slaves are unfit for emancipation) , the Aurora Borealis, Flax Cotton, and others. $30.00.

 

Gates, Henry Louis. In Search of Our Roots. New York: Crown Publishers, 2009. 1^st Edition. 438 pp. Small 4to.  F/NF.  Very light shelf wear to DJ, otherwise as new. Historian Gates traces the roots of 19 African Americans, including Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg and Morgan Freeman. This was also a PBS series.  $30.00.

 

Gibson, Althea. I Always Wanted to be Somebody.  New York: Harper and Brothers, 1958.  1^st Edition.  Signed. 176 pp.  8vo.  VG+/G+. The book has light wear and minor corner bumps. The dustjacket has edge and corner wear with some chips and tears. This is a solid copy.  The book is inscribed and signed on the ffep to Robert Solomon who owned the Lowe’s Victoria Theatre in Harlem. Solomon had a special night for Gibson when John Ford's movie, The Horse Soldiers, opened. Gibson played a role in the movie.  This is an exceptional association.  Blockson 8467.  $600.00.

 

Giovanni, Nikki. Black Feeling Black Talk. Self-Published, 1968.  19 pp.  Thin 8vo. VG- .  Softcover with stapled wraps.  Stain across top right of wrap, probably from water, with a very small stain at the bottom. The corners are slightly rounded and there are several light creases across the back wrap.  This is a copy of the scarce, privately published first edition of Giovanni's first book.  Blockson 4814.  $175.00.

 

Goodwine, Marquetta. Frum Wi Soul Tuh De Soil Cotton, Rice and Indigo.  St. Helena Island, SC, Kinship Publications, 1999. Vol III: Gullah/Geechee: Africa's Seeds in the Wind of the Diaspora.  1^st edition.  155pp. 8vo. NF. Softcover.  Tan wraps with brown backstrap and black stamped titles and drawing on front. Book is about New with only very light shelf wear. Volume III of a projected 30 volume series on the Gullah/Geechee people of the Southern coastal region. This book focuses on the farming of cotton, rice and indigo. Signed and inscribed on the title page by Goodwine.  $95.00

 

Govenar, Alan and Phillip Collins (eds.).  Facing the Rising Sun Freedman’s Cemetery.  1^stEdition.  Dallas: African American Museum and Black Dallas Remembered, 2000.  160 pp.  4to. NF.  Pictorial wraps have some minor curling at corners; otherwise the catalog appears to be New.  This is a catalog of and about the archaeological dig and historical study of the Freedman's Cemetery in Dallas Texas. The story is told fully in several different chapters and each is illustrated with recovered artifacts from the cemetery and photographs and other items donated by families associated with the cemetery. Wonderful look at African -American life in Dallas Texas. $45.00.

 

Gysin, Byron.  To Master, a Long Goodnight.  New York: Creative Age Press, Inc., 1945. 276 pp.  1^stEdition.  8vo.  VG+/VG-. Pages somewhat yellowed, light crease across top right corner of first few pages, small blue stain at top of Contents page, otherwise VG+. Gilt titles, bright.  DJ has about 1/2" loss at head of spine, general wear with some small tears along top edges, some yellowing.  Harriett Beecher Stowe based the character of Uncle Tom on a real slave, Josiah Henson, who suffered as the fictional man did, escaped to Canada and had a career that included preaching, teaching, lecturing, and shepherding folks on the Underground Railway. However, he set a precedence for the behavior of African - Americans in dealing with white people - that of the "pious, subservient Negro, all bows and compromise, " which the term "Uncle Tom" has come to signify. This is Gysin's first book, written before his collaborations with William S. Burroughs in the 1950s.  120.00

 

Hall, Frederick (arranger).  Negro Spirituals and Folk Songs, Arranged for Men’s Voices. Winona Lake: Rodeheaver Hall – Mack Company, 1939.  1^st Edition.  Softcover. 59 pp.  VG-.  Wraps darkened around edges, 2" slit at bottom of spine, pages slightly yellowed. $90.00

 

Hammond, L. H.  In the Vanguard of a Race.  New York: Council of Women for Home Missions, 1922. 1^st Edition.  176 pp.  12mo.  VG/None. 1" semi-circular white stain on right edge of front board, very light toning to pages and a few spots of foxing on edges. There is a former owner's name on the ffep.  Biographies of notable African-Americans with portraits. Blockson 3105.  $35.00.

 

Handy, W. C. (ed.). Blues.  New York: Albert and Charles Boni, 1926.  1^stEdition.  Illustrations by Miguel Covarrubias.  Large 8vo.  180 pp. VG/None.  There is some edge and corner wear along with some light scuffs and two small (less than dime-size) stains on the front.  The interior has some light even toning . The book is square with no parting on the hinges or tears. This is a solid copy of a relatively hard-to-find book.  Handy both discusses the blues and provides arrangements with lyrics of 19 songs. The illustrations by Covarrubias are amazing. It is interesting to note that this book was written before Robert Johnson made any recordings and about the time that Charlie Patton and Son House were first being recorded.  Not in Blockson.  $190.00.

 

Hantske, Madeline Horres.  The Song of the Cotton Picker.  New York: Vantage Press, 1970.  1^st Edition Thus.  B&W photographs by Carl Julien.  NF/VG+. The book shows only very light shelf wear. The jacket also shows only very light edge and corner wear. This is a very attractive copy.  This book was originally published in a very limited edition, from cheap materials, in 1942. This is stated as a first edition on the title page but is actually a "first edition thus. " There is an Introduction by famed South Carolina poet Archibald Rutledge, who was Hantske's neighbor. The work itself is poetry written in Gullah and concerned with the African-Americans Hantske knew in the South Carolina low country. Her work preserves the sound of Gullah from the early 20th century.  $80.00.

 

Hayes, Roland.  My Songs: Afro-American Religious Folk Songs.  Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1948.  1^st Edition.  129 pp. VG/G.  Book has light edge and corner wear with some damage and loss at top and bottom of spine. G + to VG-. Jacket has edge and corner wear including chips and tears with a bit of loss at top of spine  It is now in a mylar protector.  This is a collection of thirty songs arranged by noted singer Roland Hayes. Signed, inscribed and dated (1948) by Hayes.   $185.00.

 

Helm, MacKinley.  Angel Mo’ and her Son, Roland Hayes.  New York: Little Brown, 1942.  1^st Edition.  289 pp. 8vo.  VG/G+.  Book would be NF except for light evidence of a damp stain on lower portion of rear cover (stain does not affect interior.) Jacket also shows evidence of this stain on the rear as well as edge and corner wear and a number of very small chips. This copy has a publisher’s review slip laid in.  Solid, square first edition copy of Roland Hayes' biography. Narrated in first person, but written by Helm. Hayes was the first African-American to sing at Carnegie Hall and a number of other venues.  Blockson 7899  $100.00.

 

Helm, MacKinley.  Angel Mo’ and her Son, Roland Hayes.  New York: Little Brown, 1942.  3^rd Printing.  289 pp. 8vo.  VG/None.  Light, general wear and aging with a noticeable bump on the bottom right corner. The book is square and securely bound.  This copy of Hayes' ghosted autobiography is signed by both Hayes and Helm on the half-title page.    Blockson 7899  $95.00.

 

Helm, MacKinley.  Angel Mo’ and her Son, Roland Hayes.  New York: Little Brown, 1942.  4th Printing. 289 pp.  8vo.  VG/None. This copy has light general wear with mild corner bumps and a very small area of speckles on the spine.  A small picture of Hayes is pasted in the center of the front  pastedown. This copy of famed tenor, Roland Hayes' biography is signed to Dorothy Henderson, who included a chapter on Hayes in her book on successful African-Americans. This is a nice association copy.   Blockson 7899  $75.00.

 

Helm, MacKinley.  Angel Mo’ and her Son, Roland Hayes.  New York: Little Brown, 1942.  6th Printing. 289 pp.  8vo.  VG/None.  Corners slightly bumped, boards somewhat soiled as is the spine, light foxing on frontispiece. The book is inscribed on the ffep by Hayes to Alfred Deller of the Deller Consort in 1959. Quite an unusual association. Blockson 7899  $150.00.

 

Henderson, Elliott. Old Fashioned Black F’oks.  Columbus, OH, self published, 1913. 1^st edition,  54pp. Small 8vo.  VG+/None. Red boards with gilt titles on front. Very light edge and corner wear. Two Library Discard stamps on ffep but no other indicia of library ownership. Small tear along gutter (1 inch) at top of title page. Otherwise book is square and securely bound -- almost a NF copy which is unusual for this book.  Henderson was an African-American poet who wrote much in dialect. This book includes two pages of mainly Ohioans who supported Blaine in his poetic work -- I'm guessing with at least some financial support. He published five volumes of poetry. He was certainly not as accomplished as Dunbar, but in his limited genre, he exhibits some skill.  Blockson 6040.  $185.00

 

Himes, Chester. The Heat’s On.  New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1966.  1^stEdition.  220 pp. 8vo.  VG/VG-. Book has light, general wear. Jacket has some scuffing and creasing on edges especially bottom.   Still a square, secure attractive copy.  Another of Himes' Cotton Ed Johnson and Gravedigger Jones novels.  Blockson 5438 $85.00.

 

Herndon, Angelo. Let Me Live.  New York: Random House, 1930.  1^stEdition.  G/F.  Cloth boards show some water damage, there is staining on the pastedowns, interior pages yellowed and wavy. There is a library stamp on the ffep, but no other library marking or pockets. DJ torn, chipped, stained, now in mylar.  This is Herndon’s autobiography, focusing on his conviction in Atlanta for insurrection.  Herndon, a Communist organizer, was eventually freed.  Blockson 3221.  $50.00.

 

Holley, Joseph Winthrop.  You Can't Build a Chimney from the Top: The South through the Life of a Negro Educator.  New York: The William Frederick Press, 1948.  1^st Edition.  VG+/VG-. The book has light general wear. The dustjacket has some edge and corner wear.   Book by  Georgia African-American educator who advocated education and gradual progress in race relations. He does have a chapter on lynching, and there is a section of photographs.  Blockson 4407.  $50.00.

 

Holley, Joseph Winthrop.  You Can't Build a Chimney from the Top: The South through the Life of a Negro Educator.  New York: The William Frederick Press, 1948.  1^st Edition.  VG+/VG. The book has light overall wear and aging. The dustjacket has some corner and edge wear and a small check at the bottom, rear spine fold.   Book by Georgia African-American educator who advocated education and gradual progress in race relations. He does have a chapter on lynching, and there is a section of photographs. This copy is signed boldly under photo of Holley, along with date (1953) and place (Albany Georgia).   Blockson 4407.  $100.00.

 

Holt, Rackham.  George Washington Carver.  New York: Doubleday, Doran & Co., 1943.  1^stEdition.  342 pp.  8vo. VG/G.  Book has only light wear and aging. Jacket has some chips, tears and small holes but is in one piece and still bright. The jacket was cheaply produced and hard to find in much better condition than this.  This is a well-known, dramatized, biography of Carver. This is, I think, the first trade edition, though a special signed edition was issued. This copy includes a presentable dustjacket.  Blockson 15.  $50.00.

 

Huie, William Bradford.  Three Lives for Mississippi.  New York: WCC Books, 1965.  1^st Edition.  254 pp. 8vo.  VG+/G+.  Book has only light wear and typical aging. Dustjacket has edge and corner wear, including some creases, scuffs and chips. There is also a piece of tape over one small tear, top center back, and two more small repairs on the underside of the jacket. Used jacket but still one piece, complete and presentable.  Huie's study of the murders of Goodman, Schwerner and Cheney in Mississippi during the Civil Rights movement. Huie did some of the best reporting from the Deep South. Blockson 4187  $25.00.

 

Johnson, Charles R. Black Humor. Chicago: Johnson Publishing Company, 1970.  Softcover. 1^st Edition.  NF.  This book shows a hint of wear and aging but is still about NF.  This is the first book by well-known African-American novelist Charles R. Johnson, who won the National Book Award for Middle Passage. This book is a collection of racially based cartoons by Johnson, a multi-talented man.  Blockson 2339.  $50.00.

 

Johnson, Dinah. All Around Town. New York: Henry Holt, 1998.  1^stEdition.  AN/AN.  This book appears to be new.  This is a collection of black and white photographs taken in Columbia South Carolina in the early 20th century by African-American photographer, Richard Samuel Roberts. Most of the photographs are of black citizens of Columbia involved in various everyday and special day activities. The author has written a brief, but imaginative, text to accompany the photographic selections. The author is a professor at The University of South Carolina.  $25.00.

 

Johnson, James Weldon. Fifty Years and Other Poems.  Boston: The Cornhill Company, 1917.  1^st Edition.  93 pp. 8vo.  VG-/None.  Corner bumps and light edge wear. The edges, especially front right are faded.  Book is square and securely bound. Grades G+-VG-. Early collection of Johnson's poetry with an Introduction by Brander Mathews. Solid copy.  Not in Blockson. $125.00.

 

                                                                                                                                                                                   17

Jones, Charles C., Jr. Negro Myths of the Georgia Coast. Detroit, Singing Tree Press, Book Tower, 1969.  1^st edition thus.  171 pp. Small 8vo.  NF/None. Solid copy of Jones collection of stories told mostly by former slaves. These stories are written in what is essentially Gullah dialect and are harder to read than Harris's Uncle Remus. They also lack the narrative framework of Uncle Remus. Interesting and important collection of stories.  $75.00

 

Jones, Edward P. All Aunt Hagar’s Children. New York: Amistad, 2006.  1^stEdition.  399 pp.  8vo. NF/NF.  Book and jacket have only shelfwear although the corners are lightly bumped from packing.  Collection of short stories by PEN/Hemingway award winner and National Book Award nominee. Flatsigned on title page.  $35.00.

 

The Journal of Negro Education: A Quarterly Review of Problems Incident to the Education of Negroes.  Volume XVIII, Number 4.  Fall, 1949.  Washington DC: Howard University.  Light wear and toning around the edges; general overall aging. Some sunning on wraps. Still square and securely bound.  Besides the articles, this issue includes an extensive bibliography of recent works published in relations to African-Americans on pages 520-588 along with the magazine Index for 1949. $25.00

 

The Journal of Negro Education: The Health Status and Health Education of Negroes in the United States.  Volume XVIII, Yearbook.  Summer, 1949.  Washington DC: Howard University.   Light wear and toning around the edges; general overall aging. Some sunning on wraps. Still square and securely bound.   This is a special issue of Health issues related to African-Americans.  $25.00

 

Joyner, Charles. Remember Me: Slave Life in Coastal Georgia.  Atlanta: Georgia Humanities Council, 1989.  1^st Edition.  Softcover. AN.  This copy shows very light shelfwear but appears new and unread. This is a thorough and evocative study of antebellum coastal Georgia.  20.00

 

Kay, Jackie.  Bessie Smith.  Bath: Absolute Press, 1997.  1^st Edition.  160 pp. 8vo.  As New.  Softcover. Book appears to be New and unread. Blend of fact, fiction, poetry and prose that creates a biography of Bessie Smith. The author grew up as a gay, African-American in Glasgow, adopting American blues singer Bessie Smith as a kind of guide and mentor. This book is a personalized presentation of Smith. It is part of a series called Outlines that emphasizes the effects of homosexuality in the various arts. $30.00.

 

Kennedy, R. Emmet. More Mellows.  New York, Dodd, Mead & Co., 1931.  1^stedition.  178pp. Large 8vo.  VG/None. Dark blue boards with gilt titles showing light edge and corner wear. Mild interior toning mostly on endpapers. Square and securely bound with very light bowing on board ends. Collection of African-American spiritual including musical arrangements and discussions of each.   $150.00

 

 

 

 

Kirke, Edmund.  My Southern Friends.  New York: Carleton, 1863.  1^stEdition.  308 pp.  12mo. VG/None.  Edge and corner wear, general aging and toning. Square and securely bound. Rear endpaper torn out, quite possibly to have been used as stationery -- a common occurrence in the 19th century. Some stray pencil marks on endpapers, including writing and a folk art tree in rear.  Novel about the South and slavery prior to Civil War. The novel is by James Robert Gilmore, writing as Edmund Kirke.  $60.00.

 

Lapp, Rudolph M. Blacks in Gold Rush California.  New London: Yale University Press, 1977.  1^st Edition.  321 pp. 8vo.  VG+/VG-.  Book has light edge and corner wear, along with one very small tear and some light scuffing at top of front flap fold. Interesting history of the role of African-Americans in the California Gold Rush.  Blockson 9258.  $35.00.

 

Maran, Rene.  Batouala.  London: Jonathan Cape, 1922.  Limited and Numbered Edition #888 of 1000).  VG-/None.  Edge and corner wear with small exposure of boards on tips of corners. Some sunning on spine with loss on "o" in Batuoala. Book is square and securely bound with not tears or parting. Browning on endpapers, some light internal foxing. This is the first English edition (stated) published in a limited edition of 1050 of which 1000 were for sale. This is hand-numbered 888. Batuoula won the Prix Goncourt and has always been controversial. Maran was African-French. The book is listed by Charles Blockson in his "100 Rare Books and Pamphlets" related to Africans and African-Americans as well as in the Catalogue of his collection. Blockson 7576.  $50.00.

 

Marsh, J. B. T. The Story of the Jubilee Singers with Their Songs.  Boston: Houghton, Osgood and Company, 1880.  Revised Edition.  G+/None. Corners bumped, white stains on green boards, foot of spine frayed, spine scuffed, brown endpapers has some spots and small chips, former owner's name and some pencil marks on ffep. Foredges darkened, pages slightly yellowed.  Blockson 7167  $90.00.

 

McCollom, Michael. The Way We Wore. Glitterati Inc., 2006.  1^stEdition.  176 pp.  4to. N/N.  Book and jacket are New, unread.  Wonderful photographic survey of black fashion from the Harlem Renaissance to Hip-Hop with comments from those in the pictures.  $20.00.

 

McGirt, James E. For Your Sweet Sake: Poems.  Philadelphia: John C. Winston, 1906.  1^st Edition.  79 pp. 12mo. VG/None.  Edge wear with lightly bumped corners, two small, light stains on front when angled to light. Back endpaper and pastedown look as if something was either laid in or lightly pasted -- hard to say.  Turn-of-the-century book of poetry by African-American poet from North Carolina. Uncommon.  Blockson 5288.  $175.00.

 

McIntosh, Maria J. Woman in America: Her Work and Her Reward.  New York: D. Appleton and Co., 1850.  155 pp. 8vo.  VG/None.  Hardcover bound in dark chocolate brown embossed publisher's cloth. The binding is rubbed and worn but sound. Cloth is spotted, and the corners are bumped and there is a small tear at the top of the spine. The inner hinges are secure, and the text block is sound. Text shows some foxing. The front and the rear pastedowns each has a folk art drawing of a bird. The ffep also seems to have a clothing price list in pencil.  McIntosh was originally from Georgia, and a successful novelist and author of children's books. In this book she considers the role of women in American society with an emphasis on the South and slavery. She condemns slavery but offers an explanation and understanding of why it had flourished in the South. Important, but often overlooked work, on the antebellum South by a Southerner.  $65.00.

 

Meriwether, Louise. Daddy Was a Number Runner. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1970. 1^st Edition.  208 pp.  8vo. NF/VG+.  Book has only light, general wear. Dustjacket has light edge and corner wear.  First novel to come out of the Watts Writers Workshop.  Blockson 5097  $30.00.

 

Miller, Kelly.  The Everlasting Stain.  Washington DC: Associated Publishers, 1924.  1^stEdition.  VG/None.  Light shelf wear, gilt lettering dulled on spine, few light spots on back cover, pages slightly browned.  Miller, from South Carolina, was an African-American mathematician and activist. This was one of his last books on racial issues in the United States.  Emory University recently acquired Miller’s papers.  Blockson 2786  $100.00.

 

Miller, Kelly and Joseph R. Gay.  Progress and Achievements of the Colored People. A     Handbook of Self-Improvement Which Leads to Greater Success. Washington: Austin Jenkins Co., nd.  Later Printing. 434 pp.  8vo. Red cloth with darker red backstrap. Gilt tiltles on front and spine. Book has very light edge and corner wear. Some very small scuffs on backstrap along with wear at top and bottom of spine. Remarkable condition.  Former owner's stamp on front pastedown is dated "Feb. 5, 1928." Book is a reprint of the 1917 edition which was preceded by a 1913 edition that listed only Gay as author. This is a very attractive copy of one of Miller's many books chronicling the progress of African-American history in the United States. Blockson 3804.  Not in Work. $50.00

 

Morgan, Thomas L. and William Barlow.  From Cakewalks to Concert Halls: An Illustrated History of African-American Popular Music from 1895 to 1930.  Washington: Elliott and Clark Publishing, 1992.  Softcover.  2^nd Printing.  132 pp. 4to.  NF.   Book has only very light wear. An attractive copy.  Wonderfully illustrated, black & white and color of the history of African American music. This history is a good reminder that the blues were only a minor part of African American music.  $35.00.

 

Morrison, Toni. Jazz.  New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1992.  1^stEdition.  229 pp.  8vo. NF/NF.  Book and jacket have only very light shelf wear.  One of Nobel laureate Morrison's fine novels. Blockson 8288. $15.00.

 

Muhammad, Elijah. The Supreme Wisdom: Solution to the So-Called Negroes’ Problem.  Chicago: The University of Islam,  1957. 1^st Edition.  Softcover.  56 pp.  G+. This booklet has edge and corner wear with small chips and tears. But, for a publication done on newsprint in the 1950's, this copy is in remarkable shape. It is complete and the stapled binding is still secure. Besides the wear, there is also consistent browning throughout. That browning comes with the low-quality paper, but the paper is not brittle.  This 56-page booklet from 1957 was the first publication by Elijah Muhammad. In it he spells out his theology and philosophy. A photograph on page 54 shows a group of ministers trained by Elijah Muhammad, one of whom may be Malcolm X. The photo has not reproduced well on the newsprint so I cannot be sure. This is an important document in the history of both Black Muslims and the Civil Rights movement.  Not in Blockson.  $120.00

 

Murray, Albert. The Hero and the Blues. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1973.  1^st Edition.  107 pp. 8vo.  NF/NF.  Book and jacket appear to be new and unread.  Essays by distinguished African-American scholar on the blues and blues singers in terms of the hero in literature.  $30.00.

 

 

Painter, Nell Irvin. The Narrative of Hosea Hudson: His Life As a Negro Communist in the South.  Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 1979.  1^stedition, 1^st printing.  400pp. Large 8vo.  NF/VG-.  Book has only very light, general shelfwear. Jacket has edge and corner wear with some small chips and a couple of short tears. Biography of Georgia-born Hudson who worked in Birmingham Alabama steel mills and became radicalized enough to join the Communist party in the South. An amazing story of a Southern black Civil Rights advocate who is largely unknown today.  Author Painter is an African-American historian.  $15.00

 

Paths Toward Freedom: A Biographical History of Blacks and Indians in North Carolina by Blacks and Indians.  Raleigh: North Carolina State Press, 1976.  240 pages, Softcover, 1^st Edition. NF, Book appears to be almost new and never read.  Published as part of the Bicentennial celebration, this oversized softcover book is filled with information and pictures on blacks and Indians from North Carolina. It has several foldout illustrations.  The drawings are by James and Ernestine Huff.  $20.00.

 

Paul, Emma Lee. The Bold Truth. Amityville: Maplehouse Enterprises, 1987.  1^st Edition.  Softcover. Signed.  25 pp.  8vo. VG.  This is an excerpt from the autobiography of Emma Lee Paul. Paul brought suit against Alex Haley and Doubleday, claiming that Doubleday, to whom she had submitted the manuscript of her autobiography, had allowed Haley to see it and that he had used parts of her work in Roots. This case was eventually dismissed but not without some controversy and some support for Paul. She later published this short excerpt so that people could see her work and compare it to Roots. This copy is signed by Paul on the inside of the front wrapper. Interesting and scarce bit of literary ephemera.  $40.00.

 

Petry, Ann.  The Street.  New York: Houghton-Mifflin, 1946.  436 pp.  VG/G. This copy has light, general wear and aging. The dustjacket has some corner and edgewear, a sunned spine and some soiling on the back.  This was Petry's first novel. The copyright page has the date 1946 and nothing else. I suspect that this is a later printing, but HM was not always consistent. 1946 is the year of the first printing.  Blockson 6500.  $40.00.

 

Powell, Adam Clayton. Keep the Faith, Baby!  New York, Trident Press 1967.  1^stedition, 1^st printing. 293 pp. VG+/G+.  Book has minor shelf wear, light toning of pages and fore edges. Dust Jacket has wear on the edges and folds, a chip at head of spine with a loss of about 1/2", several small tears on edges and top and bottom of folds.  Book has minor shelf wear, light toning of pages and fore edges. Dust Jacket has wear on the edges and folds, a chip at head of spine with a loss of about 1/2”, several small tears on edges and top and bottom of folds.  $25.00

 

Pruter, Karl.  The Strange Partnership of George Alexander McGuire and Marcus Garvey.  Highlandville: St. Willibrord Press, 1986.  1^st Edition.  Thin 8vo. NF.  Book has only very light wear.   This book traces the interesting connections between Marcus Garvey, founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA-ACL) and George Alexander McGuire, who founded the African Orthodox Church. Scarce in this first edition; only six located by WorldCat.  Not in Blockson.  $50.00.

 

Ramsey, Frederic Jr. and Charles Edward Smith (Eds.).  Jazzmen.  New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1939.  1^st Edition.  360pp. 8vo.  VG/None.  Book has light general aging with some soiling or toning on the covers. Square and securely bound with no tears or parting. Former owner 's name on ffep. Great collection of essays on the history of jazz, concentrating on New Orleans, Chicago and New York. 32 pages of photographs . The New Orleans photos are a great resource, featuring pictures of many early and legendary bands and performers including Buddy Bolden, Horace Keppart, Joe Oliver and young Louis Armstrong. This is a basic book on early jazz.  Blockson 8042.  $25.00.

 

Ransom, Reverdy C. The Pilgrimage of Harriet Ransom’s Son.  Nashville: Sunday School Union, 1949.  1^st edition.  336 pp. VG/G+.  The book is almost NF except for some bumps along the edges. The dustjacket has some small tears, wrinkles and scuffs. There is a gift inscription on the front pastedown. This is still a very attractive copy.  This is the biography of Bishop Reverdy C. Ransom of the AME Church. Ransom was born in Ohio in 1861 and died in Tennessee in 1959. He was a progressive black leader. This copy is undated (the copyright page says Copyright Applied For. 1949 is the date of the first edition; this appears to be an advance copy.  Blockson 8932.  $250.00.

 

Robeson, Eslanda Goode.  African Journey.  New York: John Day Company, 1945.  4^th Printing.  154 pp. 8vo.  VG/G.  Book has light shelf wear, especially to head and foot of spine. DJ has wear to edges, several small tears and chips, split at spine for about 2", flaps yellowed. The book was printed under WWII paper use restrictions, but interior is very clean and bright.  Blockson 1036.  $20.00.

 

Rogers, Bertha Mae (Vickie Rogers Armstrong, ed.).  Wounded, but Not Broken.  Columbus: Abdal Publishing, 2004.  Softcover. 59 pp.  8vo.  VG+. Light shelf wear with a scrape and slight damage at the top of front wrap. Book is VG+ to NF. This is mainly the story of Bertha Mae Rogers who was born a slave. Rogers herself was born when her father was 90 so she is telling the story that she heard. Interesting piece of African-American ephemera. Signed by Rogers on the ffep.  $25.00.

 

Rouse, J. K.  The Noble Experiment of Warren C. Coleman. Charlotte: The Crabtree Press, 1972. 1^st Edition.  112 pp.  small 4to.  VG/VG. Black pebbled boards have some dull spots, perhaps from mildew, but interior is not affected. DJ was originally white, now age toned.  Signed on ffep by the author. This is the story of Coleman Mills in Concord, NC, which was started to employ African-American workers. The book is illustrated with photos and copies of documents and letters pertaining to the mill. $35.00.

 

Salvatore, Nick. Singing in a Strange Land: C. L. Franklin, the Black Church and the Transformation of America. New York: Little, Brown and Co., 2005. 1^st Edition.  419 pp.  8vo. NF/NF.   Both book and jacket look new.  Biography of Aretha Franklin's father, C. L. , one of America's great preachers and singers.  $10.00.

 

Sewell, George Alexander.  Mississippi Black History Makers.  Jackson, MS, University of Mississippi Press, 1977. 1^st edition.  420 pp. 8vo. NF/None.   Green boards with gilt titles on spine. Book has only very light shelf wear . (Scan shows a shadow on top left corner which is just a shadow from the scanner. )   Compilation of chapters on famous African-Americans from Mississippi. Signed on title page to Julius C. and Maggie Williams.  $25.00

 

Smith, Mrs. Amanda. An Autobiography: The Story of the Lord's Dealings with Mrs. Amanda Smith, the Colored Evangelist. Chicago: Meyer and Brother Publishers, 1893.  1^st Edition.  506 pp. 8vo.  VG.  Dark blue boards with gilt portrait of Smith on front. The book as light edge and corner wear along with some minor damage at top and bottom of spine. Autobiography of an early African-American female missionary who worked in, among other places, India. The Introduction is by Bishop Thoburn of India.  Blockson 2237.  $125.00.

 

Smith, John David. Black Judas. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2000.  1^st Edition.  386 pp. NF/NF.  Both book and jacket have only very light wear. They appear to be As New, never read.  This is the story of black author, William Hannibal Thomas, who wrote The American Negro in 1901. In this book, Thomas attacked blacks as an inferior race, hence the title.  There is a copy of Thomas’ book in this catalog.  $15.00.

 

Smith, J. V. C. (ed.) Boston Medical and Surgical Journal.  Boston: David Clapp, June 15, 1853.  Vol.47, Number 20.  Softcover journal.  Edge and corner wear. Age toning and light foxing.  Curled corner edges. Pages do not seem to have ever been attached -- the volume was probably stitched together and bound at the end of the publishing year. There is some writing on top of front page in ink, possibly a cataloguing code. A small bit of yellow paper adheres to the back where there may have been an address. There are also some old horizontal folds where this was probably rolled for the mail. This Journal is actually much better condition than the description sounds.  This Journal eventually became the New England Journal of Medicine, which, today, is the most prestigious medical journal in the country. This issue has articles on: Nature and Treatment of Scarlet Fever by M. F. Colby (Canada) , Lectures of M. Valleix on displacements of the Uterus by Luther Parks, Jr. (Boston) , and The Pulse, Cranial Dimensions, etc. Of the Southern Negro Child with some remarks upon Infantile Therapeutics by H. A. Ramsay (Thompson Georgia). Interesting Georgia/ African-American reference that most likely involved slave children.  $150.00

 

Smith, Lillian. Killers of the Dream. 1^st Edition.  New York: Norton, 1962.  256 pp.  8vo. VG/G.  Black cover show light wear with corner bumps. Overall there is some aging along with toning on foredges and endpapers. Jacket has edge and corner wear with some chips at corners, creasing along bottom and loss at top and bottom of spine.  Smith's first book after Strange Fruit addresses Southerners on the topic of segregation. This was a bold and challenging book by a woman living in the South (Clayton Georgia) when she wrote it. Signed on ffep by Glenn W. Rainey who was a professor at Georgia Tech, a friend of C. Vann Woodward and a Civil Rights activist.  Blockson 3195.  $75.00.

 

Smith, William Gardner.  Anger at Innocence.  New York: Farrar Strauss and Company, 1950.  1^st Edition.  300 pp. 8vo.  VG-/G.  Bumped corners, scuffed at head and foot of spine, some white mottling on boards interior slightly age-toned but tight and clean. DJ worn on edges and folds, several chips, especially at corners, age-toned.   Blockson 4687.  $65.00.

 

Somerville, Dr. J. Alexander.  Man of Color.  Los Angeles: Lorrin L. Morrison, 1949.  1^st Edition.  170 pp. 8vo.  VG/G.  Book has very light edge and corner wear. The jacket has some tears, chips and scuffs . Still in one piece and reasonably attractive .  Autobiography of a Jamaican immigrant who overcame poverty and prejudice to become a medical doctor and success in America. Somerville's life and book are on the cusp of the Civil Rights Movement.  Blockson 3323.  $25.00.

 

Starnes, Ebenezer. The Slaveholder Abroad or Billy Buck’s Visit with his Master, to England.  Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1860.  1^stEdition.  512 pp.  8vo. VG-/None.  Chipping with minor loss at crown. , else G-VG in original stamped cloth with gilt title. Square and securely bound with no parting or tears. Interior clean and sound.  Lengthy satire on the so-called "wage-slave system" found in the North and abroad. An Appendix comprises the final 47 pages, consisting of Reports to Gov. Herschel V. Johnson, affidavits, legislative and constitutional acts, portions of Thomas R. R. Cobb's Inquiry into the Law of Slavery, etc. Scarce Southern defense of slavery written with humor, and often mistakenly attributed to William Tappan Thompson. DeRenne (II 614) has the correct author, noting that Starnes was a Judge on the Georgia Supreme Court during the 1850's. Solid copy of uncommon Georgia and African-American related work. Not in Blockson.  $185.00.

 

Stroyer, Jacob. My Life in the South. Salem: Newcomb and Gauss, 1898. New and Enlarged Edition. VG.  Signed by Stroyer under frontispiece portrait (ink bleeds through to back.)   Green boards have some sunning along edges as well as along the spine. Looks as if other books were stacked on this one over a long period of time. Otherwise the book is secure and well-bound, no tears or parting. Very light edge and corner wear. Very attractive copy.  Stroyer was a former slave who became a well-known preacher in Massachusetts. This memoir was originally published in 1879, but this New and Enlarged version is generally accepted as the more complete and more important edition. Blockson 9720.  $450.00.

 

Swift, Hildegard Hoyt. North Star Shining.  New York: William Morrow, 1947.  1^st Edition.  Poetry with watercolor illustrations by Lynd Ward, reproduced in both color and black and white. VG-/F.  Corners bumped, lightly scuffed boards; DJ has several large chips, especially on corners and spine.  Blockson 6009.  $45.00

 

Thomas, Matt.  Hopping on the Border.  San Antonio: The Naylor Company, 1951.  1^stEdition.  Signed.  170 pp. VG+/G.  The book has light wear and general aging. The dustjacket has edge and corner wear with some chips and loss, especially along the top edge. This is the autobiography of a bellboy who worked mainly in Brownsville Texas, though he was known throughout the South. He actually seems to have been an entertainer who worked with such travelling shows as Brundage and Wortham. He knew many celebrities of the time. Interesting portrait from a different time.  Uncommon book, especially signed.  Not in Blockson.  $100.00.

 

Thomas, William Hannibal.  The American Negro: What He Was, What He Is, What He May Become.  New York: The Macmillan Company, 1901.  1^stEdition.  440 pp.  VG-/None. Brown boards with gilt lettering and gilt top foredge. There is some edge and corner wear, along with some discoloration on the covers.  Square and securely bound; no parting or tears.  Controversial book on African - Americans by a conservative African-American writer. Thomas was condemned by many black leaders of his time.  See John David Smith’s biography of Thomas, Black Judas, in this catalog.   Blockson 2173.  $125.00.

 

Torrence, Ridgely. The Story of John Hope. New York: Macmillan, 1948.  1^stEdition.  398 pp.  VG/None. Some edge and corner wear. Still square and securely bound .  Biography by black playwright, Ridgely Torrence, of Georgia-born John Hope who with W. E. B. DuBois helped found the Niagara Movement. John Hope Franklin was named for John Hope.  Blockson 4099.  $12.00.

 

Toure.  The Portable Promised Land.  Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 2003. Softcover.  1^stPaperback Edition.  256 pp.  8vo. NF.  Signed.  Only very light wear.  This is Toure's first book of stories.  $25.00.

 

Trethewey, Natasha. Native Guard.  New York, Houghton-Mifflin, 2006.  Special Edition, 1^st printing. 51pp. 8vo. New/New.  Book and jacket are New and unread.  Flatsigned on the title page by Pulitzer Prize winner Trethewey. This Special Edition comes with a CD on the rear pastedown of Trethewey reading her poems. The CD cover has not been opened.  $60.00

 

Vincent, Stephen A. Southern Seed Northern Soil.  Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1999.  1^st Edition.  224 pp. 8vo.  NF/VG+.  Book has only very light shelfwear. Dustjacket has a sunned spine or would also be NF.  Scholarly research on African -American farm families, mainly in Indiana. Signed and inscribed on half-title. Inscription may be in another hand; hard to say since it is printed and signature is not.  $85.00.

 

Walker, Anne Kendrick. Tuskegee and the Black Belt: A Portrait of a Race.  Richmond: The Dietz Press, Inc., 1945.  2^nd Printing.  180 pp. 8vo.  NF/NF.  Endpapers slightly age-toned.  Introduction by Alabama Governor Chauncey Sparks. Illustrations are from photos and paintings of African-American life.  Not in Blockson.  $15.00.

 

Webb, Sheyann and Rachel West Nelson.  Selma, Lord, Selma.  Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1980.  1^st Edition.  8vo. NF/VG+.  Signed.  The book has only a hint of wear. The dust jacket has only very minor edge and corner wear.  This book is about the authors' experiences during the Civil Rights activities in Selma, Alabama. The book is signed and inscribed by Sheyann Webb.  Blockson 3974.  $25.00.

 

Weisbrot, Robert. Father Divine. Boston: Beacon Press, 1980.  1^stEdition thus.  Softcover.  241 pp. VG.  The book has light edge and corner wear.  Biography of African-American evangelist, Father Divine (George Baker). Baker was possibly born in Georgia or in Maryland; however, he spent much of his early career in Georgia and his first wife, Peninniah, was from Macon. This is the most complete biography of Father Divine and comes with a post card showing Father Divine and Mother Divine -- Baker's second wife, Edna Rose Ritchings. I know nothing about the post card; it has a slick chrome finish and is in EX-NM condition. Father Divine died in 1965, so the card could certainly be from his later years .  Blockson 8748.  $25.00.

 

Welty, Eudora.  One Time One Place.  Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1996.  1^stEdition Thus.  118 pp.  Oblong 8vo. NF/NF.  Small erasure mark on right top corner of silver ffep, otherwise as new in a mylar jacket.  This is the 1996 reprint of the 1971 book of photos Welty took while working for the WPA during the Great Depression.  $20.00.

 

Williams, John (ed.). The Angry Black. Lancer Books, nd.  Softcover.  1^st Edition.  160 pp. 12mo.  VG+.  Book is square and securely bound, with only light aging. Appears to be unread. Collection of essays, most by black authors, on the situation of African-Americans ca. 1962. Authors include James Baldwin , Ralph Ellison, Langston Hughes, Shirley Jackson, Richard Wright and others.  $20.00.

 

Williams, Sherley Anne.  Dessa Rose.  New York: William Morrow, 1986.  1^st Edition.  236 pp. 8vo.  F/F.  Book and jacket appear As New.  Acclaimed novel that imagines a friendship between an escaped slave and a white Southern woman. The fictional characters are based on historical people.  Blockson 5135.  $30.00.

 

Woodson, Carter Godwin.  The Education of the Negro Prior to1861.  Washington: The Associated Publishers, 1919.  2^nd Edition.  453 pp. 8vo.  VG/None.  Book has some light edge and corner wear along with light overall aging.  Second Edition of Woodson's masterful study of the education of blacks in America prior to the Civil War. Signed boldly by Woodson on the ffep. It is dated June 16, 1938, though probably not in Woodson's hand. Woodson-signed books are relatively scarce. This copy also has the bookplate and signature of Laurence J. W. Hayes of Howard University. Hayes was the author of The Negro Federal Government Worker: A Study of his Classification Status in the District of Columbia, 1883-1938, which was published by Howard University in 1941. This copy of Woodson's book was quite possibly Hayes' working copy. It is an interesting Association.  $450.00.

 

Wright, Richard. The Outsider.  New York: Harper and Brothers, 1953.  1^stEdition.  405 pp.  8vo. VG+/G+.  This is Wright's first novel after the autobiographical Black Boy. It is an important part of his body of work.  Blockson 6077.  $43.00.

 

Wright, Richard. Pagan Spain. London: The Bodley Head, 1960.  1^stBritish Edition.  191 pp.  8vo. VG+/VG-.  The book has only light general wear and aging. The dustjacket has some small tears and chips.  This is the first British edition of Wright's memoir and study of Spain in the late 1950's. Blockson 2005.  $2.00.

 

Yancy, A. H.  Interpositionulification.  New York: Comet Press, 1959.  1^st Edition.  134 pp. VG+/VG-.  Book has very minor wear at corners and foot of spine, interior is NF. Dust jacket is sunned along the top edges and there are several small tears on the top. Spine is a little sunned.  "Yancey was born in Macedonia, GA in 1881. His was the only Negro family in the farm area in which he lived, and the peculiar problems this presented gave him unusual insight into the many-faceted problem of racial relations in the American South" (from book jacket).  Blockson 3118.  $100.00.

 

Yerby, Frank.  The Foxes of Harrow.  New York: Dial Press, 1946.  1^stEdition.  408 pp.  8vo. VG+/G+.  Book has light wear and aging. Price-clipped dustjacket has edge and corner wear along with small chips, tears and creases. Small pen notation at top of interior flap fold. See scan.  Frank Yerby's first novel. Set in New Orleans and Louisiana. Born in Augusta Georgia, Yerby was the first African-American to write a best-selling novel and to have a book purchased by a Hollywood studio for a film adaptation. Dial Press played down the fact that he was African-American.   Blockson 5299.  $600.  

 

Yerby, Frank.  The Devil’s Laughter.  New York: Dial Press, 1953.  1^stEdition.  356 pp.  8vo. VG+/G+.  Book has only very light wear and aging. Dustjacket has some edge and corner wear with a small chip, top left (see scan). There is a neatly closed tear at the bottom of the spine, and some light staining along the edge of the interior front fold. For all its flaws, this is still a bright, colorful, presentable and attractive jacket.  This book is set in the French Revolution.  Born in Augusta, Georgia, Yerby was the first African American to write a best-selling novel and to have a book purchased by a Hollywood studio for a film adaptation. Dial Press played down the fact that he was African-American. Blockson 5141.  $25.00

 

Yerby, Frank.  The Golden Hawk.  New York: Dial Press, 1948.  1^stEdition.  8vo.  VG+/G+. Book has very light, general wear. Some toning on endpapers. Jacket has some edge and corner wear, small chips and tears, along with a small hole from a tear near the bottom right (see scan). There are also some small, light red stains on the back.  This is one of Yerby's epic novels. It is set in the 17th century Caribbean with a pirate or privateer hero. Jacket art by John Alan Maxwell. Born in Augusta Georgia, Yerby was the first African American to write a best-selling novel and to have a book purchased by a Hollywood studio for a film adaptation. Dial Press played down the fact that he was African-American. This was Yerby's third novel. This novel defines "swashbuckler." $25.00.

 

Yerby, Frank.  Pride’s Castle.  New York: Dial Press, 1949.  1^st Edition.   382 pp. 8vo.  VG+/G+.  Book has only very light, general wear, with a little toning on the end papers. Dustjacket has edge and corner wear with a small bit of loss at the top of the spine. One of Yerby's epic novels about a Robber Baron of the Gilded Age. Born in Augusta Georgia, Yerby was the first African American to write a best-selling novel and to have a book purchased by a Hollywood studio for a film adaptation. Dial Press played down the fact that he was African-American.  Blockson 6183.  $30.00.

 

 

EPHEMERA, PAPER, PAMPHLETS

 

Atlanta Crackers vs Brooklyn Dodgers Score Card – Jackie Robinson.  Atlanta: Franklin Printing and Manufacturing Co., 1949.  4pp.  4to. VG.  The scorecard has edge wear and some light soiling and scrapes on the front. There is an old horizontal crease through the middle where it was probably folded to put inside a jacket. Over the years the crease has mostly flattened out but is still noticeable. The card is not scored. The interior two pages are bright with no problems and there are no tears or weaknesses on the fold. This scorecard comes from the April, 1949 exhibition series between the Atlanta Crackers and the Brooklyn Dodgers, played in Ponce De Leon Stadium in Atlanta. The importance of this series lies in the fact that Dodgers second baseman Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play for a Major League team, played for the first time in Atlanta. Robinson played in all three games and Roy Campanella played in two. Both of these players are listed in print on the scorecard. Included with this scorecard is a copy of Atlanta History magazine which has a full account of the series and several pictures. This scorecard also features a big ad for Coca Cola on the front and still lists Ernie Harwell as the Crackers' announcer. This scorecard is an important memento of an historic event in the deep South. Worthy of an important sports collection.  $400.00.

 

Autograph. Althea Gibson.  Signed  on a card with information about her career.  NF.  200.00.

 

Carver, George Washington.  How to Grow the Peanut.  Tuskegee: Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, 1925.  4^thEdition.  30 pp.  The wrappers have some foxing and light soiling and the name Trinity School written in pencil at the top. There is also minor edge and corner wear with a little loss top right. The booklet is square and securely bound, a solid copy. This is a Tuskegee imprint of one of Carver's pamphlets on his most famous subject -- the peanut. Such pamphlets with the Tuskegee imprint are not common.  Not in Blockson.  $150.00

 

Dryer, Edmund H. Origin of Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute.  Birmingham: Self Published, 1938.  1^st Edition.  13 pp. 12mo. NF.  Softcover.   Booklet has only very light wear and toning. Scarce booklet by white resident of Tuskegee, Alabama on the establishment of Tuskegee Institute. This booklet seems to have been reprinted by a firm in Birmingham (also in 1938) but this is the author's original, self-published issue. Signed by Dryer on the title page. Hard-to-find, Tuskegee-related publication, especially signed.  $150.00.

 

Eighteenth Annual Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Indianapolis, 1927.  23 pages.  VG+.  This softcover program has only light, general wear and aging.  This is the program for the NAACP Conference held at Bethel A. M. E. Church in Indianapolis during the week of June 22-28, 1927. Among the speakers and Presiding Officers listed are W. E. B. DuBois, Clarence Darrow, James Weldon Johnson, Arthur B. Spingarn, and many others. This conference was held at a time when both the KKK and lynching were major concerns.  50.00

 

Invitation to Prof. H. P. Fredericks' Third Full Dress Ball, Reception and Banquet.  Corning, NY, 1902.  4pp. 24mo.  NF.  Invitation has a photo on front of distinguished gentleman in full formal wear -- I assume that this man is Prof. Fredericks. Interior lists various Committees and members for what was obviously a large and important event.  $125.00. 

 

Songs of the South: Words and Music of 17 Favorite Negro Spirituals.  Atlanta: Commission on Interracial Cooperation, nd.  16 pp. Thin, small 8vo.  VG-.  Cardboard wraps are soiled and waterstained. There is a light crease at the right edge that shows faintly through the entire book. The interior is clean, binding tight. Published for the Commission on Interracial Cooperation, Inc. , Atlanta, Georgia with no edition or printing information. This copy has the stamp of the USO in Abilene, Texas.  $25.00.