The young woman stood hopefully, her eyes downcast, as a fashionable woman with a little girl looked her over. Behind the young woman were other women dourly etched in an illustration on the cover of…
Month: November 2017
Frederick Douglass on cover of Harper’s Weekly, 1883
Posted in Black history, and Ephemera/Paper/Documents
Frederick Douglass was the main speaker at the 1883 National Colored Convention in Louisville, KY, using his great voice to rally against the injustices still encountered by former slaves in the era of Reconstruction. Black…
I’m used to seeing stuffed and mounted animals at auction, even an elephant foot made into a cigarette stand. But to my surprise, I recently stumbled upon a stuffed and mounted wild turkey. The full-sized creature seemed…
The many incarnations of the noble typewriter
Posted in Antiques, collectibles, and Equipment
Most of the typewriters on the tables at the auction house appeared to be in good condition, bearing little of the dust I’ve seen on some that have been stored in basements for years, unseen…
A time when you got a prize in your washing powder
Posted in Advertising, dishware, Ephemera/Paper/Documents, and Glassware
On first glance, the fronts of the small trade cards were not very impressive. They held lithographic color images of children tending cows, riding horses, riverboating and fishing. “Kazine Card, Over” was printed on the…
Fancy little match safes to keep you from catching on fire
Posted in Advertising, collectibles, Personal items, and Tins
The first time I came across a match safe at auction, I wasn’t sure what it was. It was about the size of my palm, a little bigger than a pill box, and simple. Likely,…
Questions from a 1930s “Negro History” contest
Posted in Black history, Ephemera/Paper/Documents, and School
The bound sheets of paper had faded with age and the text had been typed with a typewriter whose ribbon needed changing. That told me a lot about the time period of this document, along…
Inkwells recall a different era of keeping in touch
Posted in collectibles, Ephemera/Paper/Documents, and Personal items
The emerald green inkwell caught the eye of my auction buddy Janet. She had intended to bid on it, but she was in another room waiting for a sweet little antique Underwood typewriter to come…
Early 20th-century take on Wedgwood’s slave medallion
Posted in Black history, Ephemera/Paper/Documents, and history
The pencil drawing had all the hallmarks of the famous Wedgwood slave medallion from the 18th century. It showed an African American man, chains around his wrists and the words “Am I Not a Man…