I had gone through the glass cases at the auction house once and came up empty-handed. When I passed by again, an auction-house assistant stood behind them. Did you see anything interesting, I asked the…
Month: July 2019
In 1923, Augusta Savage applied for a summer program at the Fontainebleau School of Fine Arts, a newly opened American-owned school in France. The all-white and all-male selection committee rejected her because she was black. Savage…
Fire extinguisher more dangerous than the fire
Posted in bottles, collectibles, and Home
In my kitchen pantry is a fire extinguisher like any other that you’d buy at a Big Box store: Still in its original box, red, cylindrical with a hand trigger that releases a dry chemical to put out…
Black history through the comedic eyes of Amanda Seales
Posted in Black history, Music, and Performers
I’d never heard of Amanda Seales, but I was open to seeing her live game show called “Smart Funny & Black” at a theater in Philadelphia when a friend suggested it. The friend later sent me…
Every now and then on Facebook, a relative of mine posts a photo of himself or herself standing next to their new BMW or Mercedes or a bright red Hummer. Showing it off is a…
Black regiment’s Civil War flag & the stories it could tell
Posted in Art, Black history, Civil War, history, and Military
What this flag must have seen! It started out as a piece of silk cloth in Philadelphia, painted by David Bustill Bowser with an emblem of a black Union soldier waving goodbye to a white woman…
Two lamps were placed close to each other in a brightly lit glass case. Which is Tiffany, visitors were asked. They looked just alike, but one was obviously an imposter. I chose the lamp on the…
I took a photo of the faded red door propped against a table at the auction house because I thought the name painted on it was both amusing and a bit repulsive. ‘Road Kill Café.’ Never would…
One person’s love affair with WhimsiClay Cats
Posted in Animals, collectibles, and Figurines
The ceramic cats were the cutest things in their whimsical poses, colorful straight-pin whiskers and human clothes. I see a lot of porcelain and ceramic cats and kitties at auction, and I find most of…
They sold a Booker T. Washington coin, my auction buddy Janet told me when I finally sat down next to her at a recent auction. I had avoided sitting, choosing instead to roam around the…