My friend Al couldn’t believe it. And neither could I. I had bumped into him at an art show and sale at a gallery in Wilmington, DE, some years ago when a jazz painting by…
Jazz in the name of artist Verna Hart
Posted in Art
Author: sherry
Earliest black census workers
Posted in Black history, history, and Work
The history of black folks in America can be so elusive. Every now and then, I come across an item at auction that seems to have no connection to black history and with a little…
There’s something about dolls that draws me to them. I’ve written about plenty of them and often would see them at auction. Not anymore, though. I suspect that fewer collections are being sold off by…
1960s Christmas card aided black student activists
Posted in African American women, Black history, and Ephemera/Paper/Documents
As I flipped through a box of auction items I didn’t remember buying, I came upon a bulging tan envelope with a Christmas wreath at the top and the names of African American organizations under…
Reproduction prints are Charles White’s nod to the masses
Posted in Art, and Ephemera/Paper/Documents
I was rummaging through the loads of documents, photos and other papers I’ve picked up at auction over the years and found a portfolio of four reproduction prints by African American artist Charles White. They…
As I drove down the narrow one-way street tight with cars on both sides, I kept an eye out for artist Dindga McCannon’s house. Look for the purple steps, she had told me after I…
Old cookbook ads are just as notable as the recipes
Posted in Advertising, Books, and Cooking
The cookbook was a mess. Its cover was so dusty that I could barely read the title. Its spine was unglued, its pages were brittle and pockmarked with brown stains – which surely were made…
The two sisters had come to the auction with enough money – they thought – to buy a painting by their Uncle Henry. They wanted to give it to his grand-daughter. They waited and waited…
‘Gotta Quit Kickin’ My Dog’ & 1912 presidential campaign
Posted in collectibles, Figurines, and Politics
I had never heard of Champ Clark, and you probably haven’t either. Clark was the front-running candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1912, but Woodrow Wilson snatched it away from him. His given name…
A few unusual and some lovely things
Posted in collectibles, Decorating, Home, and Medicine
One of the things I love about auctions is the adventurous nature of them. You never know what you’ll come across – either staring you in the face or hidden among a motley crew of…