One artifact was a photo of Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, two men who sought freedom for African Americans in their own ways. Another was a large pinback button from the Southern Christian…
Category: Ephemera/Paper/Documents
Promise of fair treatment made & broken at 1939 NY World’s Fair
Posted in Black history, Ephemera/Paper/Documents, and history
The newspaper pages were tucked behind a seemingly unrelated art print of a stone church. I was a bit interested in the artwork but was more intrigued by the newspaper. I assumed that it contained an…
Rattlesnake keychain, widemouth bass mailbox & more
Posted in Animals, Art, collectibles, Ephemera/Paper/Documents, furniture, Signs, and Unusual
The rattlesnake was showing its fang, but who could blame it. Someone had chopped off its head and made it into a keychain. The rattlesnake’s angry countenance was one of two on a shelf in…
For blacks, getting a home loan was tough in 1934 & still is
Posted in Black history, Ephemera/Paper/Documents, history, and Home
I read several articles last week on how African Americans and Latinos get turned down more often than whites for home-mortgage loans. The result is that many aren’t able to buy homes or lose the use…
George Washington Carver in 1947 comic book of greats
Posted in Black history, and Ephemera/Paper/Documents
When I saw the title and cover of the yellowed comic book, I didn’t expect it to be thorough. “Highlights From the Lives of 48 Famous Americans,” it blared. Along two sides with an illustration…
The note was written in a neat clear script. I couldn’t see the exact words from where I stood across the table at the auction house, but I was hoping it was a personal message.…
Tuskegee Airmen 1943 “Buy War Bonds” poster
Posted in Black history, Ephemera/Paper/Documents, history, and Military
When the United States needed lots of cash to fund its role in World War II, it turned to its citizens to buy war bonds. Using propaganda posters, the country played on their patriotism, asking…
The red crosses on the poster were so fiery that I could almost feel the heat. The Red Cross emblems were emblazoned on waving flags with multicolored billowing clouds behind them. In the left corner, I saw the name…