I was surprised to see so many Betty Boop figurines at auction again. The week before, tons of them were spread out on more than a half-dozen tables at the same auction house but in another room.…
Category: Music
In Paul Robeson’s day, Russia was the enemy
Posted in Black history, Music, Performers, Politics, and theater
Paul Robeson must be turning over in his grave. That’s what we say in the South when something unbelievable happens that a now-deceased person had fought/spoken for or against. That saying keeps coming to my…
The oversized busts of famous men opposite large buildings stood out on the postcards. The cards were imprinted with the words “Reward Card,” and I wanted to know what the reward was. I asked the…
Discovering Rose Murphy, the 1940s “Chee-Chee Girl”
Posted in Music, and Performers
The jacket cover of the first 45 record in the box was a burst of orange, and standing in the middle of it with her trademark smile was none other than the great Lena Horne.…
Vintage toy pianos that were child’s play
Posted in Music, Toys, and Uncategorized
The first piano I saw was in the back lot of an auction house, most of its front stripped clean of the black paint that defined the rest of it. All that was left was…
When I saw the thin song book at auction, I was excited. From its title “Impressions of a Negro Camp Meeting,” I assumed that an African American composer had written songs derived from a long-ago…
Often, I find myself face to face with items at auction that cause me to just stop and stare. I stop because I’m baffled by the item in front of me. Or I’m stumped by how awful…
Help me identify the artist’s name on this lithograph
Posted in Art, Music, and Uncategorized
I often stumble across artwork that speaks directly to me, and as a result, have built a collection of well-known and not-so-well-known artists. I was at an auction house recently when I saw a jumble…
The last house where Paul Robeson lived
Posted in Art, history, Music, Performers, Plays, Sports, and theater
Arcenia McClendon was telling a story about the time she met Paul Robeson: She was a young school teacher in her early 20s and she passed the house at 50th and Walnut Streets in Philadelphia on her…
Reader seeks lyrics to song by gospel composer Thomas A. Dorsey
Posted in Black history, Ephemera/Paper/Documents, and Music
Friday at Auction Finds is a day to answer readers’ questions. I try to guide readers to resources to help them determine the value of their items or learn more about them. Today, a reader…