An African American baker named Cyrus Bustill baked bread for George Washington’s troops during the Revolutionary War. That’s what the documents showed, but family historian Joyce Mosley wanted more verification. So she decided to join…
Category: Women
I was flipping through a stack of photos at auction recently and found two that caused me to pause. Both were black and whites of two separate groups of black men who were Masons. They…
Vintage women’s compact case carried it all
Posted in collectibles, Personal items, and Women
A year or so ago, I was asked by a friend to go through his deceased aunt’s house to see if there were any items of value. He was afraid that he’d inadvertently toss out…
Several of the paintings and prints in my collection of African American art are musicians with saxophones. I’ve always loved this instrument that sounds like an anguished soul. So when I see artwork at auction with a saxophone,…
Photos of diner & lesbian wedding tell their own stories
Posted in Black history, history, Photos, and Women
The black and white photos were part of a stack in a low-cut cardboard box in a glass case at the auction house. I pick up early photos like these from time to time, and…
It took me a moment to realize that the charred bricks on the auction table were not what they seemed. They were arranged in three rows and looked like the scarred ruins from a fire. As I…
Augusta Savage is one of those great unknown artists. That’s not surprising given that she was both black and female. The art world – heck, the world on a whole – has never fully valued…
Victorian fashion plates show early women’s styles
Posted in Clothing, collectibles, Ephemera/Paper/Documents, and Women
The American magazines bore such names as Godey’s Lady’s Book, Mme. Demorest’s Mirror of Fashions and Peterson’s Magazine. Within their covers, women of means could see some of the latest styles, many of them representative of French designs. These…
It was hard to miss the painting on the far wall, even from where I stood way across the room. Although smaller than most artwork on the wall, the deep red brushstrokes and bold black…
“Wind Song” perfume as lure for women to buy ‘54 Chevy
Posted in Beauty Products, Ephemera/Paper/Documents, Personal items, Vehicles, and Women
The first image I saw was a small bottle of perfume, its top enveloped by a large printed bouquet of ribbons on a card. Beneath it, I read three words that were incongruous with the…