New York City: American Bible Society, 1835. Unbound. This certificate, which measures 10.5” x 16.75” was sent as a stampless folded letter. It bears a manuscript “25” rate marking (the cost to deliver single-sheet mail over 400 miles) as well as “paid” manuscript and hand-stamped markings. An annotation in the..... More about Certificate of Membership in the American Bible Society for John Blount Miller, a slaveholder in...

Manchester: William Irwin, 1848. First Edition. Leather. 8vo. Deluxe edition with two extra (twelve total) full-page engravings with tissue-guards. xxv, 564 pp plus 2 pages of advertisements. Black morocco with gilt decorations and lettering. All edges gilt. Text printed within an engraved border. Expertly rebacked with original spine laid down... More about A Tribute for the Negro: being a Vindication of the Moral Intellectual, and Religious...

New York: Firth, Pond & Co., 1861. First Edition. Sheet Music. Complete: 6 pages including the cover. Early Civil War music with a terrific cover showing five black misfit volunteers in various milita and zouave uniforms. Slightly trimmed and with nice corners and old tape binding so probably from an... More about Abraham's Daughter, or Raw Recruits [Sheet Music

[Washington, DC]: United States Office of War Information, [1942]. Pamphlet. This 10” x 13” pamphlet contains 72 unnumbered pages encouraging African-Americans to support the U.S. effort in World War Two. Complete, but as usually found, it is quite worn as it was printed on cheap acidic paper. There is extensive... More about Negroes and the War

Boston, [Massachusetts] to Hartford, [ Connecticut]: May 22, 1795. Unbound. This manuscript, folded-letter invoice, dated May 22 1795, measures approximately 7.5” x 11” unfolded. It is addressed to Mr. Selden Chapman, Merchant, Hartford and bears a straight-line Boston postmark dated 22/May. (See page 167, vol 1, ASCC.) It bears a.... More about Mailed invoice for shipping five hogsheads of rum delivered by the New England slave ship, Sloop...

Duluth, Minnesota: Duluth Superior Milling Co, 1909. Unbound. The multi-color illustrated advertising cover (envelope) features a African-American baker, dressed in a spotless white suit with red tie, resting his right elbow on a sack of Duluth Flour while holding a sliced loaf of white bread in his left hand. The... More about Advertising envelope for Duluth Imperial Flour

Lancaster, Pennsylvania to Rockingham, Virginia: 1889. Unbound. This two-page letter, dated 19 November 1889, is in nice shape with mailing folds. A transcript will be provided. In this letter the Police Chief of Lancaster, Pennsylvania notifies a Rockingham County, Virginia to be on the look-out for two horse thieves:“Wm. Storgend... More about Letter from a Pennsylvania police chief to a Virginia justice of the peace requesting assistance...

Forsyth, Monroe County, Georgia to Elizabethtown, Bladen County, North Carolina: 1844. Unbound. This two-page letter measures 15.25” x 10”. It is dated January 30, 1844 and bears a circular red Forsyth, Georgia postmark dated Feb 3. It has some foxing. It was sent from Bryan to his brother-in-law James Evers... More about A stampless, folded letter from a slave-trader in Georgia discussing the price of cotton and...

New York: E.P. Dutton, 1939. Hogan, Inez. First Edition, 1st Printing. Hard Cover. 12mo. Complete with dust jacket. Sound binding with intact hinges. Clean pages. Cover has light wear and soiling; a split along the spine is just starting. Minor wear to most of the dust jacket, but missing about... More about Nicodemus and the Gang

Newport, [Rhode Island]: October 15, 1767. Unbound. This manuscript receipt from James Tanner to Ann Rhodes (received in her behalf by Edward Rhodes) measures 7.5” x 3”. Minor edgewear including two small chips that do not affect any text. The receipt reads in part: “For 4 Days work my Negro... More about Receipt for work performed by a rented Rhode Island slave on the Sloop Venus shortly before it...

Madison County, Alabama via New Orleans, Louisiana, to Montgomery Court House, Texas: Christmas Eve, 1840. Unbound. This four-page stampless folded letter, dated “Xmas Eve 1840,” measures approximately 16” x 9.5” unfolded. It bears a circular blue “Huntsville / Ala” postmark dated “Dec 26,” a blue “25” cent manuscript rate mark..... More about Letter from a father in Alabama to his son in the Republic of Texas discussing his plans to...

Cedarville, Ohio: circa 1915. One photograph, measuring 9.75” x 7.75” shows an entire finely-dressed blackface minstrel company posed on a ornately curtained stage. A second photograph, approximately 7” x 5”, shows eight members of the company posed on the same stage carrying a drum, sabers, and pennant for Cedarville, Slippery... More about Grouping of three mounted minstrel photographs and two minstrel music pamphlets belonging to a...

[Vicinity of Toledo, Ohio]: Circa 1910-1913. Album. This faux leather album measures approximately 7.5” x 6” and contains 50 photographs (mostly silver gelatin but two cyanotypes as well).. The photos vary slightly in size, but most are about 5.5” x 3.5” inches. The album is identified as the “Property of... More about Photograph album documenting an Ohio farm family’s life including images of African-American...