Results of Swann's Printed and Manuscript African Americana Sale 2342

The Printed and Manuscript African Americana Sale 2342 was held on March 27, 2014 at Swann Auction Galleries. This was the 19th annual Printed and Manuscript African Americana Sale, and it included the largest number of lots (596) over the past decade, topping last year's auction which previously had the highest number of lots with 561. This demonstrates that there is still a strong and growing market of available African American historical items. Sale 2342 attracted many institutional bidders and saw record results for rare books and other publications. Wyatt Houston Day, Swann's African Americana specialist said, "We were very pleased to see so many of the top lots purchased by institutions, including a number of research-oriented lots. Among record-setting books were a Banneker Almanack, a rebound copy of Harriet Jacobs's Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, and an inscribed copy of Anna Julia Cooper's A Voice from the South."

Some highlights of Printed and Manuscript African Americana Sale 2342 follow: 
Lot 140:  Banneker's Almanack and Ephemeris for the Year of our Lord, 1793

Banneker's Almanack and Ephemeris for the Year of our Lord, 1793, Image: Swann Auction Galleries

This publication by self-taught astronomer, mathematician, surveyor and author Benjamin Banneker had not appeared in auction in the past 25 years; it contained a portion of a poem by Phillis Wheatley. Banneker helped with the survey of the Federal Territory that was to become the grid of Washington, D.C. Lot 140 exceeded its high estimate of $15,000 and sold for $52,500, including buyer premium.

Lot 98: Cooper, Anna Julia. A Voice from the South by a Woman of the South

Anna Julia Cooper, A Voice from the South by a Woman of the South. Image: Swann Auction Galleries

This was a first edition, presentation copy of a rare book, with a fine association. Loosely laid in was a pencil note in Cooper's hand presenting the book to an officer of the 29th Ohio Volunteers.  In addition, it was inscribed on the title-page. With an estimate of $6,000 - $8,000, the book almost doubled its high estimate when it sold for $15,000 with buyer's premium.

Lot 164: Richard McCrary's I am a Black Woman! Poster depicting Angela Davis

Poster depicting Angela Davis. Image: Swann Auction Galleries

 

This poster depicting Angela Davis with Richard McCrary's I am a Black Woman! poem had an estimate of $600 - $800; it sold with buyer's premium for $7,500.

Lot 339A: Randolph, A. Philip. Collection of material relative to the Pullman Porters

Collection of material relative to the Pullman Porters. Image: Swann Auction Galleries

Lot 339A consisted of a large collection of rare Pullman Porter material, including virtually all the equipment needed by a porter, plus personal identification, etc. It had an estimate of $15,000 - $25,000, and sold for $17,500 with buyer's premium.

Lot 589: Peacock, Eulace. Personal archive of this great African American track and field star

Eulace Peacock's personal archive. Image: Swann Auction Galleries

Eulace Peacock, often referred to as "The Fastest Man of Earth" was an American track and field athlete of the 1930s. Lot 589 consisted of over 100 gold, silver and bronze medals; correspondence, newspaper clippings, programs, and ephemera; a few photos, and other items. Although Lot 589 did not reach its low estimate of $10,000, it sold for $8,750 with buyer's premium.

For complete results of the Printed and Manuscript African Americana Sale 2342, SEE online: Sale 2342. Also, an illustrated catalogue with prices realized (by request) is available for $35.00 from Swann Galleries, Inc., 104 East 25th Street, New York, NY 10010.

Swann Galleries: Printed and Manuscript African Americana, Sale 2342

Swann Auction Galleries will feature its 19th Annual Printed and Manuscript African Americana Sale on March 27, 2014. Sale 2342, consisting of 596 lots, will offer a rich assortment of historical material related to the African American experience. This extraordinary sale catalogued, as it is each year by Wyatt Houston Day, features items dating  back to the 18th century through the modern civil rights era, and highlights the contributions of black artists, musicians, educators, statesmen, athletes and more.  

The lots within Sale 2342, Printed and Manuscript African Americana, are divided into broad subject fields, such as the following: slavery and abolition, art, Black Panthers, business, civil rights, education, film, Marcus Garvey, literature and poetry, military, music, photography, and other areas. Every item is described in a print and online catalogue. A print catalogue may be purchased directly from Swann Auction Galleries and the online catalogue may be viewed at its website.
 
The items will be on public exhibition at Swann Auction Galleries on March 22, 24-26, 2014. This is an opportunity for all prospective buyers, collectors, scholars, dealers, students, and anyone with an interest to preview the exhibition and see items and their condition first-hand. However, if unable to attend the exhibition, the experts at Swann's are available to discuss any aspect of the sale, including condition.     

The following are selections from the 596 lots included in Sale 2342:

Lot 41: This item is included in the large archive of the Bourne Family . Image: Swann Auction Galleries

Lot 41: Archive of the Bourne Family, 1793-1919. Large archive of manuscript and printed matter: letters, documents, flyers, broadsides, pamphlets etc. Hundreds of items, contained in four large ring binders. Estimate for this lot is $40,000 - 60,000.  
 

Lot 280: This item is included in an archive of 97 G. W. Carver letters. Image: Swann Auction Galleries

Lot 280: Carver, George Washington. Archive of 97 Letters Signed, "G.W. Carver," to his friend Mrs. Sophie Liston. This lot has the  highest pre-sale estimate in this sale, and consists of letters signed by George Washington Carver to his friend Mrs. Sophie Liston who he met his first year at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. The letters -- written from 1925 to 1937 -- cover various topics, including agricultural lecture tours, racism, conditions during the Great Depression, Tuskegee Institute life, Christian Science Church, national government policy, polio treatments, massage and oil therapy, painting and gardening, and most come with their original envelopes. The pre-sale estimate is $80,000 to $120,000. 

Lot 339A: Pullman Porter Collection. Image: Swann Auction Galleries

Lot 339A: RANDOLPH, A PHILIP. Collection of material relative to the Pullman Porters. This large collection of rare Pullman Porter material includes virtually all the equipment needed by a porter, plus personal identification, etc. This exceptional collection of Pullman Porter material is the most complete that Swann Galleries has ever offered. The pre-sale estimate is $15,000 to $25,000.

Lot 433: 48 star linen reunion flag, 14" x 23½". Columbus Ohio, circa 1900. Image: Swann Auction Galleries

Lot 433: 5th Regiment U.S. Colored Troops Survivor Reunion, Columbus Ohio. This is a circa 1900 rare survivor's reunion flag for the 5th Regiment with the lettering "U. S. Colored Troops Survivor Reunion, Columbus, Ohio". The estimate is $7,000 to $10,000. 

Lot 589: Personal archive of Eulace Peacock. Image: Swann Auction Galleries

Lot 589: PEACOCK, EULACE. Personal Archive of this great African American Track and Field star. Eulace Peacock was an American track and field athlete of the 1930s, and was often referred to as the "Fastest Man on Earth". He was Jesse Owens's chief rival, and beat Owens five times in the trials running up to the 1936 Olympics, where he was unable to compete due to injury. The archive contains gold, silver and bronze medals, correspondence, newspaper clippings, programs, the passport he would have used to travel to Berlin, and more. The estimate is $10,000 to $15,000. 

Live online bidding is available via Invaluable. Also, you may make advance  arrangements to bid by telephone during the auction, please call Swann's bid department (212-254-4710, ext. 0) during business hours (Monday - Friday, 10 AM - 6 PM). For further information, please contact Wyatt Houston Day at 212-254-4710, extension 300, or via e-mail at whday@swanngalleries.com. 

Results of Swann's Printed and Manuscript African Americana Sale 2308

Swann Auction Galleries' Printed and Manuscript African Americana Sale 2308 was held on March 21, 2013 in which 72% of the 561 lots were sold. This was the 18th annual Printed and Manuscript African Americana Sale, and it included the largest number of lots over the past decade which is an encouraging sign that the market for African Americana items are still on the rise.

Seven lots in Sale 2308 were sold above $20,000 and of that number, four of the lots fell in the "Slavery and Abolition" category. 


Lot 44 (Slavery and Abolition)
This lot, which had a high estimate of $40,000, was the highest selling lot and sold for $66,000 with buyer's premium. It was a collection of ninety-one letters from the daughter of Horace Cowles, a noted Farmington Connecticut Underground Railroad conductor, discussing her family's dealings with the famed Amistad captives. The bulk of the letters were written by Charlotte Cowles to her brother Samuel, with three letters from Samuel to Charlotte.


Lot 194 (Black Panthers) 

This second highest selling lot consisted of an original Black Panther cloth banner from Lowndes County, Alabama along with a group of of three contemporary periodicals and a pamphlet dealing with the nascent Black Panther movement in Alabama. Its high estimate was $3,500; however, it far surpassed that estimate and sold for $43,200 with buyer's premium.


Lot 407 (Military-Civil War)
This lot was a letter from Morgan W. Carter, 28th U.S.C.T. Black soldier to a friend, consisting of four pages, written on three sides, with the original envelop. It exceeded its $8,000 high estimate and sold for $38,400 with buyer's premium. 



Lot 81 (Slavery and Abolition)

This book, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself, is of greatest rarity as it is one of only five known copies. Published at the North Star Office, 1848, and lacks the "frontispiece portrait of Douglass, as do all other copies examined." It had a high estimate of $22,000 and sold for $31,200 with buyer's premium. This was the fourth highest selling lot.





Lot 57 (Slavery and Abolition)

This lot, Provisional Constitution and Ordinances for People of the United States, has been classified as "of the utmost rarity". As described in the auction catalogue, "16 pages, self-wrappers, sewn; a fine, wide, untrimmed copy. [St Catherine, Ontario, 1858]" It had a high estimate of $15,000 and sold for $22,800 with buyer's premium.
 





Lot 352 (Labor Unions)

This magnificent collection of material relative to the Pullman Car Porter and his work included: "a white dining car jacket and matching towel, a heavy metal tray with four stainless steel Thermos bottles for hot and cold water, a Porter's summer cap with the original brass Pullman badge; a Pullman whiskey glass, deck of cards, ashtray, brush, two pencils, a "swizzle" stick, and a box of wooden matches... [and more]". Its high estimate was $15,000 and it sold for $22,800 with buyer's premium.


Lot 110 (Slavery and Abolition)

Rounding out the top seven lots that sold above $20,000 is a "true copy" of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution as ratified by the state of Rhode Island. It is marked "a true copy," and signed by the Secretary of State, John R. Bartlett. Its description is as follows: "Single 4to leaf 10 x 7-3/4 inches, removed from a scrapbook, edges trimmed (?), some traces of paper backing; blind-stamp state seal...." Lot 110 surpassed its high estimate of $2,500 and sold for $21,600 with buyer's premium. 


NOTE: All images: Swann Auction Galleries

Swann Galleries: Printed and Manuscript African Americana, Sale 2308

Lot: 274  Charter to the members of the Reading, PA Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), signed by Mary White Ovington and John Shilady, 1919. Estimate: $2,000 - 3,000. Image: Swann Auction Galleries 

Swann Auction Galleries will feature its 18th Annual Printed and Manuscript African Americana Sale 2308 on March 21, 2013. The scope of Sale 2308 "covers 300 years of history from slavery and abolition through the Civil War, Reconstruction and into the twentieth century." As in the past, this year's sale of African Americana will offer a wide range of materials grouped into broad subject areas that include, but are not limited to the following categories: slavery and abolition, civil rights, Black Panthers, business, education, labor unions, literature and poetry, art, music and much more. Every item is described in a print and online catalogue. A print catalogue may be purchased directly from Swann Auction Galleries and the online catalogue may be viewed at its website.

Items will be on exhibit in Swann Auction Galleries on March 16, 18-20, 2013. This is an opportunity for all prospective buyers, collectors, scholars, dealers, students, and  anyone with an interest to preview the exhibition and see items and their condition first-hand. However, if unable to attend the exhibition, the experts at Swann's are available to discuss any aspect of the sale, including condition.

The following are selections from the 555 lots included in Sale 2308:

Lot 44
Collection of ninety-one letters from the daughter of Horace Cowles, a noted Farmington Connecticut Underground Railroad conductor, discussing her family's dealings with the famed Amistad captives. The bulk of the letters were written by Charlotte Cowles to her brother Samuel, with three letters from Samuel to Charlotte. Connecticut, 1833-46. Estimate: $30,000 - 40,000.

Lot 275
Minutes of the Charleston, West Virginia branch of the NAACP, consisting of approximately 200 pages, typed; bound in 1/4 leather ring binder; 1922-35. 

Estimate: $2,000 - 3,000. 

The Junior Branch of the NAACP, June 8, 1924. Image: 
Swann Auction Galleries

Letter from Walter S. White, Assistant Secretary, NAACP, 1922. 
 Image: Swann Auction Galleries

Lot 352

Collection of materials relating to Pullman Car Porters and their work, circa 1910-1950's. Estimate: $10,000- 15,000.

Pullman Car Porters. Image: Swann Auction Galleries

Lot 317
Film Poster (one sheet poster, 41 x 27 inches). Bill Pickett, World's Greatest Colored Champion, Norman Films, 1921. Estimate: $6,000 - 8,000.

Bill Pickett Film Poster, 1921. Image: Swann Auction Galleries

 
Lot 382
Fire!!  A Quarterly Devoted to Younger Negro Artists, 48 pages, New York, 1926. Artwork throughout is done by Aaron Douglas and Richard Bruce Nugent. This rare first and only issue (volume1, number 1) of this literary landmark is signed by the editor, Wallace Thurman, as well as Richard Bruce Nugent, Zora Neale Hurston, Aaron Douglas, Arna Bontemps, Helene Johnson, and Gwendolyn Bennett. Estimate: $5,000 - 7,500

Fire!! A Quarterly Devoted to Younger Negro Artists.  
Image: Swann Auction Galleries

As a reminder regarding bidding information, you do not have to be present at the auction to bid. Bids may be placed in advance via telephone, fax, mail, or email, and Swann's staff will bid on your behalf if you can not attend the sale in-person. Also, you may make advance arrangements to bid live by telephone during the auction. To make bidding arrangements, contact Swann Galleries at 212-254-4710.   

Swann Galleries: Printed and Manuscript African Americana, Sale 2271

Swann Auction Galleries' Printed and Manuscript African Americana Sale was held on March 1, 2012, bringing in $986,054 with buyer's premium, and selling approximately 74% of the 534 lots. The number of lots in this most recent sale was approximately 25% larger than each of the previous sales over the past ten (10) years. This is an encouraging sign that consignors are comfortably on board with the auction process and possibly see benefits to selling.

This 17th annual auction offered a wide range of materials that were grouped into broad subject areas that included, but was not limited to the following categories: slavery and abolition, civil rights, black power, Africa, art, Black Panthers, education, Marcus Garvey, literature and poetry, military, music and more.     


Wyatt Houston Day, Swann African Americana specialist, said "Yesterday's sale was the most successful auction of African Americana that Swann has ever had. We are pleased to see so much important historical material acquired by institutions." As I reviewed the results of Sale 2271, I agree with Wyatt and find satisfaction in knowing that this important historical material has been acquired by institutions. In an environment, such as a museum, an archive, an historical and culture center, and the like, there are basic expectations that the materials will be properly cared for, will be available for researchers, and will be accessible to the general public through exhibitions. 

The following are a few examples of the lots that were acquired by institutions. In all instances, except lot 294 (Alain Locke), these items were among the top lots that sold.

Lot 296: Dorothy Porter Wesley Papers

This archive of writings, consisted of "research notes and in many cases original 19th and 20th century manuscript and or documentary material for her numerous articles, and books, together with her correspondence files, including retained copies (in some instances) of her letters, with books and ephemera." There were 85 cartons that had an auction estimate of $50,000 - 75,000. Lot 296 was the second highest selling lot and sold for $43,200 with buyer's premium. In 2010, James Amos Porter's African-American Art History Reference Archive, Dorothy Porter's husband, was auctioned in Sale 2204 and acquired by Emory University. 

Lot 262: Ida B. Wells

A first edition of A Red Record: Tabulated Statistics and Alleged Causes of Lynchings in the United States (1895) far surpassed its high estimate of $6,000 and sold for $25,200. Described in the catalogue description as the utmost rarity; "there are only three copies of A Red Record located in American institutions; others listed are on microfiche."  For a detailed overview of this item, see Lot 262.



Lot 523: Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters

This scarce representative collection of Pullman Porter memorabilia, dating from the turn of the 20th Century through the 1950s, had a high estimate of $2,500; however, it sold for $20,400 with buyer's premium. The collection included an "original Pullman Railroad Platform step stool, a vintage Pullman Porter's cap with brass buttons, with the metal Pullman Porter tag attached to the front, a Pullman Company towel, the original booklet with the terms of agreement between the Pullman Company and their Porters, Attendants, Maids..., and other items. See details of Lot 523.

Lot 421: Tuskegee Airmen

This collection consisted of an album of 177 photographs from the Tuskegee Airmen (332nd Fighter Group) based in Italy. This exceptional collection of photographs includes many of Colonel Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. Most of the photographs were shot at Ramitelli Air Force base. It is worth noting that the lot had an auction estimate of $2,000 -3,000, and it sold for $19,200. Read and see more at Lot 421.

Lot 271: Race Riots

This small but rich archive of material consists of approximately 200 pieces, focusing on race riots, Red Summer of 1919 and the Elaine, Arkansas riot. "The term Red Summer was coined by NAACP activist, writer and poet James Weldon Johnson. It described the bloody race riots that erupted in over three dozen American cities during the long, hot summer of 1919."

Lot 271 had a high estimate of $8,000; however, it sold for $14,400 with buyer's premium. Read more of the Race Riots archive.

Lot 294: Alain Locke on Black Studies 

Although this lot did not reach its low estimate of $3,000, its value is of significance because its contents, totaling 16 pages, proposes a Black Studies Department at Howard University in 1913. This places Locke ahead of the curve in suggesting the establishment of a Black Studies curriculum at an academic institution. Locke's vision was the guiding light for the establishment of what is today The Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University. According to the catalogue description of this lot, "these five documents follow the establishment and progress of the Founders Library at Howard University. The first part is a letter, addressed to the Board of Trustees, dated February 3, 1913, outlining in five points how and why a Negro-Americana Library and Studies Department should be set up at the school." Lot 294 sold for $2,880. 

For those of us who are art enthusiasts, it is worth noting that the highest selling lot in Sale 2271, was in the art category. The Slaves, Lot 106, is a rare contemporary copy of an iconic image which is "one of several notable images produced during the period of intense activism to abolish slavery in the West Indies." This painting was in the personal collection of artist Merton Simpson, and was acquired by a collector for $72,000.