Collecting Art Catalogues, Brochures, and Ephemera: Swann's Printed and Manuscript African-Americana Sale

Lot 182 in the recent Swann Auction Galleries' Printed and Manuscript African-Americana Sale 2308 (March 21, 2013) featured a small set of five exhibition catalogues, dating from 1937-1961. Four of the items had a Howard University connection, and one had ties to the Phillips Collections; both institutions are located in Washington, DC. This lot was particularly appealing to me from the standpoint that I believe very strongly in collecting and preserving African American print materials, including ephemera. These materials serve as key items in identifying and documenting African American artists and in demonstrating the aesthetic and historical role they have played within a larger art perspective, particularly American art.                                          

The study of American art has historically and consistently been enriched by museum and gallery exhibition catalogues. Lot 182 and catalogues of similar and comparable content enriches and fill a substantial gap in the history of 20th-century American art. Careful study of these catalogues, as a genre, many written by scholars in the field, position the Black artist firmly in his time. This is accomplished through the use of primary source materials that place these artists in a social and historical context. These richly informative catalogues provide extensive biographical information; chronologies of works, often relevant to historical settings; and images and informative statements of the art work included. Oftentimes, they may be the only print materials on a given artist.

I was particularly interested in Lot 182, simply because it included a title, Oil Paintings, Watercolors and Prints by Negro Artists (Howard University, 1939) that has been on my "want list" for years. Also, I was curious about Survey  Number One by James Porter, not being familiar with its content. Because I owned 2 of the remaining titles, Art of the American Negro (Howard University Gallery, 1937) and Three Negro Artists: Horace Pippin, Jacob Lawrence, Richmond Barthe (1947), I decided to forgo bidding on the lot for two key reasons. First, I did not want to add another duplicate to the collection; particularly, as I develop plans to deaccession current duplicates on hand. Second, Lot 182 fell outside of my price point. It had a high estimate of $400.00 which is not out of line with the secondary market; however, in the final analysis, it sold for $1,440 with buyer's premium. So, I will continue to wait and follow my pattern of building a collection, one item at a time. In due time, my "want list" will be completed, either through locating missing items or editing items off the list. The fun still comes from the search, the discovery, the learning, and the sharing. 

Until Swann Auction Galleries has its next Printed and Manuscript African-Americana Sale, I will continue to search the secondary market for these small gems of African American art history.

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.   

Black Art Project (BAP) Booklist 5

This is the fifth in a continuing series, highlighting either recently published books or those that are forthcoming, that have an African American art focus. When building a personal library that has some focus on African American visual art, it is advisable to make your book purchases shortly after the book or catalogue has been published. Making an early purchase more readily assures you that the titles you are interested in have not gone out of print. When a title does go out of print, the secondary market becomes a viable option; however, you must then weigh cost and condition differences among the few dealers that may have a copy for sale. I can not over emphasize that fine art books are published in smaller print runs than books in other subject disciplines.

The following post and the addendum of recent publications are simply a few new titles that have been released since the last Booklist: 

Envisioning Emancipation: Black Americans and the End of Slavery which is co-authored by Deborah Willis and Barbara Krauthamer is a Temple University Press publication. According to Willis, “We wanted a range of images that showed the scope of the thinking about what freedom looked like. ...We consciously looked for black photographers; we consciously looked for images of women, whose stories have often not been included.”

"Published to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 2013, the book brings together more than 150 images — half never seen by the public — that depict the many ways slavery, Emancipation and freedom were represented by photography during the Civil War era and beyond." (New York Times, 12/21/12: Books) 


Henry Taylor is a forthcoming title published on the occasion of Taylor's 2012 exhibition (January 29 - April 9. 2012) at MoMA PS1. Henry Taylor, a Los Angeles-based artist, applies his brush both to canvas and to unconventional materials, including suitcases, crates, cereal boxes, cigarette packs, etc. His source material includes everyone and everything around him.

Before Taylor studied art formally, he "worked for ten years as a psychiatric nurse at a state hospital. This experience sharpened his interest in, and appreciation for, individuals from all economic and social backgrounds, and encouraged a passion to create an intensely empathetic style of portraiture." 

The expected release date for this publication, which is illustrated throughout, is April 2013. Text is by Laura Hoptman, Naima Keith, and there is an interview by Peter Eleey. 

       

Kara Walker: Dust Jackets for the Niggerati, another forthcoming publication, has an expected United States release date of April 30, 2013. This publication documents Dust Jackets for the Niggerati--and Supporting Dissertations, Drawings Submitted Ruefully by Dr. Kara E. Walker, "a major series of graphite drawings and hand-printed texts on paper that grew out of Walker’s attempts to understand how interpersonal and geopolitical powers are asserted through the lives of individuals. In scenes that range from the grotesque to the humorous to the tragic, these works vividly and powerfully explore the themes of transition and migration that run through the African-American experience." 

The book, published by Gregory R. Miller and Co., is fully illustrated with reproductions of the entire series. It includes text by Hilton Als, James Hannaham, Christopher Stackhouse, and Kevin Young.

Theaster Gates: My Labor Is My Protest was a fall 2012 show (September 7- November 11) at London's White Cube in which Gates created a multi-faceted installation that  "investigated themes of race and history through sculpture, installation, performance and two-dimensional works exhibited both inside and outside the gallery. ...Also included in the show and accompanying catalogue is documentation of The Johnson Library, a library on black American culture installed at the gallery.

This catalogue is edited by Honey Luard with text by Bill Brown, Fred Moten, and Jacqueline Terrassa. 

To view other recent titles, see BAP Booklist on WorldCat.

Results of Swann's African-American Fine Art Sale 2303

Swann Auction Galleries' African-American Fine Art Sale 2303 on February 14, 2013 brought in $1,628,165 with buyer’s premium, exceeding its pre-sale low estimate of $1,548,000. Of the 147 lots that were offered at auction, 124 sold (84% sell-through rate by lot). According to Nigel Freeman, Director of African-American Fine Art at Swann Galleries, “We are very pleased with the results of yesterday’s sale, which saw strong prices across all genres and eras, with active bidding for 19th century paintings, 20th century modern art and post-war contemporary works.”

Thirty (30) lots, many of which were in the lower to mid-range, sold above their pre-sale high estimates. However, a few lots in the 5 figure range exceeded their high estimates and are worth noting. Examples of those lots follow: Lot 8 (Albert Alexander Smith, Spinning a Yarn) had a high estimate of $12,000 and sold for $24,000 with buyer’s premium; Lot 12 (Richmond Barthé, Feral Benga) with a high estimate of $30,000 sold for $43,200; Lot 90 (Sam Gilliam, Butterfly, Feeling) sold for $72,000, doubling its high estimate of $35,000; and Lot 140 (Elizabeth Catlett, Sharecropper) had a high  estimate of $25,000 and sold for $43,200. Albert Alexander Smith (Spinning a Yarn) and Sam Gilliam (Butterfly, Feeling) received artist records, and Catlett's Sharecropper was a record price of her work in this medium. All prices are with buyer's premium.  

The top selling lots in Sale 2303, emphasizing those that sold above $100,000,  follow:

Lot 85: Barkley L. Hendricks, The Hawk, Blah, Blah, Blah (oil and DayGlo on canvas, 1970) sold to a collector for $132,000. This was the highest selling piece in the auction.  

Barkley L. Hendricks, The Hawk, Blah, Blah, Blah

Lot 63: Hughie Lee-Smith, Poet #4 (oil on Masonite, 1954) sold for $120,000 to an institution. This piece was exhibited at Howard University Gallery of Art, Howard University, Washington, DC, 1955.

Hughie Lee-Smith, Poet #4

Lot 91: William T. Williams, Up Balls (acrylic on canvas, 1971) sold for $120,000 and goes to an institution. The artist tied his auction record with this sale.

William T. Williams, Up Balls

Lot 141: Elizabeth Catlett, Sister (green marble sculpture, 1971) sold for $114,000 to a collector.

Elizabeth Catlett, Sister

Charles White hit a record for his etchings in this auction, selling Lot 100 (Missouri C) for $26,400 to a collector; however, I was surprised that his Lot 62 (Trumpet Player) did not sell. It was one of my personal favorites. 

Swann Galleries African-American Fine Art Auction: Sale 2303

The upcoming African-American Fine Art Sale 2203 at Swann Auction Galleries is scheduled for Thursday, February 14, 2013. For Swann Galleries, this auction marks the fourteenth sale, over the past several years, that has had an African-American art focus. Sale 2303 includes many works by artists who rose to prominence in the 1960s and 70s, including Barkley Hendricks and William T. Williams, among others. Nigel Freeman, Director of African American Fine Art at Swann Auction Galleries, noted that Swann, "in addition to being the only auction house to feature regular sales of African American Fine Art, stands out as a leader in the sale of material by this 'Second Generation' of artists, who followed the Harlem Renaissance."

As in the past, the sale will include paintings, sculptures, and prints. Highlights include Barkley Hendricks’ The Hawk, Blah, Blah, Blah, a painting from the artist’s first solo show in 1971. It has an estimate of $75,000 – $100,000.

Barkley L. Hendricks, The Hawk, Blah, Blah, Blah, Oil and Dayglo on canvas, 1970.
Image: Swann Auction Galleries

William T. Williams' Up Balls, an acrylic on canvas, a bold composition from 1971 has an estimate of $75,000 –  $100,000. It is only the second painting by the artist to come to auction; see Eastern Star, the artist's first painting in auction, that appeared in Sale 2268 (Lot 141, February 16, 2012, sold for $120,000). 

William T. Williams, Up Balls, Acrylic on canvas, 1971. Image: Swann Auction Galleries

 

This African-American Fine Art sale also features a significant group of works sold by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston for the benefit of the collection, including works by Charles Alston, Richmond Barthé, Beauford Delaney, Norman Lewis, Laura Wheeler Waring, and Charles White. A sample from this collection includes Meeting Place by Norman Lewis and Trumpet Player by Charles White. Meeting Place which is the first Norman Lewis WPA-era oil painting to come to auction has an estimate of $150,000 – $200,000. Charles White’s Trumpet Player, a 1959-1960 charcoal and gouache drawing, has an auction estimate of $100,000 – $150,000. Images of Meeting Place and Trumpet Player follow.
 

Norman Lewis, Meeting Place, Oil on canvas, 1941. Image: Swann Auction Galleries

  

Charles White, Trumpet Player, 

Charcoal and gouache on board, 1959-60

Image: Swann Auction Galleries 

Sale 2303 will close with an exceptional group of prints by the late Elizabeth Catlett that includes a scarce, complete set of the 14 linoleum cuts that are a part of the I am the Black Woman series. This is the first time that the complete group has appeared in auction, and they have an auction estimate of $75,000 - $100,000. 

Here is the link to the online version of the catalogue for the upcoming African-American Fine Art Sale 2303.  


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.   

Supporting African American Art and Artists: Select African American Museums

This is the second of a four part series, focusing on ways to support African American art and artists. Part one in this series appeared on August 13, 2010 with an Addendum featured on July 8, 2012 . This current post focuses on a select group of museums and cultural centers whose missions strongly focus on African American visual arts. This is not a comprehensive list; only eight institutions, from across the country, are featured. However, it does begin a discussion to identify those institutions vying for financial support, gifts, and volunteer services. An effective starting point to identify an even larger number of these institutions begins with the Association of African American Museums (AAAM). Information on AAAM members is accessible by state from their web site. It is important to remember that all museums with a defined focus on African or African American art, history, and/or culture may not be members of the Association of African American Museums.

In order to remain viable and relevant during these critical economic times, these institutions need the collective support of all of us with an interest in African American art. As 2012 comes to a close, this is a great time to renew annual memberships or even consider an upgrade to the next level, perhaps giving a membership as a gift to a friend or relative, or even giving an outright gift to an institution.

Charlotte, North Carolina
The Harvey B. Gantt Center
for African-American Arts + Culture

The Harvey B. Gantt Center has a number of ways to become actively involved  with the Center through its various programs and services. Attending exhibitions and programs, making purchases in the museum shop, and hosting events in its space are a few of the more visible ways of supporting a museum. In addition, consider becoming a member or volunteering time.

The Harvey B. Gantt Center has five different membership levels that include unlimited free admission, private exhibition previews, discounts in the museum store, and the like. Also, there is a Gantt Center newsletter.

Membership is just one way to become involved as an active supporter of the Center. Membership levels begin with Senior Citizen/Student ($35.00) through Benefactor ($500.00). Other opportunities of becoming involved with the Gantt Center is through its Center Society, as a Collectors Circle ($1,000) or Founders Circle ($2,000) member; and becoming a Volunteer Ambassador.

As is the case for any of the museums in this post, one can simply make an outright contribution to support the museum's endeavors.