Search Results: Black History from Alcuin Books, ABAA-ILAB

(Lausanne, Switzerland; 1968): Edita Lausanne. Small Quarto. [. [92] pages, French text. a rich collection of Park's poetry and photography. In his translation of Park's poetry, Jean Vogel has captured "C'est Amour", "To Alain", and "Tarde Azul (bleu crepuscule) along with the flowing photographs that accompany the poems. The preface is by Stephen Spender with an introduction by Philip B. Kunhardt. Here, the balance between images and words, is depicted as in the poem "To Alain" where a boy sees his reflection in a river and moves from the wonder and joy of this experience to the kind of serious questions asked. Laid in is an exhibit entitled Expansions by the Alex Rosenberg Gallery from a later showing in 1981. On the last page of this guide is Gordon Parks explanation of what he means as Expansions or indeed a blend of photography and oil paint and a summation of his previous forty years work. Bound in white linen, spine lettering gilt, A fine copy in very good dust jacket with light wear… Read More

Burnet, Texas, Nd.(ca.1940): Self-Published. First Edition. 12mo. Signed by the author. 24p., an important essay by an African-American author who deals with the Solid South as it was called in the 1940's where the Southern states including Texas were able to maintain the traditions that in practice treated blacks as second-class citizens. Besides dealing with racism, she also deals with women as second-class citizens and the role of poverty, bound in stiff brown paper wraps lettered in black.

New York; (1938): Platt and Munk. First Edition. Octavo. 24 unnumbered pages, some in color. The story of a small African-American boy who became tired of the chores his grandparents assigned to him so he ran away. Bound in light blue cloth, color pictorial pasdown. color pictorial endpapers, some rubbing or soiling to covers, small stain to rear board and small split to gutter near head of title page. A good copy.

Columbia; (1881): University of South Carolina Press, 1981. First Edition. Octavo. 254pp., Was Lincoln impelled to emancipation and ciil eights for freedmen by the irresisible logic of a deeply rooted belief? As president, had he led or did he lag, as many thought, in respect to black freedom. Of what import was the quality o his presidential leadership? These are question the author is challenged to explain. Bound in gray cloth, spine lettering gilt over blue. A fine copy in a fine pictorial dust ajcket.

New York: The Viking Press, 1948. First Edition. Octavo. 382pp., Walter White was a light-skinned Black man whose ancestors had been enslaved. For years White risked his life investigating racial violence in the South. He later became assistant secretary of the National Association for the advancement of colored people and engaged vigorously in the fight to gain civil rights for negroes. An important book on race relations written by an American. A classic work in its field. A very good copy bound in light blue cloth pictorially stamped in black gilt title over black. A clean bright sharp cornered copy in unclipped pictorial dust jacket with fading to spine, some rubbing to edges, No names, or bookplates.

143 pages typed manuscript (unsigned) of a private from New York who rise to the rank of Captain as an Ordnance Officer under Brig. General Alfred B. Quinton. His detailed diary begins with his induction in December 1941 as Private First Class and the problems typical for the new inductees and details his quick rise due to his intelligence and thorough knowledge of ordnance. After his OCS training at Fort Knox. pages 25-31 show the weapons he was to become expert in servicing up to 75 MM's as well as the rigorous training while in the 699th, finally, he speaks of leisure time and dates where he gives names such as Helen B. and others Meanwhile his specialty was Light and 130 Medium Tanks as well as all types of Wheel Vehicles. After being told they would be kept in Louisville, they were nevertheless sent off to England where he describes the homes, the general lack of bomb damage in his area, and the girls. The rule for officers was they could see women in their rooms but they must be gone by 8 AM. As… Read More

New York; (1941): Whittlesey House/McGraw-Hill Book Co. First Edition. Octavo. . Portrait frontispiece. 270pp., Illustrated with photographic images following Anderson's rise to fame. In 1939, Anderson stood before the Lincoln Memorial in Washington and, with the greatest voice of that generation, staged before an assemblage of 75,000 people. Cabinet members, senators, congressmen, and others attended. This brought her fame and forms the climax of the author's story of Miss Anderson, a young negro girl of humble origins. He met her in Berlin. From there they traveled together touring Europe. He traveled with her over 10 years through Europe, S. America and throughout the US. He also wrote both words and music to many of Anderson's songs and it played a major part in the development of her career. Bound in green cloth, spine lettering gilt, some toning to endpapers, only very slight toning to page edges. A very good copy in unclipped pictorial dust jacket lettered in brown light chipping to spine… Read More

Cleveland; (1964): World Publishing. First Edition. Octavo. 319 pages, signed by Harry Golden. Golden discusses the civil rights story from the 1890's to the Supreme Court decision of 1954 and the events that began to change toward true emancipation in the Kennedy White House. Some of the best accounts of the open racism just before the 1960's. The manuscript was in process as the assassination of JFK took place. One of the better accounts just before the Civil Rights acts under LBJ. A near fine copy bound in red cloth lettered in gilt, spine lettering gilt, top edge blue, previous owner's address label to front pastedown, in very nice unclipped dust jacket with just a bit of wear to spine ends with a little rubbing.

(Johannesburg, 1991): Chameleon Press. First Edition. Quarto. Signed by the editor Neville Dubow and limited to 500 copies(no limitation noted except by editor) The present copy is numbered #68. 112 pages. Index, bibliography, chronology of her life. Irma Stern (1894-1966) is acknowledged as a major painter and one of South Africa's most important pioneer artists. Since she often painted African women, much of the establishment at the time disregarded her importance. Bound in gray cloth lettered in silver. A fine copy in fine pictorial dust jacket.

Phoenix: Phoenix Union High School, 1921. Quarto. 196 pages. The growing student body now is involved not only in far more sporting events but producing plays. Page 88ff show the Department for Colored children where a class of thirty-four African American children are taught separately with three seniors graduating. James Benton signed under his photograph. There are several other autographs throughout. He is listed as member of the Latin club and playing basketball but this was probably restrict to other African Americans in his rather small class. The Arizona Republican of May 21, 1921 proudly noted there were three "colored" graduating whereas the highest number in previous years was one. Bound in brown pictorial wraps with yapped edges, lettered and decorated in gilt, short tears or small chips to edges.

A marvelous photograph of the blues pianist and singer who popularized the hit "Merry Christmas, Baby". He composed and made a hit of "Drifting Blues" but after a decline in his career, Bonny Raitt made him her opening act and a whole new market discovered him. The photograph measuring 14" x 11" is undated but it appears to be circa 1955. He was inducted into the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame in March 1999 (just two months before his death on January).

Charleston, SC; (1933): Published By the Author. Octavo. xviii, 186 pages. With an introduction by Ogden Nash. A delightful item with the caricature of the large black mammy followed by a black cat. An original long poem with references to the book, the author, and many puns such as the one which refers to Mark Hanna [pun on Savannah]. A nice copy with his poem printed both at the beginning of the book and on the back cover. A few of the recipes include; Johnny Cakes, Corn Dodgers, Hoe Cake, Corn Sticks, Corn Bread Fritters and Dabs, just a few breads to go with your Possum and Taters or Chicken Gumbo. Decorations by Florence Olmstead. Wire spiral bound pictorial paper covers. Minor light wear to corners. A very good copy. [Bitting p. 95].

New York: Garland Pub, 1998. Octavo. vi, 419p. Index, A bibliography to published materials on Scott Joplin that encompasses a wide variety of item having to do with the man, his life, his music and his influence on ragtime throughout the twentieth century. "discographies and rollographies", 249-255. The "king of ragtime" he refined the style which became the most influential of the early 20th Century. Bound in 1/4 black cloth over pictorial paper covered board depicting a photograph of Scott Joplin, lettering white over black, spine lettering gilt. A near fine copy.

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1927. First Edition. Cloth Hard Cover. Good/Good. Margaret Thorniley Williamson. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. 171p. The author researched the songs that the American soldiers sang in World War I. He noticed most of the white soldiers relied on what came from Tin Pan Alley but the black soldiers (he uses the older term Negro) were creative and honest ranging from words about spirituals to crap shooting to death. Not only did it expose the writer to the big city blues but the authentic blues of the Mississippi delta. W.H. Handy was one of the figures he consulted. Although the black soldier was often delegated to digging ditches, latrines, helping trucks move, there are cases of those who were sharpshooters and one who manned a machine gun. Upper front corner bumped. Faint price stamping on upper and lower fore-edges.

New York: Putnams, 1871. Cloth Hard Cover. Good. Octavo. 341p. Sabin, Bibliotheca Americana, 1500-1826 includes this as an important book on race set forth as a novel but was a powerful indictment of racism (it was reprinted in 1972 by Books for Libraries.] Issued in a small print run and full of the ways African-Americans were viewed in the North just six yers after the end of the Civil War. The language has several racist words as well as expressing sentiments of the need for freedom extended to the blacks of the South. An important book on understanding the racial feelings in the era where rights were at first expanded and then withdrawn not only in the South but in the North. Wear along edges but a nice tight binding.

Capetown; (1986): The Gallery Press. First Edition. Quarto. xviii, 186 pages. Glossary,; Foreword By Bishop Desmond Tutu. List of Papers and Maps. Apartheid led to impoverishment of blacks in South Africa and the document has a foreword by Bishop Tutu which is an indictment in itself into the power of racism that not only was the official stance of the British Government but for many decades of the white Dutch Reformed Church. He notes: "it is a crime for a woman to be in bed with her husband if he is a migrant laborer" [so they could keep him in a single sex hostel and have him work longer hours]. The one hundred and thirty-six photographs show stark examples of the system that was finally broken. Bound in black paper covered boards lettered in white, spine lettering white, slight bumping to corners. A very good copy in a very good pictorial dust jacket with tiny edge tear and some toning to white areas.

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1934. First Edition. Octavo. 192 pages. Partially unopened. One of the the rarest works on the Scottsboro case. The author wrote the most powerful play of prison life that America has yet produced. The subject is generally regarded as a case so shocking and moving and so provocative of passion and fury that, in all the history of the country, only the Sacco-Vanzetti case can compare with it. Countee Cullen: "...such a play shows to what advantage art can be a herald of justice. It should be seen by every person in America." Robert Benchley: "There shouldn't be any casual theatre goes in this case. If I had my way, everyone in the country would be driven into the Royale Theatre with a snake-whip." . Bound in black and green striped japanese paper, yellow pastedown labels to spine and front cover lettered in brown, some fading or toning to edges, just a bit of foxing or staining to front endpapers, near fine in a very good pictorial dust jacket with tiny chips to corners and… Read More

Phoenix; (2015): A.W.O.L.. Octavo. xii, 535 pages, One of the outstanding civic and religious leaders in Phoenix, who led the fight against the racism of Gov. Evan Mecham. While thoughtful Arizonans were embarrassed by a ignorant man who referred to blacks as "pickaninnies", the legislature impeached him with only a handful of pro-Mecham dissidents including Jan Brewer who herself became governor. Here is a story of a man who as a child experienced racism in Kansas and became a major Baptist preacher in Phoenix and helped win the battle for the Martin Luther King Day in Arizona (after the NFL cancelled the Super Bowl and NBA finals). Boldly inscribed: "Julie, you are the seed of an awesome man of God and fighter for justice!" Warren H. Stewart Proverbs 16:3, 8/6/15. Bound in pictorial paper wraps. Near fine.

Richmond, VA: B.F. Johnson, 1899. First Edition. Octavo. 245p. A fascinating book with an account of the period following the Rebellion and moving on to Uncle Isaac with a narrative chapter and a narrative poem using black dialect. It seems that this is a fond recall of the author's recent memory in the transition from slavery to independence. While there are elements that some might see as racism, the admiration he has for Uncle Isaac provides a snapshot of the South's dilemma before the beginning of the Twentieth Century. Bound in blue pictorial cloth depicting Uncle Isaac, lettering gilt and black,spine lettering gilt, Minor wear to corners and spine ends, covers soiled. Previous owner's embossed stamp and gift inscription in pencil. A very good copy.

Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1959. First Edition. Octavo. Portrait frontispiece, 259pp., DuBois, among his many achievements, was one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and it was his voice which was for many years generally accepted in America as the voice of the NAACP. A very nice copy bound in green cloth, spine lettering black, near fine in unclipped pictorial dust jacket lettering in white, spine letting white over green or black, chipping to head and two corners, and lightly rubbed. Previous owner's inscription.