African American Studies

New York: E. P. Dutton, 1896. Hardcover. Very Good. 24mo, 4 x 5.5, 15 unnumbered pages with 7 chromolithographs. Half white pebbled cloth stamped in gilt with chromolithograp of maple leaf and hour glass on the other half . Washington's very rare and fragile first book, a compilation of life affirming aphorisms on which BTW may be said to have modeled his life -- "To realize that the surest way to lift up ourselves is to lift up someone else." First edition, also published in London by Ernest Nister. Gem Series. Printed in Bavaria.  The cover, though moderately soiled, is in very good condition. Gift inscription on FFEP. One loose leaf facing title page.

8vo, original bull sheep with four raised boards, iii-viii, 280,168, 16pp. Benezet title is bound at the end (16 pp.). Binding very worn and rubbed, hinges weak, binding slightly warped, missing endpapers, pages 53-56 are torn, page 5 and 6 is torn in half in Harley’s A Discourse on Mistakes Concerning Religion, last page chipped and folded a bit, but with no material impact on text, internally somewhat, soiled, foxed and aged. Anthony Benezet (1713-1784) was born into a French Huguenot family that moved to London when he was two years old. At seventeen, his family moved to Philadelphia, and he became a Quaker. He became a teacher and established the first public school for girls in America, and along the way he managed to teach slave children from his home. In 1770, with the help of the Quakers, he set up the Negro School at Philadelphia, which he taught at until his death. The current work has the distinction of being one of the earliest and most important anti-slavery efforts printed in America… Read More

In Roma Per Gioacchino Salvioni Stampatore Vaticano, Nell' Archiginnasio della Sapienza, 1768. 12mo, 158 x 86 mms., pp. xviii, 775 [776 blank], title-page in red and black with engraved vignette of Christ, text also printed partially in red and black, 14 full-page engraved plates by Alessio Giardoni (fl. 1760 - 1795), at pages 1, 37, 49, 73, 87, 93, 113, 129, 161, 309, 333, 409, 455 and 619, stylishly bound in full contemporary red morocco, gilt border to a floral design on both covers, with a central gilt panel enclosing a cross in black, all edges gilt, marbled end-papers; slightly shaken in casing, very minor wear to binding, but a fine copy with the armorial bookplate of Prince Constantin Radziwill at the Chateau d' Ermenonville on the front paste-down end-paper, and the Ex Libris label of Albert Natural on the front paste-down end-paper. Prince Constantin Radziwill (1850 - 1920) married Louise Antoinette Blanc in 1876, despite his well-established and almost promiscuous homosexuality;… Read More

Published by the Oxford University Press in Association with The Dictionary Unit for South African English in 1996. Original full dark blue morocco, titles to upper board and spine gilt, 3 bands to spine and marbled endpapers. With the blue and grey cloth slipcase. A Fine copy in the near Fine slipcase. This is number '80' of a limitation of only 100 copies, Signed on the title page by Nelson Mandela, in his capacity as Founder and Chairperson of the Nelson Mandela's Children's Fund. Highly collectible. The First edition of this culmination of over three decades' work towards a thoroughly historical dictionary of South African English, published by the Oxford University press. Ashton Rare Books welcomes direct contact. Due to the size and weight of this book, extra postage may be necessary for international buyers.

New York: Prentice Hall, 1970. SCARCE Association Copy, SIGNED AND INSCRIBED BY AUTHOR at front end page -"to Janet Saxe, Best of Luck Teaching Black Literature. Louise Meriwether April 1972". Louise Meriwether (born1923) is an African-American novelist, essayist, journalist and activist. Daddy Was a Number Runner is her critically acclaimed first book, and the first novel to come out of the Watts Writers' Workshop. Considered an underappreciated classic, it is her fictional account of a year in the life of a 12 year old girl growing up in Harlem during the Great Depression. "It risks offending people by taking up such issues such as police brutality, the unemployment situation, the desperation caused by the Depression and the different ways that the Blacks and whites are treated by society." (Ishmael Reed, The New York Times, June 18, 2021 "A Novel From ’70 Is Still Resonant"). Janet (Cheatham) Saxe (Bell) is an African-American educator, author and independent… Read More

Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1974, 1975. First edition. 1974 SIGNED PRESENTATION COPY OF NOBEL LAUREATE ROBERT FOGEL'S HIGHLY CONTROVERSIAL TIME ON THE CROSS AND CONTEMPORARY REVIEWS OF ITS FALLOUT EXPLAINING SLAVERY IN AMERICA. 1) Robert William Fogel & Stanley L. Engerman. Time on the Cross: two 8 1/2 inches tall hardcover volumes, brown cloth binding, gilt title to spines, Vol. I, inscribed on front flyleaf, "To Simon Kuznets: These volumes are given with continuing admiration from a steadfast disciple/ affectionately, Bob Fogel/ Cambridge April 20, 1974." xviii, 286 pp; Vol. II ("A Supplement"), xi, 267. Near fine with very good dust jackets (a few small closed edge tears). 2) Reviews of Time on the Cross: 9 1/2 inches tall hardcover, brown faux leather binding, spine gilt with title and John P Frank bottom of spine, containing two long reviews extracted from contemporary journals with issue covers bound in, each signed R W Fogel on title page: Paul A. David & Peter Temin. Slavery: The Progressive… Read More

Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin and Company. The Riverside Press, Cambridge, 1899. Near Fine, tiny rubs to cloth at corners, the bookplate of L. S. Alexander Gumby front paste down. The author's first book, which includes seven folk tales told in an African-American dialect. Levi Sandy Alexander Gumby (February 1, 1885 - March 16, 1961) was an African-American archivist and historian. His collection of 300 scrapbooks documenting African-American history have been part of the collection of Columbia University since 1950 as the Alexander Gumby Collection of Negroiana. Gumby was also the proprietor of a popular bookstore during the Harlem Renaissance, where he was host of a salon.(Wikipedia). A lovely copy of this important work, and with wonderful provenance. . First Trade Edition. Decorative Cloth. Near Fine/No Jacket, As Issued. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall.

Chicago: The David Company, 1991 First edition, publisher’s original stiff wrappers, a black and white mottled design of a composition notebook with poems written in first-person voice of twenty imagined young characters. Presentation copy signed and inscribed "For Kenan Heise. / Sincerely / Gwendolyn Brooks / July 21, 1996."
A few faint creases to front cover, else book in fine condition, issued without a dust jacket.

Kenan Heise’s links to Chicago history are strong, nurturing relationships with Chicago luminaries such as Gwendolyn Brooks and Studs Terkel. Kenan Heise is a member of the Chicago Journalism Hall of Fame, a prolific author and historian, a poet and a playwright, and a prodigious book collector and broker (Proprietor of Chicago Historical Bookworks). He worked for the Chicago Tribune newspapers for 36 years, including Chicago's American, Chicago Today and the Tribune. He is a Michigan native, and has written or collaborated on more than 25 books and memoirs… Read More

Chicago: The David Company, 1987 First printing of the first edition. Signed and inscribed (and dated in year of publication) by Gwendolyn Brooks directly on the half-title page: "For Edward D'Alessandro, / with gratitude for your / interest in my work, / Sincerely / Gwendolyn Brooks, / April 19, 1987."
Book with light shelf rubbing to bottom edge of boards and a shallow crimp to foot of spine, else in fine condition; dust jacket with a closed tear and crease to bottom front spine fold, a couple tiny closed tears, a tiny chip to upper front fold, light creasing and wear to corners and spine ends, and a faint vertical crease above title of front cover, else fine.

New York: Columbia Theater Associates of Columbia University, 1950 Original printed tri-fold playbill, with a typed slip for a replacement cast member laid-in; playbill is displayed in a two-sided black glass frame; sale also includes an original ticket stub tipped-in. Presentation copy from Langston Hughes, along with inscriptions from other cast and production members (Muriel Rahn who played Cora Lewis and Jan Meyerowitz who wrote the music). In 1949, Hughes reworked his pet thesis of the "tragic mulatto" from his 1928 play "Mulatto" into an opera, "The Barrier," the music written by modern composer, Jan Meyerowitz. The opera was first produced in the Brander Matthews Hall at Columbia University in 1950 and directed by Milton Smith. The playbill reproduces Hughes? thoughts on his libretto, "It concerns the bitter wall of color between the inhabitants of Albamar Plantation in contemporary Georgia, Colonel Thomas Norwood, his brown housekeeper, Cora Lewis, and their… Read More

Obscure early lyrical poem about a Black American raging against slavery, promising "the revenge of a smoldering black revolution"
Doigny du Ponceau (1750-1830).
Discours d'un negre a un Européen, piece qui a concouru pour le prix de l'Académie Françoise, en 1775.
Paris, Demonville, 1775.
8°. 15, [1 blank] pp. Collates: A8. With woodcut head- and tailpieces.
Contemporary half calf with marbled sides, red title-shield, red edges.
[bound with 11 elogies].
First and only edition of a rare lyrical poem against slavery and racism by the little known author Doigny du Ponceau. It is set up as a fake contestant for the prize of the French Academy in 1775.This text falls within the theme of a speech of an enslaved maroon who, confronted with execution, accuses the Europeans of their oppression and threatens them with revenge. This is found in French lyrical poems closely related to each other, ranging from 1759 to 1790, begun in 1759 by l'abbé Guillaume Antoine Lemonnier, with his Discours d'un nègre… Read More

Cincinnati, Ohio:: Jusith Serling-Sturm:.. One-of-a-Kind. 12.5" H x 10.25"W x 4"D closed, extends to 10"H x 102"W. Textile in scroll structure. Mixed media, including a bullet artist found while walking to work. Rolled and laid in wooden box with title on cover. Box hinged with leather straps. Judith Serling-Sturm: "21:1 is the official statistic of young, unarmed black men to young, unarmed white men shot and killed by police as contrasted with the number of young unarmed white men who suffered that same fate. Many statistics back this up, and much analysis attempts to explain this but 'Unarmed in America' addressed individual lives. This is what 21:1 looks like. "I have sewn these lives onto a muslin shroud amongst explanations, analysis, and the 21st psalm in asemic writing. "There is no shortage of explanations for this fact, and these explanations are frequently embraced by one ideological group or another at the expense of the… Read More

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:: Borowsky Center,, 2022.. Variable edition of 128. 12" x 6.25'" (closed); 12 accordion folds. Flag structure. Printed by Amanda D'Amico & Erica Honson on a Heidelberg Offset Printer in the Borowsky Center for the Publication Arts at the University of Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. End covers fold out to reveal additional imagery and colophon Signed and numbered by Matthews. Laid in a folding lightweight portfolio with velcro and slit and slot closure. Signed and numbered by the artist. Artist statement: "'Homage to NMAAHC' is an expressive flag book that serves as a celebration of the National Museum of African American History & Culture (NMAAHC). Inspired by multiple visits to the museum, Sarah Matthews felt compelled to create a work that captures her personal response and learnings. The book's foundation consists of a digital collage, featuring photos taken during her museum visits.  "During her vonHess… Read More

Paris: Chez Theodore la Gras, 1722. First Edition First Printing . Leather Bound. Very Good. 12mo - over 6¾ - 7¾" tall. 12mos. xxxvi, [8], 525; [6], 598; vi, 549; vi, 558; vi, 524; vi, 514, [14] pages. Collates complete with 102 plates and maps, many folding. INCLUDES THE FOLDING MAP OF NORTH AMERICA WITH CALIFORNIA AS AN ISLAND. Hardcovers rebound in mid-20th century full brown leather with titles on the spine in gilt. Light wear to the bindings. New endpapers, but the old endpapers are preserved. Title pages in black and red. Each title page has an inkstamp noting "Case 45 / Shelf B". Occasional tears or chips at the top edges of the pages near the gutter at the front. In Volume I, there is a tear and crease at the fore edge of page 15 and a tear running into the text on the leaf for pages 391-392. Browning to some of the plates in Volume IV. Otherwise the plates are generally in quite good condition. Plates as follows: Vol. I: 3 Maps & Plans… Read More

You get one 1899 Black Troopers Daring Heroism Soldiers Spanish American War Miles V. Lynk book published by The M.V. Lynk Publishing House in Jackson, TN. It does not come with a dust jacket. This item is in English and is in good condition for an antique book. There is some wear to the covers and edges. The binding is tight along the upper half of the spine, while the bottom half is no longer glued to the pages. There are no loose pages. The pages have tanned over the years and there is some foxing. The red dye from the covers stained the first few pages. Apart from a few previous owners writing their names on the inside of the front cover, the pages are free of writing, This item is 8 inches tall by 6 inches wide. These measurements are approximations to give you an idea of the size of the book. Please see all pictures.