Kemble's Coons: A Collection Of Southern Sketches by Kemble, Edward Windsor - 1898

New York: Random House, 1975 First printing of the stated first edition. Signed and inscribed by Maya Angelou directly on the title page: "Lois Langland, / Joy! Maya Angelou / Nov 19, 1980 / (I hope we can be / together, again.)" Lois Langland taught (professor emeritus in psychology) at Scripps Women's College. Toning/offsetting to endpapers, else book in fine condition; dust jacket with faint toning to spine and cover margins, else fine.

, 1954; Two handwritten signed letters from singer/ actor Todd Duncan (1903-1998) addressed to early television director Jerome Shaw. Duncan, the original Porgy in "Porgy and Bess," was Gershwin’s personal choice, singing the role more than 1,800 times. His first operatic performance was in 1945 at the New York City Opera Company as Tonio in Leoncavallo’s "Pagliacci." He taught at Howard University for over fifty years, during which time he continued a rigorous concert performance schedule, logging over 2,000 performances the world over. He was a recipient of the George Peabody Medal, the Donaldson Award, the New York Drama Critic’s Award for "Lost In The Stars," and numerous domestic and foreign honorary awards and degrees. The first letter, dated Feb. 1, 1954, is written on stationery from the Hotel Monticello, Longview, Washington, and is in the original addressed and stamped envelope. In it Duncan at one point makes a pun by advising Shaw not to be consumed by… Read More

Boston: National Anti-Slavery Bazaar. Good with no dust jacket; Boards worn and soiled, spine sunned, hinges . cracked and tender, shaken.. 1847. Hardcover. Green ruled cloth with liberty bell design stamped in gilt on front boards and titles stamped in gilt on spine, (the "cloth, gilt extra" binding). All edges gilt. viii, 304pp. One of the annual gift books containing poems, prose, and short stories by various authors on the subject of slavery which were compiled by Boston abolitionist Maria Weston Chapman. The books were one of the items sold at annual bazaars that were major fundraisers for the Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society, This volume contains writings by William Lloyd Garrison, John Quincy Adams, Edmund Quincy, James Russell Lowell, Maria Lowell, Edmund Jackson, Wendell Phillips, David Lee Child, Joseph Mazzini, and many others. Scarce. LCP/HSP 5877.; 8vo 8" - 9" tall .

The 4th edition of this tract ( 8 pages ) published by the New England Tract Society before merging, 1825, with the New York ministry to create the American Tract Society. This piece was frequently reprinted and in later printings after the merger with a slightly altered text. In this printing the author refers to an "excursion to the province of Newyork" and the latter American Tract text states "a visit to the United States". Another case is the reference "that his master was a Quaker, a plain sort of man." and the American Tract edit is " his master was an honest, plain sort of man.". Also includes the pieces - "On Vital Religion". "The Profligate Reclaimed", "The Pious Labourer" and " The Praying Soldier".Folded on the edges, a small section torn off, not effecting the test. Scarce.

Chicago: The David Company, 1989 Second printing of the first edition, stapled wrappers. Presentation copy signed to Greg Gatenby, Canadian historian, writer, and host of Toronto's festival of authors. also signed by Gatenby, dated 1989. Book in fine condition.

127 pages with plates including frontispiece. Octavo (8 3/4" x 6") bound in original publisher's green cloth with pictorial decorative brown, black, white and gilt front cover, lettering in gilt. Illustrated with photographs by Hampton Institute Camera Club. Decorations by Margaret Armstrong. (BAL 4937) First edition, first state with red and black lettering tot title.Dunbar was born in Dayton, Ohio to parents who had escaped from slavery; his father was a veteran of the American Civil War, having served in the 55th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment and the 5th Massachusetts Colored Cavalry Regiment. His parents instilled in him a love of learning and history. He was a student at an all-white high school, Dayton Central High School, and he participated actively as a student. During high school, he was both the editor of the school newspaper and class president, as well as the president of the school literary society. Dunbar had also started the first African-American newsletter in Dayton. He wrote his… Read More

Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1830. Disbound, only parts of spine remaining from original 3/4 leather with red and black spine labels, original string ties(complete). 293 pgs, with light scattered foxing and toning. "The committee to whom were referred the memorial of the African Society for colonizing the free people of color of the United States; also, sundry memorials from the inhabitants of the State of Kentucky, and a memorial from certain free people of color of the State of Ohio, report:". SCARCE. A fascinating document. . First Edition. Disbound. Good/No Jacket, As Issued. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

Kampala, Uganda: Transition Ltd, 1968. 1st edition. Soft cover. Very Good/No Jacket (as issued). VG. 4to, 64pp, stapled wrappers. Rare 1968 issue of this seminal African magazine, then published in Uganda. The article in this issue by Picho Ali triggered letters in the next issue and a court case that resulted in the jailing of editor Rajat Neogy and the departure of the magazine from Uganda. Issue also includes a full-page caricature of Enoch Powell by Ralph Steadman, a cartoon referencing the assassinations of JFK, MLK and RFK, writing by Chinua Achebe and Peter Enahoro, other interesting content. Unmarked copy, some bumping and wear.

Signed. Near Fine. Softcover. The late R C Hickman became a professional photographer after WW II. He made a visual record of the black community in Dallas, Texas for 3 decades. He worked for the Dallas Star, Jet Magazine and the NAACP. There are 109 mostly full page black and white photographs. He got photos of important celebrities when they came to Dallas: Martin Luther King, Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Louis and Thurgood Marshall to name a few. His photos of regular folks are the best though. Congresswoman Barbara Jordan wrote the Preface and said, "These are images of the ordinary lives of extraordinary people". The book is in near fine condition with only very slight shelf wear. The dust jacket has a crease on the upper left front. The pages are clean and unmarked, and the corners are square. The author has dated and signed on the title page (no inscription).

New York: Pathfinder Press / A Merit Book, 1970 First printing of the first edition. Spine ends gently crimped and faint toning to page margins, else book in fine condition; dust jacket with paper loss to spine ends and corners, toning to spine and folds, and light soiling, else fine.