This product was produced by the lime manufacturers, Hatmaker and Place, of Canaan, Connecticut, in the late 1800s. This small company was located within a large "lime belt" that stretched from Connecticut to Vermont. Back in the day, lime powder mixed with water was quite commonly used to "white wash" or paint numerous surfaces, and it was also used as a medicinal disinfectant! The manufacture of lime from marble was one of the earliest and most successful mineral industries in Connecticut, with historical records dating the establishment of the first CT lime manufactory to 1722.

Given its age and the fragility of paper, condition of this wonderful box is quite good. The lower portion of the back side of the box evidences light surface wear with some of the printing on the lower portion of the box worn away as a result. The front of the box has a 3.25 inch long tear which resulted in the loss of the lime powder from the box.

This early piece of Black Americana advertising is EXCEEDINGLY RARE and may well be a ONE-OF-A-Kind item! The Hatmaker and Place Company was one of a number of very small manufactories located within the "lime belt" that were ALL bought out and immediately closed down by a wealthy group of investors who then created and incorporated the mammoth monopoly, The New England Lime Company, early in 1902.

Purchased years ago out of the estate of a high-end, New York City Black Memorabilia collector, this sweet-faced, circa 1920-30's, young Black Boy head sculpture appears to have been first cast in iron with a secondary application of hand-applied curly hair, eyebrows, and ears. The eyes appear to have been chiseled out of the cast iron form and then were hand painted white with a black iris; the lips are hand painted red. The head was then mounted onto a small iron disc which was further attached to a larger diameter iron disc to facilitate use and display. The piece may be displayed on a flat surface in a stable manner in 2 ways: either resting on its chin with the face looking forward or positioned wholly on the flat base with the face looking upward.

This custom sculpture or paperweight is heavy and measures 4 1/4 inches in length x 3 1/8 inches high. The base disc diameter is 3 1/4 inches wide- the widest point. Condition is excellent! All original, absolutely no repaint, or recasting!

Rarely found in this pristine condition, the body of this 8 inch long puppet is constructed of a soft, cotton, flowered fabric, and her head and hands are constructed of a soft rubber. She still retains her "Hazelle" cloth label. Her face is very sweet in appearance!

Produced in the 1950's, the Hazelle Company was a puppet-making company located in Kansas City, Missouri. The company began making hand puppets and marionettes in 1932, and it continued operations for the next 43 years. The founder, Hazelle Rollins, passed away in 1984, nine years after the company closed its doors.

Completed in silk thread on early, thick, pressed paper canvas, the diminutive, 1 5/8 x 2 3/4 inch piece of needlework remains stitched onto the original, 1 ¾ x 8 inch long, deep red satin banding. Standing on deep red ground, the black boy wears pale green and black striped clothing.

This wonderful, early piece of Black Americana needlework remains in excellent, original condition. At some point in time, a previous owner matted and framed the piece to allow for both ease of display and protection; however, to meet archival requirements, the piece requires a replacement of its current cardboard backing, and spacer bars separating the needlework from the glass should be added. Framed measurements are 4.5 inches wide x 11 inches long.

A phenomenally rare piece for the advanced Black Memorabilia collector!

This particular tin hails from the latter period, and while it still retains remnants of its paper Federal Revenue Tobacco seal, the imprinting is completely worn away so the exact manufacture date remains a mystery.

This image was used by The American Tobacco Company of Wisconsin to sell their product; the lithographed tin was manufactured by the B. Leidersdorf Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Measuring 7 inches high x 5 ¾ inches wide, the condition of the tin is a 7.5 out of 10--- sporting a superb lithograph on both sides with minor and superficial scratches and abrasions along with tiny areas of paint loss on the front side image (please see photos) and on the backside- most notably in the woman's hair. Some very faint evidence of very superficial rust is noted on the cover and on the base of the tin with absolutely no impact to structural integrity. The inside of the tin is clean with some minor tarnish evident.

The original orange color of the tin remains consistent. The tin has three or four small areas where it has been pushed in slightly but these are difficult to see with the eye and even more difficult to capture with a camera lens. All of the imperfections are reasonable and expected given the age of this piece--- 90+ years!! This tin is just a wonderful example of early 1920s Black Americana and looks so much better "in person" than I was able to capture with my camera lens!

By 1926, the American Tobacco Company had changed the name of its product from NIGGER HAIR to BIGGER HAIR tobacco as it was felt that the previous moniker had become much less socially acceptable. At that time, the material out of which the tobacco container was constructed was changed from tin to heavy cardboard.

The String Holder is stamped "JAPAN" and “Theo Hinode” on the inside of the base (The Hinode Company is the Japanese Ceramic Company.). Mammy has a hole in the center of her chest area, just above her folded hands, to accommodate the string which would be pulled from the ball of string placed inside her body from the back of the piece. This wonderful piece even comes complete with vintage hanging string---Mammy has two holes at the back of her head to accommodate this! The entire piece is glazed with the exception of Mammy's red kerchief which is cold-painted (meaning that the paint was applied after firing). As such, this area of paint would be the most vulnerable to wear, and Mammy does have some “bald areas” where the paint has come off her kerchief. Please take a moment to view all photos to ascertain condition and appeal of this fabulous and functional, vintage string holder!

Marked "Japan Pat P28367", this rarely found, vintage toy depicts a Tarzan-like character with his knife drawn against a spear-wielding NATIVE AFRICAN TRIBESMAN.

Measuring 9 by 11 inches framed, this litho retains its vibrant colors!

A delightful piece which features the accompanying text on the reverse side.

The frame is a temporary and inexpensive one to allow the potential buyer to view the story on the backside, but the piece should be properly framed to enable its continued conservation once purchased.

The litho was executed by John Karst with his signature appearing in the lower left hand corner. Highly detailed, the litho reproduces a bustling New Orleans' dock scene featuring numerous slaves at work.

This litho was professionally re-framed using museum-quality, acid-free materials in 2004. The frame is a classic styled, black painted, beaded, hardwood accented with a dark rose, acid-free mat.

A fascinating glimpse into life on the docks of the Mississippi River at New Orleans!