Printed & Manuscript African Americana: March 2021 Auction Highlights

Lot 198: Frederick Douglass, carte de visite with his signature on verso, albumen photograph by Samuel M. Fassett, 1878. Estimate $15,000 to $25,000.

Catalogue Table of Contents

Slavery & Abolition, Lots 1 to 47

Africa, Lots 48 to 50

Art, Lots 51 to 67

Beauty, Lots 69 to 73

Black Panthers, Lots 74 to 129

Black Power, Lots 130 to 139

Business, Lots 140 to 145

Civil Rights, Lots 146 to 184

Featured above, Lot 68: Benjamin Banneker, Banneker’s Alamanack and Ephemeris for the Year of our Lord 1793, Philadelphia, 1792. Estimate $12,000 to $18,000.

John W. Cromwell Library, Lots 185 to 197

Frederick Douglass, Lots 198 to 206

Education, Lots 208 to 217

Dance, Film & Theater, Lots 218 to 234

Martin Luther King Jr., Lots 246 to 257

Literature, Lots 258 to 273

Malcolm X, Lots 274 to 277

Military, Lots 279 to 294

Featured, Lot 218: Diary, photographs and correspondence of modern dance legend Katherine Dunham, 1935-2002. Estimate $8,000 to $12,000.

Music, Lots 295 to 312

Photography, Lots 316 to 323

Politics, Lots 324 to 330

Reconstruction, Lots 331 to 339

Religion, Lots 340 to 342

Sports, Lots 343 to 347

Women’s History, Lots 348 to 355

Featured, Lot 264: Black Opals, four issues, legendary limited-edition literary journal, Philadelphia, 1927-28. Estimate $5,000 to $7,500.

What You Need to Know on Auction Day

This auction will be held live and conducted remotely.

There will not be bidding in the room, though we accept order bids, and interested buyers will be able to participate live via the Swann Galleries App. The app is available in the App Store and on Google Play, which can also be accessed on a desktop at live.swanngalleries.com.

Please note: phone bidding registrations will close the day before the sale at 4pm. 

At this time, our exhibition and auction location at 104 East 25th Street is closed to the public. Private viewings are available by appointment only, and must be arranged in advance. To make an appointment please contact the specialist.