Negro Anthology - photo 1
Negro Anthology - photo 2
Negro Anthology - photo 3
Negro Anthology - photo 4
Negro Anthology - photo 5

Negro Anthology

Lot 43
28.09.2023 13:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
£ 11 340
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1016409
Lot 43 | Negro Anthology
Estimate value
£ 4 000 – 6 000
Negro Anthology

Nancy Cunard

Nancy CUNARD (1896-1965, editor). Negro Anthology. London: Wishart & Co., 1934.



Association copy of the first edition of this monumental work. 'It was necessary to make this book - and I think in this manner, an Anthology of some 150 voices of both races - for recording of the struggles and achievements, the persecutions and the revolts against them, of the Negro people' (Foreword).



Ahead of its time, this anthology-manifesto passed relatively unnoticed at its time of publication, though today is recognised as a radical demonstration of anti-racist commitment. This work is distinguished from earlier anthologies by Alain Locke (1925) and Victor F. Calverton (1929) by its global and encyclopedic scope, supported by 'highly valuable documentation on every aspect of Negro life in America and Africa – on history, culture, sociology, and so on' (Wagner).



The articles, fiction, poems and illustrations included in this anthology are by recognizable contemporary voices, both black and white, such as Louis Armstrong, Samuel Beckett, Andre Breton, Langston Hugues, Zora Neale Hurston, Leo Frobenius, Theodore Dreiser, and Ezra Pound. Included are several pieces by Nancy Cunard, heiress of the Cunard transatlantic liners and the editor of the anthology, as well as transcriptions of several hate letters which she received after the press leaked her role in this project. The present lot is a notable association copy, bearing the ownership inscription of Emmanuel Taylor Gordon, an important musician associated with the Harlem Renaissance, as well as a later presentation inscription from him to 'Dr. Melville Charleton in memory of glorious days...'. Charleton is mentioned on page 358 of this work. Examples of this publication with associations of this type are rare. Jean Wagner, Black Poets of the United States: From Paul Laurence Dunbar to Langston Hughes (1973).



Quarto. Folding map printed in red and blue, numerous photographic illustrations (three leaves toward the end torn vertically and repaired, small abraded patch to the front free endpaper, several notes in pen to endpapers). Original dark brown hessian boldly lettered in red on the upper cover and spine, and with a map showing 'The Black Belt of America?' stamped in red on the lower cover (top edge stained brown, bottom edge with faded lettering, board corners lightly rubbed). Provenance: Emmanuel Taylor Gordon (1893-1971, singer and performer associated with the Harlem Renaissance; inscribed on endpaper to:) – Melville Charleton (1880-1973, American organist).

Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
28.09.2023 – 28.09.2023
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.
?>