Harlem Gems And More At The Printed & Manuscript African Americana Auction At Swann Galleries New York

On Thursday, March 21, 2024, an auction of Printed & Manuscript African Americana at Swann Galleries will be the house’s largest offering of the material to date.

The sale includes important documentation of the abolition movement, catalogs and posters for exhibits by leading Black artists, previously unseen Black Panther material, material on Black-owned businesses, and some curated Harlem gems.

Here are some selected picks

Have Shares Have You? Harlem Co-Op Member button

Archive of stockholder material from the Harlem River Consumers Cooperative supermarket. 10 items, various sizes; condition strong. New York, 1968-1969 and undated. Stock certificate in the Harlem River Consumers Cooperative, November 1968. Coupon sheet for the Harlem Co-Op Supermarket, January 1969.

Estimate: $ 1,000 – $ 1,500

The Golf Observer And Social World Magazine

A magazine spotlighting Harlem society and the burgeoning national Black golf scene. Features include Harlem business advocacy, fashion and charity columns, plus amateur golf coverage across major US cities. Spotlighted golfers are primarily African-American, with some Jewish players; photos of Sugar Ray and Jackie Robinson add star power. The back cover features Robinson and Monte Irvin in a beer ad in 1960.

Estimate: $ 1,000 – $ 1,500

First Annual Ascent Magazine Championship Rodeo Festival Poster

The American Black Cowboy Association was founded in 1969. This is the poster for their first Harlem rodeo in 1984. It was sponsored by the short-lived Harlem-based Ascent Magazine. According to the New York Daily News of 4 September 1984, bleachers seating 4000 spectators were erected in a vacant lot on West 137th Street, with six inches of sand laid down to accommodate the riders. Events included bull riding, calf roping, steer wrestling, bareback bronco riding, and cowgirl barrel racing. The event continues annually in Harlem into the 21st century.

Estimate: $ 900 – $ 600

The Harlem Third World Trade Institute Brochure

Launched in 1980, the Harlem Third World Trade Institute ran programs to foster trade with developing nations in Africa and the Caribbean, including import and export training for local businesses, a monthly trade newsletter, translation services, and conferences. Their grandest effort, a center for international trade next to the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building north of 125th Street, was never realized. This brochure describes the Institute’s programs and vision, and highlights visits of trade delegations from Burundi, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Vanuatu, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Barbados, Botswana, and Burkina Faso. None were traced at auction or in OCLC.

Estimate: $ 1,000 – $ 700

Exhibition hours are 12 pm to 5 pm on Saturday, March 16, and Monday, March 18 through Wednesday, March 20. Auction date: Thursday, March 21 at 10:30 am. Bidding is available through online platforms, absentee, the phone, and live in-person.

Live online bidding platforms will be the Swann Galleries App, Invaluable, and Live Auctioneers. The complete catalog and bidding information are available at www.swanngalleries.com and the Swann Galleries App. @swanngalleries  

Swann Auction Galleries

Swann Auction Galleries is a third-generation family business as well as the world’s largest auction house for works on paper. In the last 80 years, Swann has repeatedly revolutionized the trade with such innovations as the first U.S. auction dedicated to photographs and the world’s only Department of African American Art. More than 40 auctions and previews are held annually in Swann Galleries’ two-floor exhibition space in Midtown Manhattan and online worldwide. Visit swanngalleries.com for more information. 

Photo credit: 1) Malcolm King College Extension. 2) Archive of stockholder material from the Harlem River Consumers Cooperative supermarket. 3) The Golf Observer And Social World Magazine. 4) The Harlem Third World Trade Institute Brochure.