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Sale 33
Manuscript and Collectibles Auction
| Lot |
Photo |
Description |
Realized |
Lot 390 |
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Certificate of Freedom. An elaborate vellum document dated Nov. 7, 1828, whereby attorney Ross Wilkins of Pittsburgh certifies "that the bearer hereof George Howard aged Eighteen years; of a bright yellow complexion; five feet five or six inches high, with a small scar on his forehead over the right eye, has been known to me from his boyhood; that he was born in Pittsubrgh; and that by the laws of Pennsylvania, he is a Freeman to all intents and purposes… he has secured an excellent and deserved reputation; and that as a Freeman therefore he is entitled to every protection as well in the United States and Elsewhere." Wilkins signed the document before a notary. An 8½"x3" pale pink ribbon is threaded into the left side of the vellum, covered by a seal of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County. Very good; some age wear. On the back, a county clerk from Adams County, Illinois certifies in 1842 that George Howard brought this certificate to be recorded and describes him in detail. Because of Illinois' infamous Black Laws (revoked when the constitution of 1848 was passed), any freed negro or mulatto who came into the state without a certificate of freedom under seal of a court order could be deemed a runaway and sold as a slave.
Estimated Value $1,500 - 2,000.
View details and enlarged photo
| Realized
$3,105 |
Lot 391 |
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The Child's Anti-Slavery Book. By Julia Colman and Matilda Thompson, published by the American Tract Society, Boston, 1859, 158 pp, 5¾"x4". Short stories of slave life and ten illustrations, such as "A slave father sold away from his family," and "Whipping a slave." Front cover and spine loose; inside pages lightly toned and foxed but tight. A rare book.
Estimated Value $100 - 150.
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| Realized
$242 |
Lot 392 |
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Douglass, Frederick (1818-1895) Former slave who became a leading spokesperson for the abolition of slavery and for racial equality, as well as for women's rights. Signature with sentiment and date, "I am, dear Sir, very truly yours / Fredk Douglass, Rochester June 8th 1872," 3½"x4¾". Fine; pencil note at lower left. Douglass became an advisor to President Abraham Lincoln, U.S. Marshal for the District of Columbia, Recorder of Deed for Washington, D.C., and Minister-General to the Republic of Haiti.
Estimated Value $400 - 500.
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| Unsold |
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