Lot 230A
Published 1898, New York by R.H. Russell. c. 72 pages. FIRST EDITION. Oblong. Text in English. Illustrated throughout. the book contains twenty-six amazing full page black and white drawings by Kemble which illustrate thirteen different comic situations centered around African Americans; there are a pair of drawings for each comic situation. First there is a drawing that sets up the scene. This is followed by a drawing which concludes the gag; all drawings are captioned below in a stereotypical African American dialect. Kemble's drawings were finely executed and they evoked sympathy for his subjects, but still too often they conformed to the racial stereotypes prevalent at the time. Kemble's blacks are portrayed as nappy-headed, saucer-eyed, thick-lipped, grinning, ragged beings whose misfortunes were an unending source of humor for whites. Luckily for all concerned, progress has been made towards leaving the mentality portrayed in this book, back in the 19th century from whence this book was born. Edward Windsor Kemble was used by magazines like The Century to illustrate short stories in the popular, nostalgic genre of the "plantation tale," and also, for example, did the illustrations for several of Joel Chandler Harris' Uncle Remus books and an 1892 edition of Uncle Tom's Cabin. His work was obviously very popular. In a comment on an article he illustrated in The Southern Magazine, The American Monthly Review of Reviews referred to him this way: "the only artist who has yet seemed to have any success in picturing the Southern negro -- E.W. Kemble" (April, 1894). Kemble produced two books of his own drawings: Kemble's Coons (1897) and Comical Coons (1898). Both were published by the New York firm of R. H. Russell and Son. Please ask specific questions on details, condition, and shipping prior to bidding, ALL ITEMS ARE SOLD AS IS, and the bidder will be responsible for payment. We box and ship what we can to keep costs low, and use USPS and UPS. Large items, extremely fragile, and high value items will be packed by UPS. Quotes available on request
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Dimensions:
- 9" x 12" Condition:
- Good Condition with no missing pages. The front hinge is cracked (see pics)
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