This collection:
  1. Tears down barriers between Blacks and Whites, young and old...
  2. Opens hearts and changes minds...
  3. Surrounds Black people with their ancestors, giving a sense of awe and wonderment for people of all nationalities and ethnicities...
  4. Causes people to think and want to learn more, leading to continuing achievement, scholarship and education...
  5. Leaves a legacy...

Vivant Denon drew this image of the Sphinx of Giza around 1798, prior to its defacement. This image and written account (a part of the collection) is from the 1803 issue of Universal Magazine. From that same magazine, here is the written account in Denon's own words, "...Though its proportions are colossal, the outline is pure and graceful; the expression of the head is mild, gracious, and tranquil; the character is African, but the mouth, and lips of which are thick, has a softness and delicacy of execution truly admirable; it seems real life and flesh. Art must have been at a high pitch when this monument was executed; for, if the head wants what is called style, that is the say, the straight and bold lines which give expression to the figures under which the Greeks have designated their deities, yet sufficient justice has been rendered to the fine simplicity and character of nature which is displayed in this figure..." -- order postcard of Sphinx of Giza

2. Wedgwood jasperware Abolitionist, Anti-Slavery cameo medallion (3 medallions in collection), with the bound slave on the front, and the words "Am I Not A Man and A Brother?" around it. From 1787 until his death in 1795, Josiah Wedgwood actively participated in the British Abolition of Slavery cause. Josiah’s most important contribution to the movement for the Abolition of Slavery, the so-called Slave Medallion, was one which brought the attention of the public to the horrors of the Slave trade. (There are varying views on the portrayal of bound slave and slogan.)   Josiah Wedgwood sent a large number of cameos to Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia who also remarked on the value of the medallion as a means of bringing awareness of the existence if slavery to the public. What is particularly amazing is that the climate of the Revolutionary War was hostile to good British/American relations. In this context the abolitionist movement was born and people came together to fight the evils of the Slave Trade. -- Also, a hard-to-find mid-1800s antique bronze figure of man (weighs 18 oz.) pictured to the right -->

BACKGROUND: The first and most identifiable image of the 18th century abolitionist movement was a kneeling African man. Members of the Society of Friends, informally known as Quakers, were among the earliest leaders of the abolitionist movement in Britain and the Americas. By the beginning of the American Revolution, Quakers had moved from viewing slavery as a matter of individual conscience, to seeing the abolition of slavery as a Christian duty. Quakers, who believe in simplicity in all things, tended to view the arts as frivolous; but when the Quaker-led Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade met in London in 1787, three of its members were charged with preparing a design for "a Seal to be engraved for the use of this Society." Later that year, the society approved a design "expressive of an African in Chains in a Supplicating Posture." Surrounding the naked man was engraved a motto whose wording echoed an idea widely accepted during the Enlightenment among Christians and secularists: "Am I Not A Man and A Brother?" The design was approved by the Society, and an engraving was commissioned. The design was symbolic both artistically and politically. In addition to evoking classical art, the figure's nudity signified a state of nobility and freedom, yet he was bound by chains. Black figures, usually depicted as servants or supplicants, typically knelt in the art of the period, at a time when members of the upper classes did not kneel when praying; this particular image combined the European theme of conversion from heathenism and the idea of emancipation into a posture of gratitude. In 1788, a consignment of the cameos was shipped to Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia, where the medallions became a fashion statement for abolitionists and anti-slavery sympathizers. They were worn as bracelets and as hair ornaments, and even inlaid with gold as ornaments for snuff boxes. Soon the fashion extended to the general public. Although the intent and the effect of the emblem was to focus public opinion on the evils of the African slave trade (which it did accomplish), its ultimate effect was to underscore the perception of black inferiority. The supplicant posture of blacks persisted as a standard feature of Western art long after slavery was abolished. Ironically, although the image became the emblem of the anti-slavery movement, the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade was emphatic that its only goal was the abolition of the slave trade, not of slavery itself. That position was vigorously protested by individual members such as Granville Sharp, the most influential abolitionist of his time. -- Unique vintage brass door knocker with an image of William Wilberforce on the knocker. On the part affixed to the door is an image of the African slave with the words, "Am I Not A Man and A Brother?". -- Deluxe Ruskin Folio Limited Edition JMW Turner R.A. - The Slave Ship -- Fine Laid Paper with full Intaglio plate mark ~ VERY RARE 1 of only 160 published plates. Beautiful JMW Turner R.A. illustration from the work in the Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, U.S.A." published in 1900 as one of only 160 de-luxe folio edition illustrations compiled by Frederick Wedmore as an "Exposition of the Work of Turner from the Writings of Ruskin" and published by George Allen, Charing Cross, London.    3. Rare 7" figurines of Tom Molineaux and Tom Cribb (figurines dated, early-mid 1800s -- 2 sets). Born 1784, Tom Molineaux was the first unofficial American Boxing Champion. Tom Molineaux was born a slave but fought his way to freedom and ultimately a shot at the heavyweight title. He began boxing other slaves while plantation owners wagered on the bouts. Finally after defeating a slave from a rival plantation, he was given his freedom and $500. He traveled to New York and then, in 1809, he left for England and began boxing. Molineaux was trained by Bill Richmond, another freed American slave who became a notable prize fighter in England. Molineaux won two bouts in England and the ease with which he won quickly lined him up for a title shot against British heavyweight champion Tom Cribb. In December 18th, 1810, Molineaux challenged Crib in a classic encounter. After some 39 rounds of give and take, Molineaux finally collapsed from exhaustion. The great Pierce Egan, who described the American as "The Tremendous Man of Colour," wrote of the contest: "Molineaux proved himself as courageous a man as ever an adversary contended with ... [Molineaux] astonished everyone, not only by his extraordinary power of hitting and his gigantic strength, but also by his acquaintance with the science, which was far greater than any had given him credit for." The two Cribb fights made Molineaux a celebrity in England. But he fought only sporadically, opting to engage in numerous sparring exhibitions. In 1818, he died in Dublin, Ireland. This Collection owns three sets of figurines. -- October 13, 1818 edition of the New-York Spectator reporting the death of Tom Molineaux, the celebrated pugilist at Galway, Ireland. Tom was the first American boxer to fight for the London Prize Ring championship. A former slave, Molineaux reportedly got his freedom after winning a boxing match on which his owner (Algernon Molineaux) had placed a large bet.

-- Joe Louis, The Brown Bomber Little Big Book, dated 1936, is approximately 3 1/8" x 4 1/2" and it has 238 pages. There are many photos of Joe in training, talking with his manager, being certified medically fit, fight scenes, etc. These old books of sports figures like Joe Louis do not come along very often.
-- A vintage, original 1935 Joe Louis vs. King Levinsky boxing poster. Poster measures approx. 6" x 12" and is printed on pulp paper.
-- Boxing gloves personally signed by Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard & others...

  5. 1829 newspaper from Bermuda - The Royal Gazette - Bermuda Commercial and General Advertiser and Recorder - Hamilton, Bermuda: Donald McPhee Lee (first editor) - No. 37 - Vol. 2, dated Tuesday, September 15, 1829 - this paper was started in 1828 and is still in production at the present. This genuine historical 4 page newspaper has typical age toning, foxing and edge wear and is printed on cotton and rag cloth. An intriguing read as it gives first hand news and reflections of life at that time in Bermuda and around the world, such as recently enacted laws, news (on politics, wars and deaths), poetry and advertising were published in the daily paper, with descriptive ads for runaway slaves and the selling of slaves commonplace.
     In this issue is an interesting article about the Abolition of Slavery, "At a meeting held at the Freemason's Tavern, London, on the 14th July last, for the purpose of considering the means of protecting from Slavery the future children born of Negroes in the British Colonies -- Mr. Olway Cave, in the chair. -- A variety of resolutions were proposed and assented to, to the effect that Parliament should be petitioned for the liberation of slaves born after a certain period in the British Colonies: the Rev. Mr. Isaacson of Demerara, a clergyman of the Church of England, in proposing the amendment to the resolution, "which" he said, "if carried into effect, would shew (sic) whether the system of free labour was practicable, and likely to benefit the slaves themselves;" added that "the whole population of Montserrat and Tortola (6000 in number), might be purchased for 600,000 Pounds; and it had been proposed to the Duke of Devonshire to purchase these islands, in order to try a system of free labour, which, if it succeeded, might then be extended to other Colonies..."

-- "The Life of William Wilberforce", scarce First Edition book written by Casper Morris, 1857.

-- A Practical View Of The Prevailing Religious System Of Professed Christians, In The Higher And Middle Classes, Contrasted With Real Christianity. Book by William Wilberforce. Boston: Printed by Manning & Loring, For Ebenezer Larkin. 1799. Second American Edition. Publisher’s full calf leather over boards, red morocco spine label titled in gilt. 300 pages. Volume measures 7” x 4 ½”. William Wilberforce was an English philanthropist and anti-slavery crusader, who was instrumental in winning the abolition of the British slave trade in 1807. He was also an M. P. for the county of York and a central figure in the Clapham sect of Evangelicals. His object here is to demonstrate how Christianity, as practiced by the English middle and upper classes, differs from what he considered "true Christianity". This book put him at the forefront of the evangelical movement.
-- A Practical View of the Prevailing Religious System by William Wilberforce, 1824. 6" x 4" x 1", in fair - poor condition -- yellowing/water damage/spotting; binding is solid. Slight old book smell.
-- "A Practical View Of The Prevailing Religious System Of Professed Christians, In The Higher And Middle Classes, Contrasted With Real Christianity", by William Wilberforce (2 copies). Measuring about 3-1/2" x 5-3/4", and 375 pages long, this small hardback book is It is published in New York by the American Tract Society, and is undated, the only clue being that it is "from a late London edition." If I had to guess, I'd say somewhere near the mid-1800s. The only illustration is a steel engraved frontispiece of the author. It is bound in boards covered with peacock paper, and a green leather spine, but I believe this is a re-binding. The boards do not feel as thick and substantial as I would have expected them to be.

-- The Life of William Wilberforce (1872 edition) by his son, Samuel Lord Bishop of Winchester, published by John Murray, London. 452 pages, with engraved frontispiece, marbled page edges and endpapers, bound in blue calf with gilt pattern and lettering on the cover and spine. The writing on the front cover reads 'The Gift of the Haberdasher's Company'. This book tells the life story of William Wilberforce and the struggle to abolish the slave trade. Overall, in good condition - the binding is tight and all the pages are fine. However, the cover has been covered with a clear plastic film. Some wear to the leather can be seen underneath, along the edges of the cover and spine, with some discoloration to the back cover. Inside, a small clipping has been stuck onto the back of the flyleaf and opposite, there is an inscription from Newport Grammar School, dated 1894. Otherwise, apart from some slight yellowing to the pages, the text is in excellent condition.

-- The obituary of William Wilberforce in an intriguing volume of Gentleman's Magazine (July to December, 1833). This is the concluding volume of the original series Volume 103. Some of the items in this volume article running over the months British Empire in India, Saint James Chapel Croydon (with plate) much on Battles in Portugal between brothers of the Royal Family, Charing Palace (Kent), suppression of the slave trade in India, the obituary of ardent abolitionist and tireless anti-slavery advocate, William Wilberforce, and the address to the House of Representatives by President Jackson.  580 pages with 8 engraved plates, bound in half calf, chip to foot of spine, bound tight.
BACKGROUND: Gentleman's Magazine was founded in 1731, ceased publication in 1907, founder Edwin Cave who assumed the pen name of Sylvanus Urban.  The first general interest magazine to be published and the first to use the term magazine for a periodical journal, published monthly. Amongst its early contributors was Samuel Johnson who wrote parliamentary reports under the title "Debates of the Senate of Magna Lilliputia" during times when parliamentary reporting was banned. Each month every conceivable subject was covered plus regular features; parliamentary reports, foreign and domestic news, monthly historical chronicle (a monthly diary of current events), obituaries, marriages, appointments, bills of mortality (all excellent references for the genealogist with many names), reports and reviews of law cases, executions, new publications.  Of particular interest was the monthly section titled London Gazette which was important extracts from the official government newspaper often consisting of military and naval dispatches from commanders in the field.  Early copies were bound as 12 months, later as the magazine grew in size they were bound as 6 monthly sections.  Most months had a variety of engraved plates bound in. History as it happened written by people who were there, a fascinating read or a valuable reference work for the historian.

-- October 1, 1790 Literary Magazine & British Review which is 240 pages long. 8" x 5". Some of the subjects are the stock prices, poetry, Abolition of the Slave Trade, Life of G. Buchanan, General Principals of Political Economy and much, much more. William Wilberforce's famous abolition speech, delivered in the House of Commons on Tuesday, May 12, 1789 is the backdrop to the article about the abolition of the slave trade. In the article on the Abolition of the Slave Trade, the writer states, "At a time when Parliament are agitating the question of the slave trade, it is natural, as well as proper, to enquire into its nature and effect. The project for its destruction reflects an honour on the English, and affords a fresh proof to the world of humanity which has been deemed their characteristic. That a scheme like this should have met with impediments, might have been readily expected, as it concerns a commerce-sanctioned by long usage and supported by strong and powerful interest. I think, however, I can foretell, without prophetic inspiration, that opposition will prove fruitless, and will serve to only complete the triumph..."

-- Rare book entitled "An Abstract of the Evidence Delivered Before a Select Committee of the House of Commons in the Years 1790 and 1791, on the Part of the Petitioners for the Abolition of the Slave Trade".  The title on the front cover reads: "Evidence on the Slave Trade".  This book was published by the American Reform Tract and Book Society (1855) and has 117 pages. The book is about the evils of slavery and of the slave trade.  There are a list of witnesses who give accounts of the capture of people in Africa and the ensuing enslavement.  The book makes a case against slavery.  It is truly a collector's item.

-- Rare engraving of William Pitt published by the London Printing and Publishing Company (1840). Pitt was quite simply one of the most extraordinary politicians in history. For anyone to become Prime Minister at the age of 24 is amazing in itself, but to then go on to become one of the most dominant and long serving of British history puts him in a class of his own. Most disappointing was that his enfeebled physical and political state in his final years meant that he did not ram home his earlier pioneering efforts to abolish the slave trade, something which was secured only the year after his death. Pitt’s great friend William Wilberforce, led the campaign to abolish the slave trade (1833) and then to abolish slavery (1834) in the British Empire as well.

-- Rare edition of book (1787) written by ex-slave trader, John Newton (Rector of St. Mary, Woolnoth, London) -- Letters and Sermons With a Review of Ecclesiastical History and Hymns. This is Volume III of six volumes. Gives an interior view of Newton's thoughts and ideals on various spiritual topics. This collection also has several volumes of the 1824 edition of the series.

-- John Newton's book (very rare 1795 edition, First Edition was 1764) "An Authentic Narrative of some remarkable and interesting particulars in the Life of John Newton." Communicated in a Series of Letters to the Rev. Mr. Haweis, Rector of Aldwinckle, Northamptonshire by Newton, John (1725-1807). Printed in Philadelphia by William Young. The book contains fourteen letters, which covers many topics -- "Voyage to Madeira, Entry on Board a Guineaman, Voyage to Africa,  Voyage from Cape Lopez to England, Danger in the Voyage from Cape Lopez, Voyage to Antigua, Last Voyage to Africa, etc.. Newton was a minister in the Church of England and is best remembered as having written the hymn Amazing Grace. 103 pp.; old leather binding in good+ condition. Contents with foxing, yellowing but still very readable; 2 worm holes at top page edge, not affecting text.

-- Somewhat rare complete set of "The Works of John Newton: The Late Rector of St. Mary Woolnoth and St. Mary Woolchurch Haw, London, With Memoirs of the Author and General Remarks on His Life, Connections, and Character." By the Rev. Richard Cecil, M.A. (Third Edition in Six Volumes). London, MCDCCCXXIV (1824). In the sixth volume there is a very rare 25-page section entitled, "Thoughts Upon the African Slave Trade." Condition:  The body and blocks of all the volumes are holding fine.  There is foxing throughout due to age. Rubbing to spine, and splitting of outer cloth and around spine, chipping, etc. Most of the pages are white and crisp, simply hurting a bit cosmetically.  All binding holding fine. 

-- Scarce 1855 edition of "The Life of John Newton" Written for Young Children, no author, published by Carlton & Phillips for the Sunday School Union, NY. 92 pages, with 4 pages of advertisements for publications by the Sunday School Union of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Corners worn, wear to covers, piece torn out of flyleaf. Slight give to binding. Overall in good shape.
Contents: I. A dream and the dreamer II. The ship of war III. Fresh troubles IV. Deliverance V. Dangers and preservations VI. Conviction VII. Happier prospects of life VIII. The sea-captain IX. Another change in life X. The sailor becomes a minister. 
Hymns and Poems: a. The kite   b. A thought on the seashore   c. Written at Cowslip   d. A friend   e. The two debtors   f. The Bible   g. Trust in Christ   h. Saturday Evening

-- Extremely hard-to-find 1814 edition of "Letters To A Wife" by John Newton.  Includes letters sent to his wife from 1750 through 1785.  Many of these letters were sent from Africa.  John Newton was a hymn writer who composed the lyrics of "Amazing Grace."  Published by Whitehall in Philadelphia.  There is an appendix in the book about his wife's illness.  Bound into the back of the book in a different type face is a separate thirty-one page publication entitled "A Monument To The Praise of the Lord's Goodness, And to the Memory of Dear Eliza Cunningham." 

-- The Minor Poems of the Inner Temple, by William Cowper. Published, 1818 in London for John Sharpe -- 7" x 4", 108 pages. This book includes one of his more famous poems, "The Negro's Complaint", along with an engraved image. This fine volume also includes, "Sonnet to William Wilberforce, Esq.", "To the Rev. Mr. Newton", and "Pity For Poor Africans." Nice gilt tooled full calf leather bound copy with many engraved plates. William Cowper (pronounced Cooper) (November 26, 1731 – April 25, 1800)  was an English poet and hymnodist. One of the most popular poets of his time, Cowper changed the direction of 18th century nature poetry by writing of everyday life and scenes of the English countryside. He suffered from periods of severe depression, and although he found refuge in a fervent evangelical Christianity, the source of his much-loved hymns, he often experienced doubt and fears that he was doomed to eternal damnation. However, his religious motivations and association with John Newton (who wrote the hymn "Amazing Grace") led to much of the poetry for which he is best remembered in the popular mind.

-- Rare 1835 engraving of abolitionists William Wilberforce and Thomas Clarkson (8.5 x 5.5) -- together in one etching, just one year after the Slave Trade had been officially abolished in England.

-- Very scarce wall plaque measuring 5 ¾ " X 8 ¾ ". The front reads:- William Wilberforce 1759 – 1833 M P For Kingston Upon Hull and Yorkshire, Emancipator. Abolition of Slavery Act 1833. The back of the plaque has the Eastgate Pottery Withernsea stamp. Made in England. We contacted Eastgate Potteries in Withernsea, UK for more information. The Director, John D. Worsdale responded with this note, "This was one of a limited number of plaques manufactured in the 1970's, as a special commission for William Wilberforce House. There were only 50 plaques made. I have never seen one for sale, therefore I cannot give you an estimate on value...It is extremely rare."

-- Thomas Clarkson. A Portraiture of Quakerism. Taken From a View of the Education and Discipline, Social Manners, Civil and Political Economy, Religious Principles, and Character of the Society of Friends. First Edition. New York: Samuel Stansbury, 1806. 3 volumes, 12 mo, 363, 382, and 372 pages. Edge worn, leather covers, foxed and browned paper, owner names handwritten in volume I (Ann Allen, Francis R. Taylor), a decorative gilt stamp of Ann H. Allen’s name is in the other two volumes. "While working for the abolition of slavery, the author encountered many Quakers and was impressed by their moral history. Thomas Clarkson wrote, “I felt also a great desire...to do them justice; for ignorance and prejudice had invented many expressions concerning them, to the detriment of their character, when their conduct never gave me reason to suppose, during all my intercourse with them to be true.” These three volumes form a sympathetic history of the Quakers written by a non-Quaker, with a focus on their moral character, discipline, beliefs, peculiar customs, and moral education."

-- Thomas Clarkson's 1808 First Edition of, The History of the Rise, Progress, and Accomplishment of The Abolition of the African Slave trade by the British Parliament. -- Clarkson starts out by saying, "No subject more pleasing that that of the removal of evils -- Evils have existed almost from the beginning of the world -- but there is a power in our nature to counteract them -- this power increased by Christianity -- of the evils removed by Christianity one of the greatest is the Slave Trade -- The joy we ought to feel on its abolition from a contemplation of the nature of it -- and of the extent of it -- and of the difficulty of subduing it -- Usefulness also of the contemplation of this subject."

-- First Edition (1854) "Life Of Thomas Clarkson" by James Elmes. Thomas Clarkson (1760 – 1846), abolitionist, was born at Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, England, and became a leading campaigner against the slave trade in the British Empire. This book details his contributions toward the abolition of the Slave-Trade and Slavery. Published by Blackader & Co., London. Hardbound in tan waxed cloth. It is an important piece of social history pertaining to this turbulent period in both British and American History. Author, James Elmes (1782 – 1862) was an English architect, civil engineer, and writer on the arts, he was born in London.

-- Thomas Clarkson's book, "The History of the Rise, Progress, and Accomplishment of the Abolition of the African Slave-Trade by the British Parliament" -- 1836 edition written under the supervision of New York University, 276 pages. Published by John S. Taylor, corner of Park-Row and Nassau-Street, Opposite the City Hall. This is the first of a 3  volume set. "The Cabinet of Freedom" under the supervision of  the Hon. William Ray Rev. Prof. Bush of the University of New York, and Gerrit Smith, Esq. There is an engraving of a slave in chains and above the picture are the words "Am I Not a Man and a Brother?" The size is 7 1/2"  X  5".  The book talks about how the slaves were treated on board the slave ships.

-- James Montgomery-- The Abolition of the Slave Trade: A Poem in Four Parts. Very hard to find. 1814, folio size, 10" x 12.5", with many engravings. London: Printed by T. Bensley. The poem "The West Indies," was written to accompany a series of pictures published as a memorial of the abolition of the slave-trade. In this genial labour, to which the poet says he gave his whole mind, as affording him an opportunity of exposing the iniquities of slavery and the slave-trade.
Importance: In 1807 a commission was delivered from the printer Bowyer to write a poem on the abolition of the slave trade, to be published along with other poems on the subject in a handsome illustrated volume. The subject was well adapted to Montgomery's powers, appealing at once to the philanthropic enthusiasm in which his strength lay, and to his own touching associations with the West Indies. Its poem entitled 'The West Indies' accordingly appeared in Bowyer's illustrated publication in 1809. Although rather rhetoric than poetry, is in general well conceived and well expressed, and skilful as well as sincere in its appeals to public sentiment. On its first appearance in Bowyer's volume it proved a failure, but when published separately (London, 1810, 12mo) it obtained great popularity.
James Montgomery:  Born November 4, 1771, in Ayrshire, Scotland, James Montgomery was brought up and educated by Moravians near Leeds after his parents left for America, never to return. He became an editorial assistant to the Sheffield Register in 1792. Acquiring the newspaper himself, he renamed it the Isis and in it advocated reformist causes at an unpopular time, during the French Revolution, and went to jail for his trouble twice in 1795-96. He returned to his journalism then and published a book of poems about his imprisonment. This led to an avocation in poetry and letters. He brought out volumes of poems and hymns from 1797 until the mid-19th-century. After 25 years in the news business, Montgomery retired from journalism and lived on a Literary Fund pension until his death on April 30, 1854. Throughout his life he actively worked for humanitarian causes and gained the respect and affection of his fellow poets.

-- An intriguing hand written letter (dated March 12, 1792) from Banff, Scotland, written by George Robinson, sent to Cam Haliburton, Esq. Edinburgh. In the letter Robinson states there is a petition to abolish the slave trade in Scotland......"Sir: I trust that your sentiments will hopefully accord with mine on the subject of the African slave trade. I have taken the liberty to write you this to inform you that I had the honor to transmit to my worthy friend Mr. Alex Brodie, Member for this district of Burroughs, a petition by appointment from the Magistrates of Council of this Burgh, petitions for the xxxxxxxxxxxx inhabitants of this place xxxxxxxxx  xxxxxxxxx to Mr. Brodie, a petition from Free Persons of this County and one from the Presbyterian xxxxxxxxxxxxxx were sent to Sir James xxxxxxxx, Member for this County for abolishing the Slave Trade. I mention this in case you should think it proper to inscribe it in any of your Edinburgh papers. I am very so hopefully, Sir. Your most obedient servant, George Robinson" (There were some key words that are illegible, or were part of the paper that had been torn when opened in 1792.)
   -- HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF LETTER: William Dickson, a former secretary to the Governor of Barbados (Hon. Edward Hay) and the author of 'Letters on Slavery' (1789), was engaged by the London Anti-Slavery Society to gain support for the abolition movement in Scotland. William Dickson has a diary of a visit to Scotland from January 5th - March 19th, 1792 on behalf of the Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. It is probable that the writer of this letter had personal contact with William Dickson, who originally came from Moffat, Scotland. 
   Let's get a sense of Dickson's feelings about the Slave Trade -- In an 1787 letter to Thomas Clarkson, Dickson states, "Of the Africans, above one fourth perished on the voyage to the West Indies, and four and a half percent more died on average in the fortnight intervening between the days of entry and sale. To close this awful triumph of the King of terrors, about two in five of all whom the planters bought were lost in seasoning within the first three years and before they could be said to have yielded any productive labour. Now if seven years be the average labouring period of bought slaves, a lot of five should yield thirty five years of labour; and two of them having died, each of the other three must yield nearly twelve years or with the three years of seasoning, nearly fifteen years. But to look for fifteen years of even blank existence, without labour, from each of the survivors of a worse than pestilential mortality, heartless and enfeebled as they must generally be, would be madly romantic."        One scholar states that Dickson "one of the most useful and intelligent observers on the institution of slavery in Barbadoes .. he makes many shrewd sociological assessments of the working of the slave system ... an important book for the study of Barbadoes social history." Dickson was an enlightened man of his day, who argued for an end to the slave trade and gradual, but not immediate, emancipation.

-- An extremely rare 1794 edition of "The Journal of John Woolman", printed in Dublin. It is the first edition printed after his death. 464 pages, leather-bound. Woolman is said to be the very first abolitionist in America.
BACKGROUND: John Woolman (October 19, 1720 – October 7, 1772) was an itinerant Quaker preacher, traveling throughout the American colonies, advocating against conscription, military taxation, and particularly slavery. John Woolman came from a family of Friends (Quakers). His grandfather, also named John Woolman, was one of the early settlers of New Jersey. His father Samuel Woolman was a farmer. Their estate was between Burlington and Mount Holly Township in that state. At age 23 his employer asked him to write a bill of sale for a slave. He told his employer that he thought that slave keeping was inconsistent with the Christian religion. Many Friends believed that slavery was bad — even a sin — but there was not a universal condemnation of it among Friends. Some Friends bought slaves from other people in order to treat them humanely and educate them. Other Friends seemed to have no conviction against slavery whatsoever. Woolman took up a concern to minister to Friends and others in remote places. He went on his first ministry trip in 1746 with Isaac Andrews. They went about 1,500 miles round-trip in three months, going as far south as North Carolina. He preached on many topics, including slavery during this and other such trips. In 1754 Woolman wrote Some Considerations on the Keeping of Negroes. He refused to draw up wills transferring slaves. Working on a nonconfrontational, personal level, he individually convinced many Quaker slaveholders to free their slaves. He attempted personally to avoid using the products of slavery; for example, he wore undyed clothing because slaves were used in the making of dyes. Whenever he received hospitality from a slaveholder, he insisted on paying the slaves for their work in attending him. Woolman worked within the Friends traditions of seeking the guidance of the Spirit of Christ and patiently waiting to achieve unity in the Spirit. He went from one Friends meeting to another and expressed his concern about slaveholding. One by one the various meetings began to see the evils of slavery and wrote minutes condemning it. In his lifetime, Woolman did not succeed in eradicating slavery even within the Society of Friends in the United States; however, his personal efforts changed Quaker viewpoints. In 1790 the Society of Friends petitioned the United States Congress for the abolition of slavery. The fair treatment of people of all races is now part of the Friends Testimony of Equality. The Journal of John Woolman is considered to be an important spiritual document.

-- Extracts from The Minutes of the Yearly Meeting Of Friends (Quakers) held in Philadelphia 1856. Philadelphia: T. Ellwood Chapman No. 1 South Fifth Street, 1856. 24 pages with front and back cover. Includes following Meetings: Philadelphia; Abington; Bucks; Concord; Caln; Western; Southern; Burlington; Haddonfield; Salem; Fishing Creek. T. Ellwood Chapman was an important publisher of Quaker and Anti-Slavery tracts in the 1850s and 1860s.

-- "William Lloyd Garrison: The Story of His Life", 1st Edition books (I&II), 1885, by his children.

--  Autographed letter (8” x 9 ¾”) signed, front and back, March 7, 1870, from Wendell Phillips to Rev. Francis Hodgson. “…Hearing that our change of my lecture to the Last Acts, has been objected to and some fault found with yourself…I desire to say…that the fault, if any, belongs entirely to me….”
Background: Wendell Phillips (1811-1884) was a prominent abolitionist. A wealthy graduate of Harvard Law School, Phillips sacrificed social status and a prospective political career in order to join the antislavery movement. His reputation as an inspirational orator was established with his address at an abolitionist meeting in 1837 to protest the murder of Elijah Lovejoy. He became an associate of William Lloyd Garrison and lectured widely at meetings of the American Anti-Slavery Society, serving as its president from 1865 to 1870. He also advocated prohibition, woman suffrage, prison reform, regulation of corporations, and labour reform.

 8. Steel/wood engravings, etchings, handwritten/signed letters, books, and/or CDVs (many with facsimile or genuine signatures) of anti-slavery abolitionists, like John Jay, Henry Thornton (relative of William Wilberforce), Isaac Hopper (founded the Underground Railroad), Charles Dickens, John Greenleaf Whittier, Thomas Babington Macaulay, Daniel Webster, Ben Franklin, William Wadsworth Longfellow, William Henry Seward, William Wilberforce, Granville Sharp, Isaac Hopper, Thomas Clarkson, Salmon P. Chase, Henry Wilson, Alphonse de Lamartine, Horace Greeley, John Andrews, Schuyler Colfax, Edwin Stanton, Philip Sheridan, William T. Sherman, Ulysses Grant, Cassius Clay, Hannah Moore, Owen Lovejoy, Gerrit Smith, Joshua Giddings, John Quincy Adams, Benjamin Lundy, Oliver Howard, William Buckingham, James Montgomery, David G. Farragut, Thaddeus Stevens, Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, Zachary Macauley, Joseph Sturge, Wendell Phillips, Harriet Beecher Stowe, William Cowper, Charles Fox, William Cullen Bryant, Fanny (Frances) Kemble, William Forster, William Pitt, Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, William Henry Brisbane, Edmund Quincy, Henry Ward Beecher, Martin Delany, Charles Sumner, Elihu Burritt, Henry Wilson, Lord Brougham, James Russell Lowell, William Smith and many others...

 9. "The Internal Administration of The Imperial Guard 1945 E.C."280 pages. This very rare book is hand stamped by the Imperial Guard and contains the rules, regulations, and forms of the Imperial Guard of His Majesty Haile Selassie I. This book contains a nice photo of Haile Selassie I, many fold out forms and lists showing the many regulations of the Imperial Guard. Intriguing.
-- World Tour Book of His Majesty Haile Selassie's visit to America in 1954 (mint condition), published by Ethiopian Government.

 10. League of Nations: Committee Reports on the Question of Slavery. 18 different reports dating from 1923-1930 -- 2 are in French, the rest in English that deal with the question of slavery, including slavery conventions. The reports are 8" x 14' tall. There is one report: 'Communication with the Government of Liberia' (1930) that is a bound booklet of 128 pp. The rest of the booklets are 1pp-20pp each. Includes: Communication with the Government of Sudan, Annual Reports, Communication with the Government of Liberia.