Archive for the ‘Political Collectibles & Memorabilia’ Category

Treat Her Like a First Lady

Monday, July 12th, 2010

The incomparable African-American artist Thomas Blackshear is about to do it again. He is about to offer a Michelle Obama figurine to complement his previous Barack Obama statuette.

When I first saw mention of this product, I said to myself, “Self, what a novel concept! A companion piece for a presidential collectible.” Much like the typical Commander-in-Chief himself had during his stint in the White House. After all, as far as collectibles are concerned, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Behind every great man is a great woman. No man is an island. He who findeth a wife, findeth a good thing.

(Must…stop…cliches…)

So I started to wonder if there were other sets of President/First-Lady tandem collectibles out there. Well, it turns out that I wasn’t paying attention. There are quite a few of these sets out there, other than that of the Obamas. (And for those of you who’ve known about these others for a while now, act like my Momma and pretend as if I’ve made a profound series of discoveries… :) )

Before I get started, I’d like to point out that many of these collectibles have been discontinued in stores and/or are no longer for sale at online e-tailers. To get these products, you will have to pick them up from private sellers at your favorite auction site. For any item that is available to the general public, I will point you to it, via link or otherwise.

As Good as Gold

The United States Mint has started a First Spouse Program that features every one of the presidential mates on her very own $10 pure gold coin. As you can see, the issue year of each first lady’s coin coincides with the respective release of her husband’s $1 coin. You can read the rest of the details of this program at the usmint.gov page.

I mentioned before how a lot of presidential collectibles use the presidents’ portraits as starting points. Well the same truth holds for the men’s wives: check out the following gallery and see if you don’t notice a strong correlation between the official portraits of the First Ladies and their minted coin depictions.

In my opinion this gold set is, in a word, “sublime.” From the sublime, let’s now move on…

Billary

Hillary Clinton nutcracker

Hillary Clinton nutcracker

…to the ridiculous.

In the not-so-flattering-but-funny-as-heck department, we have the Hillary Clinton nutcracker and the Bill Clinton corkscrew. Apparently, they’ve both been around for a minute. How I missed them all these months/years, I will never know.

The former plastic device is related to (I can’t think of better words; “in honor of” is just so wrong.) the former first lady, former senator, and current Secretary of State. You can obviously see what it does. I guess the item is a bit of a ball-busting reference (I’m very naive).

Bill Clinton corkscrew

Bill Clinton corkscrew

The latter item, in homage (that doesn’t sound quite right either) to the 42nd chief executive of the United States, is also a plastic contraption. As you can imagine, it can be used for uncorking wine bottles. I believe that you have noticed by now where the metal screw originates, so I will now pause a moment and allow you to insert your own joke(s) here.

…

You can find both of these irreverent items at the place where a mighty South American river flows in the rainforest. (*hint*)

The Adams Family

If you go back to the US Mint website, you will notice from the presidential spouses product description that the mint will also be issuing bronze (non-legal tender) medals for each first lady’s coin. You will also see that Abigail Adams, the wife of the 2nd president John Adams, was honored with her coin and bronze medal in 2007. What you might not know is that several of her struck medals erroneously pictured Louisa Adams, and not Abigail, on their reverse sides. And in case you didn’t follow Louisa Adams link, she was Abigail’s daughter-in-law; and married to the future president, Abigail’s son, John Quincy Adams.

As you can imagine, these “mules”, which are basically rare mistakes in minting, of the Abigail Adams’ coin are worth a lot of money each. (I heard that one sold for nearly $1000 at auction. That’s a lot for a collectible barely three years-old.) And needless to say, they are very hard to find.

You might have better luck finding a John Adams Bicentennial Silver Medal. Why not? It only debuted about 36 years ago and has not been minted for most of that time.

John Adams Bicentennial Silver Medal obverse side

John Adams Bicentennial Silver Medal obverse side

John Adams Bicentennial Silver Medal reverse side

John Adams Bicentennial Silver Medal reverse side

Guy and Dolls

That Jackie O was an absolute doll when she was alive…

Actually, she still is today. The Jacqueline Kennedy Porcelain Heirloom Bride comes dressed as the First Lady of Camelot was on her wedding day.

Apparently, at one time, Franklin Mint also sold a John F Kennedy doll or two including a Heirloom Groom to go with the Jackie Bride. The groom figure, also made of porcelain, wore…well, exactly what Jack wore when he got married.

But, alas, Franklin Mint stocks JFK dolls no more. (I searched the site. And besides, you’d think his dolls would be listed under the “You May Also Like” section if they were available.) I did find one of his dolls on craigslist. If you search, you might find one also, depending on where you live. (Unfortunately, transactions at that site go rather quickly so it would be pointless to link to any particular listing; it would probably have expired by the time you got there, anyway…)

Oh look, a Marilyn Monroe Doll is also available. ;)

John & Jackie Kennedy get married, 1953.

John & Jackie Kennedy get married, 1953.

John & Jackie Kennedy bride and groom heirloom dolls

John & Jackie Kennedy bride and groom heirloom dolls

She’s not going to wear that, is she?

If you take a look at the product description for Michelle Obama’s figurine, you will see that her dress is yet to be declared. But, in case you didn’t know, Mr Obama’s figurine is wearing the ensemble he wore on election night of November 4, 2008 (you can tell by his tie and his flag pin). So I wouldn’t mind seeing Michelle’s figure dressed in what she wore that night. Or what she wore during her husband’s inauguration ceremony the following January.

Michelle Obama inaugural ballgown

Michelle Obama inaugural ballgown

As a matter of fact, I, personally, have only one request wardrobe-wise: please put her in anything but the gown she wore to the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball (left).

Michelle Obama is a dignified, smart, and stately woman; a first lady befitting any President. So with all that said, what was the thought process involved in designing something for her big night? “Let’s take one of the (soon-to-be) most admired women in America and put her in a gown. But not just any gown. The top half of the dress, with one thick strap and an overall fuzzy appearance, should like a caveman outfit. And the skirt of the dress should look like curtains you hang in your home’s guest bedroom…”

And I know I’m probably in the minority as far as opinions about that dress are concerned. Many people actually liked it.

No R-E-S-P-E-C-T

However Blackshear decides to dress Mrs. Obama (and by the time you read this post, you the reader might have the advantage of knowing what I don’t already know), this porcelain commemoration is well-deserved. As a matter of fact, it’s nice to see the first ladies, in general, finally get their just dues. For a while there it was starting to look as if these women were the Rodney Dangerfields of American history.

Somewhere, Aretha Franklin, in her inaugural hat with the big-ass bow, is smiling…

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Posted in Political Collectibles & Memorabilia | 3 Comments »

John F. Kennedy’s Golden Presidential Campaign

Friday, May 21st, 2010

John Fitzgerald “Jack” Kennedy, in the eyes of many people, was America’s golden boy president. He was certainly the youngest ever elected (but you already knew that). And since:

  • his birthday is on May 29th;
  • ’tis the season for primary elections across the country; and last but not least
  • this year marks the 50th anniversary of his 1960 fight for the US presidency (which, of course, he would eventually win) against Richard M. Nixon;

I thought it’d be nice to shine the spotlight on several of the many JFK campaign collectibles and memorabilia pieces that abound today.

John F. Kennedy Campaign

Before I delve into that, I’d like to point out that the organisation behind the Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum has been doing a very interesting thing. They have been posting the ins and outs of his day-to-day campaign moments of 1960 via tweets. Relive this history at http://twitter.com/Kennedy1960.

John F. Kennedy Button

So, to get back on point, I linked to that particular URL – and not to the index page – on the library website for two reasons. First and foremost, the page is directly related to the topic of this post. As far as the campaign of 1960 is concerned, that page is a paragon for media and narrative resources.

I linked to the page for another reason. You see the picture of the button pin waaaay at the bottom of the page? An authentic pinback from the campaign, very similar to this one and using the same Kennedy profile mind you, recently went for about $100 on ebay. (And before you even ask, I’m not linking to presidential collectibles on ebay for a reason I previously stated.) You’ll have to trust me on this. ;)

John F. Kennedy Art

There were several Time magazine covers that featured Kennedy’s likeness while he was still alive (I counted about nine), and most of them have been reproduced for public consumption. Thus, anyone can acquire the art print version of the cover of the Kennedy family issue…Or a poster for the issue that was released on the eve of Election Day (which was on Tuesday, November the 8th in 1960).

(Just a fun fact: Someone used to the “British Standard” might get the release dates of the two aforementioned Time publications mixed up. That is, if said dates were written using the notation form: 07/11/60 vs 11/07/60.)

John F. Kennedy Photos

But, just in case cover art is not nostalgic enough for you, the New York Times store has arguably done something even better. Just to make you feel as if you were there – or, depending on how old you are, to remind you what it felt like – it has taken historical news photos from the campaign trail and slapped them on archival paper. Witness (then) Senator John F. Kennedy stumping at a rally , JFK preparing for a speech, and Kennedy in New York…

If you go to the Search page at shopgoodwill.com and type in “Kennedy,” you should get a fair number of results for auctioned items. For the purpose of this blog entry, I’d like to point out the photo print of 1959 taken by Fabian Bachrach (a renowned celebrity photographer who’d also taken photos of a Haitian leader and Martin Luther King’s widow, to name two personalities). This rendering was JFK’s official campaign portrait for his presidential bid.

(Even if you do not grab a Kennedy memorabilia piece, I highly encourage you to buy something at the Goodwill Industries website. The proceeds from whatever you decide to pick up, as you can imagine, will go to a good cause.)

John F. Kennedy Gold

I’ve brought up the subject of ingots before. In my opinion, these casts are some of the most awe-inspiring collectibles you’re ever going to see. And that’s why we had to stock one in our store. The ingot half of this Kennedy ingot-medal duo, as you can read from the product description, is based on the 13-cent stamp issued in Jack’s golden anniversary year (1967). And the picture on that stamp, in turn, was derived from a photo taken by one Jacques Lowes, Kennedy’s Official Presidential Campaign Photographer.

Now before you go singing “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” in your sultriest Marilyn Monroe voice, I would like to reinforce the point that these joint items are only overlayered in 24-karat gold. However, there is a JFK pure gold ingot sold at nytstore.com…

In conclusion, this is by no means an exhaustive list of John F. Kennedy products commemorating his historical 1960 campaign run. I could have listed a great number of relevant items. But were I to do that, you, my fellow fan of political Americana, would be robbed of the satisfaction of the hunt.

So as a great man might have said, “Ask not what collectibles and memorabilia I can find for you. Ask what collectibles and memorabilia you can find for yourself.” :)

13-cent John F. Kennedy stamp

13-cent John F. Kennedy stamp

JFK at the Democratic National Convention, 1960

JFK at the Democratic National Convention, 1960

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This President’s Day, Go for Gold…and Silver…and Bronze

Monday, February 15th, 2010

This blog is nothing if not timely. Let’s look at some of the best ways the President’s Day honorees, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, have been memorialized in minting. And since the Winter Games are officially underway in Vancouver, let’s do it Olympic-style.

There are two points I’d like to make before starting the item showcase. First of all, I will caution the reader that this is not necessarily a numismatic blog, and that I tend to shy away from talking about current United States legal tender. However, I will mention circulating coinage if it falls within the broader scope of collectibility. That being said, while some of the following coins discussed are definitely not for spending (you can check the item descriptions yourself), some can be used to purchase goods and services. But to reiterate my sentiments on the subject of presidential collectibles, why would you want to expend such valuable items on trivial commerce?

Also, I’d like to direct your attention to the end of this post. There you will find reference photos for many of the Washington and Lincoln designs that adorn their numerous respective collectible pieces. There is only one photograph for Washington, while there are several for Lincoln. As a matter of fact, most (if not all) of the George Washington engravings alluded to below – as well as that on the American Quarter, by the way – are derived from the bust pictured. So to reinforce another (obvious) point that I brought up in my previous article, executive depictions that predate the mid-19th century are hard to come by.

Now on to the treasures…

Gold

George Washington – In this blogger’s opinion, the George Washington Gold-Layered Stamp Ingot is very charming. Note from the product description that both the ingot and the accompanying medal for this product are only layered in gold. (But with the way the price of gold sky-rocketed late last year, the product might still be worth the value on its price-tag.)

Abraham Lincoln - The Abraham Lincoln Gold-Layered Stamp Ingot is also available at the New York Times store. You will be hard-pressed to legitimately find this ingot duo and its Washington counterpart anywhere else on the ‘net (Lord knows I’ve tried), and that includes the United States Post Office website.

Silver

Washington – The Lafayette Dollar is an item you will need to shell out some serious dough to get. And one from the original mint year of 1899 (for the year 1900) is really going to cost you.

Lincoln – We currently carry a pure silver coin – a fine product (pun intended), if we do say so ourselves. But for those of you with deeper pockets, consider an entire set of Presidential Silver Proof Commemoratives, with those of Washington and Lincoln included. Personally, this set is my favorite issue in this entire post, and I wanted to beat the drum about its release since it is so imminent.

Bronze

Washington – The concept for this 3″ Bronze Medal featuring the Father of Our Country probably dates back farther than any item I’ve mentioned so far. The token on which this medal is based was originally commissioned in the late 18th century.

Lincoln – As luck would have it, the US Mint now offers the Lincoln 3″ Bronze Medal and will begin shipping it at the beginning of March 2010. (FYI, since I first came across this medal, its initial day of dispatch has already been pushed back once. Be advised that the March day may change again.)

If you’re really up for it, and really rich, you can try getting your hands on a legendary 1943 Lincoln Penny at auction. Conversely, check the change container in your car and fish between the cushions of your sofa. In the rare event that you possess one of these cent-pieces (and CoinFacts.com tells you how to give your coin a preliminary authentication test), you could probably sell it for tens of thousands of dollars in today’s vintage/collectibles market.

Now if you don’t believe me, remember that this President’s Day post is dedicated to both “the man who could not tell a lie” and “Honest Abe.” Would I make this stuff up? ;)

George Washington's bust

George Washington's bust in profile, a view replicated extensively

Abrahim Lincoln close-up head shot

Abraham Lincoln portrait close-up, as seen on the old $5 bill and various other mints

Lincoln in profile, as seen on the penny and many collectibles

Lincoln in profile, as seen on the penny and many collectibles

Daguerreotype photo of Lincoln, as seen in the new $5 bill

Daguerreotype photo of Lincoln, as seen on the new $5 bill

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How to Arrange Your Black History Stamps

Saturday, January 30th, 2010

After reviewing my last entry on the history of Haiti and Haitian stamps, I thought of ways you might, if you’re into stamp collecting, want to arrange your valuable stash. Since it’s Black History Month, I thought I’d use the artful Black Heritage Series of stamps to offer a few suggestions towards that end. (Besides, I was thinking of taking up the hobby myself, and I needed a starting point.) But , of course, you can always use my suggested methods for any collection that contain items with both a common theme and a human focus.

As you can see from the display at ESPER (the Ebony Society of Philatelic Events and Reflections), one stamp of this series has been issued every year since 1978. Therefore, as of today, the set contains 32 postage pieces. (In June 2010, Oscar Micheaux the filmmaker will be the 33rd person to be honored in this array by the United States Post Office.)

The simplest way to obtain all of the current stamps of the series (since many of them are hard to come by), as well as stamps depicting other notable African Americans plus a collection binder for storage, is to shop at the Black Heritage Commemorative Society. (Caveat emptor – I personally have not purchased from this organization, so I make no claims as to the validity of their offers. If you do buy from them, you do so at your own risk.)

There are two things you should keep in mind before we look into arrangements (the purpose of this article). First of all, you can either treat the following sorting options like a restaurant menu wherein you select an item from a “Column A” and one from a “Column B”, or you can look at the suggested classifications as a buffet and take items liberally from both sections.

Secondly, several of these suggestions are made with tongue firmly planted in cheek. The point of this exercise is mostly to have fun and enjoy the action, which is what the act of collecting and displaying should be about. And wouldn’t it be nice to throw a viewer of your album collection for a loop as they try to decipher what organization system you employed? (Okay, maybe it’s just me…)

How to Group Your Black History Stamps (”Column A”)

You can broadly sort your Black Heritage stamps in one or several of the following ways:

Grouping I: by vocation. They who are depicted in this series come from all walks of negro life. I thought I’d take a stab at this grouping (and this one only), just to get my feet wet as a stockpiler. The particulars of the rest of the groupings I will leave to your own ingenuity.

LEADERS & ACTIVISTS Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Jr., Whitney Moore Young, Sojourner Truth, A. Philip Randolph, Ida B. Wells, W.E.B. DuBois, Malcom X, Roy Wilkins
SCIENTISTS & INVENTORS Benjamin Banneker, Jan E. Matzeliger, Percy Lavon Julian, Ernest E. Just
ATHLETES Jackie Robinson
ENTERTAINERS (Actors, Singers, Musicians) Scott Joplin, Paul Robeson, Marian Anderson, Hattie McDaniel, Ella Fitzgerald
TEACHERS & EDUCATORS Mary McLeod Bethune, Anna Julia Cooper
ENTREPRENEURS & PIONEERS Jean Baptiste Pointe Du Sable, Bessie Coleman, Madam C.J. Walker
PROFESSIONALS Dr. Allison Davis
SCHOLARS & AUTHORS Carter G. Woodson, James Weldon Johnson, Charles W. Chesnutt
PUBLIC SERVANTS Benjamin O. Davis, Sr., Patricia Roberts Harris, Thurgood Marshall
LITERARY & VISUAL ARTISTS Langston Hughes

Grouping II: geographically. You can file these historical figures, according to their birthplace, into North, South, Midwest, and West categories or some variation thereof. If you adopt this grouping, you can arrange lineups even further by state and/or city. More on that later…

Grouping III: by artist. Jerry Pinkney, Thomas Blackshear, Higgins Bond, Chris Calle, Richard Sheaff, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Albert Slark, Tim O’Brien, Paul Davis, Kazuhiko Sano, and Kadir Nelson have all created graphics for the items in this philatelic project. (Pictured below are a few of the more prolific designers.) Each illustrator name can be a heading unto itself.

Grouping IV: by scholastic achievement. Here are some classes (pun intended) for the boojie-in-spirit: College Graduate, No Formal Schooling, and Academic Dropout. Something you might want to contemplate is how to categorize people who were “self-educated” or “self-taught.”

You’ll notice – it’s impossible to miss when reading the respective biographies of these notables – that there has been many an historical black person who can fall into more than one category, especially when you group figures by trade. For example, G. W. Carver was both a renowned botanist (and thus a member of the scientist category) and he taught others (as an educator). Also, J. W. Johnson started out as a principal (an educator), but went on to become an author as well as a musician.

But these slight incongruities are all part of the organization process. To reiterate, trying to pigeonhole the names on a list to fit into specific categories, and coming up with more inclusive or (alternatively) more exclusive categories are both just plain fun.

How to Order Your Black History Stamps (”Column B”)

Here are several ways to arrange the Black Heritage postage in a given assembly, or in your entire set as a whole. You can arrange the pieces by:

  • Date of Issue, chronologically by year of stamp release. This is probably the default manner to arrange your collection. (But for more unconventional methods, read on…) The stamps are displayed in this way at ESPER.
  • Name, alphabetically by subject (African-American figure) surname. This method, of course, may also be one of the more natural ways to do things. Or if you feel that comfortable with these prominent black personages, place their seals by forename.
  • Year of Birth, chronologically by subject date of nascence. Alternatively, you can begin with the man or woman born most recently and end with he/she that was born earliest in time.
  • Longevity, numerically by subject lifespan. This list can be in either ascending or descending order.
  • Height, numerically by subject vertical stature. Only try this if you’re especially enterprising, and believe you are the greatest researcher who ever lived. Again, archive in order of either increasing value or decreasing value.
  • Year of Death, chronologically by subject date of demise. Feeling particularly morbid? This one’s for you – store from the earliest moment one of these Afro American stalwarts passed away to the latest moment, or vice versa.
  • Place of Birth, alphabetically by subject hometown. You can tackle this one of two ways (at least) – the first method is to group by state, then alphabetize by city name within each state grouping. On the other hand, you can just order all 32 stamps by subject city, regardless of state considerations.

These are just a few grouping and listing ideas to get you started. If you play around with concepts and themes and also look closely at the lives of these Black Heritage honorees, you might be able to come up with other conforming standards. (As a matter of fact, when I thought long and hard enough, I came up with a system that might be a little too grim for this relatively lighthearted topic. If anyone asks me for the details of this system under the Comments section, I’ll be more than happy to share it with you…)

If you do read extensively about all of these great men and women, yet no organization ideas come to mind, at least you would’ve learned a history lesson or two. And I ask you, “What’s wrong with that?” :)

For more stamp collecting tips and resources, visit Learn About Stamps.

Jerry Pinkney

Jerry Pinkney

Thomas Blackshear

Thomas Blackshear

Higgins Bond

Higgins Bond

Richard Sheaff

Richard Sheaff

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Posted in African American Art, Black Art, Political Collectibles & Memorabilia | 1 Comment »

Time Stamping: A Brief History of Haiti

Saturday, January 23rd, 2010

In light of the recent catastrophic earthquake event in Haiti, and the knowledge that this event has only served to exacerbate the country’s existing human condition, I thought we’d take a look back at that nation’s history. And do so via the Haitian stamps that have been issued over the (stated) years.

Beginning with the national coat of arms and its motto “L’Union Fait La Force” (that translates to “Unity Creates Strength” from the French), which appear on many stamps, each piece of postage art tells a story.

(Fun Fact: Louis Vergniaud Pierre-Noel, who married African-American artist Lois Mailou Jones, was a famous Haitian-born graphic designer who created stamp drawings for his country’s government during the mid-20th century.)

Haitian Revolution and Independence

revolt1968.
As you can probably surmise from the artwork, this stamp is in honor of August 22, 1791 – a night that saw a national uprising of black slaves against whites across the country. A great rebellion, which would lead to a Revolution, which would then ultimately lead to Haiti’s freedom, was underway…

L-Ouverture1904.
In the late 18th century during the Revolution , Pierre D. Touissant L’Ouverture became perhaps the most successful Haitian military figure of all time. He led the revolting black slaves of his army to many victories over not only the ruling French imperial forces, but also forces of both the Spanish and British empires.

Dessalines1904.
Jean-Jacques Dessalines was a one-time lieutenant during the Revolution, graduating to top commander upon the capture of his predecessor (L’Ouverture). He then went on to become the newly-independent nation’s first emperor, from 1804-1806.

Capois1946.
Depicted in the first stamp is Capois-La-Mort (”Capois The Death,” in French), the nickname of Francois Capois. He was an army officer under Dessalines and is renowned for his exploits of November 18, 1803 (as stated in the art piece).
Battle of Vertieres1954.
During the Battle of Vertieres – which is commemorated in the second stamp – he defied his very demise numerous times in leading his men in the seige on a vital, French-held fort.

These are but a few of the many stamps dedicated to the persons and places of the Haitian Revolution. The sheer amount of postage that reference this conflict is a testament (understandably so) to the importance of that episode in the country’s birth and overall history.

Petion1904.
Alexandre Pétion, who played a role in the Revolution, became the president of the Southern Republic of Haiti after the kingdom was split into two upon the death of Dessalines in 1806. He was known as a kind-hearted leader during his tenure (which lasted until 1818) for his fair treatment of peasants and loyal supporters alike, and he believed, heavily, in the importance of education.

Haitian Self-Rule and Turmoil

Lysius Salomon1887.
This stamp features Lysius Salomon , the president of the republic from 1879-1888, and the man who established the Haitian postal system. He also made varying degrees of improvements to the country’s educational , agricultural, and banking systems.

Tiresias Simon Sam1898.
Depicted here is Tiresias Simon Sam, one of only two Haitian, 19th-century, Heads of State who were allowed to complete their respective tenures in office (although he resigned on a technicality a few weeks before his six-year term was up).
What’s important for the reader to note here, if you follow the above link, is that the starting picture for this bit of postage seems to be an official state photograph. (I previously discussed the benefits of using presidential portraits in the production of collectibles and memorabilia.)

la crete-a-pierrot1943.
In September of 1902, the captain of a cruising Haitian gunship blew up his own vessel to avoid capture by a German-manned warship. This stamp marks that singular event in the country’s lore and, much like the slave revolt of 1791, the event is a symbol of Haitian spirit and defiance.

Pierre Nord Alexis1906.
Pierre Nord Alexis presided over Haiti from 1902 to 1908. His administration, though widely perceived as corrupt, was devoted to public works – it commissioned the building of such structures as a Court of Justice, a grand Cathedral, and several railroads. Alexis’ visage on this 1906 stamp, as with Sam’s on his seal, also seems to have been culled from his presidential photo.

Haiti, US Occupation and Beyond

Charlemagne Peralte1988.
It was during the early years of United States military authority (established in 1915) in Haiti that Charlemagne Peralte, a rebel, became a national hero among the nation’s citizens. He and his anti-American followers carried out many guerrilla attacks against the enemy, before he was finally killed by a US marine in 1919.
Borno1924.
President Louis Bornó (in office 1922-1930) was instrumental in Haiti’s economic, structural, and educational reconstruction under American rule. He played the game of politics and international diplomacy quite well; as witnessed not only by his cooperation with the occupying force, but also by his meetings with French catholics, and the presidents of both the United States and the Dominican Republic.

Sténio Vincent1944.
The presidential term of Sténio Vincent, lasting from 1930 to 1941, finally saw the withdrawal of US troops from Haiti (in 1934). While Vincent continued the improvement of national infrastructure and services started by Borno, his predecessor, he also took self-aggrandizement, public censorship, and government corruption to disturbing levels.

François Duvalier1958.
François Duvalier was the president known as “Papa Doc.” Even though his regime of nearly 14 years was plagued by political oppression and national decay – in large part via the Brain Drain phenomenon – he was widely popular with the rural black majority of his country (hence the familiarity of his nickname). He often fancied himself to be god-like in stature…

As with many countries with relatively short longevity (like the United States), Haiti has done a remarkable job over time of commemorating its noteworthy people and occurrences through the release of stamps. These are just some of the prominent Haitians and events, good and bad, that have made the country what it is today.

This is by no means a comprehensive list of all of the stamps related to Haitian history. (To be honest, I’ll say these are just the stamps I could get my mouse on.) Nor is this a complete archive of important moments in this nation’s annals. To broaden your knowledge about these stamps, join the Haiti Philatelic Society. If you’re looking to buy postage memorabilia, visit Delcampe Auctions and search the word “Haiti”. For more Haitian history, don’t miss this university course.

And, of course, you can lend a hand to the relief effort in Haiti by going to redcross.org.

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Posted in Black Art, Political Collectibles & Memorabilia | 1 Comment »

Collectible Art Posters Fit for a (Martin Luther) King

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

Have you ever seen a rendering of a historical figure in a photo, picture, or portrait and wondered (even if ever so slightly) in what year or at what point in his/her life the  depiction was captured? Or viewed a piece of artwork (for example, a painting) of that person and thought to yourself, “What actual image or event was this piece based on?”

During this Martin Luther King Jr. day holiday, in keeping with the theme of this blog, I thought it would be nice to take a moment to look at some (what I think is) memorable poster art that reflect both key moments and important aspects in the life and times of the late civil rights leader. Because as the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” And a picture with an historical  perspective might be worth even more (I’ll try to be brief and not come close to a thousand words).

I’ll take these art prints based on the chronological order of the events to which the prints allude.

Montgomery, Alabama’s Martin Luther King

time-mlk-montgomery-alabama

The art on this Time magazine cover is by Boris Chaliapin and shows a relatively younger, fresh-faced Reverend King (and I use the expression ‘relatively younger’ in consideration of the fact that, by many counts, he was still rather young even at the time of his death at the age of 39). There’s someone preaching in a pulpit on the right of the cover, someone who bears little resemblance to King, and might be there just to reinforce to the uninformed audience exactly what his vocation was. Of particular interest is the bus-pedestrian-fare tableau in the lower left corner. This is in reference to the year-long Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 (two years prior to the  date of this Time issue) he helped organize, which ultimately led to the repeal of certain transit Jim Crow laws.

Note how the cover assigns his city of residence (Montgomery)  to his name this early in his career. With the events that were to transpire for the rest of his career, Martin Luther King Jr. would soon become a household name, and the magazine  would not (as you will later see) feel the need to qualify his name on the subsequent covers featuring his likeness.

Martin Luther King, Man of the Year

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This magazine jacket features a tempera done by Robert Vickrey. It depicts Dr. King casting a long shadow. Since this issue was in early 1964, the annual accolade was bestowed by Time, of course, for the previous year (1963). A year marked by beatings, death, civil unrest, and just general all-around disquiet in the fight for racial equality, a fight spearheaded by Reverend King. A year that saw a March on Washington and a speech – “I Have a Dream” – for the ages. There, within the shadows of both the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial was King casting a truly long historical shadow of his own.

Martin Luther King Jr Civil Rights

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As I’ve mentioned in the past, when we at the day after see a product that features a person or people we admire and/or an idea that we espouse to (as with black artists and with black art, respectively), we do not hesitate to go out and stock that product.

That being said, one of this blogger’s favorite posters (which is why we carry it in our store) is the aptly-titled Martin Luther King Jr Civil Rights Art Print. The year of 1964 transcribed on the print was indeed the year the Civil Rights Act was signed, and the depiction on the right featuring Dr. King and his wife Coretta Scott King is based on a photo that was taken in that year. (Unfortunately, I can’t put a definitive time stamp on the photo the picture on the left is based on.)

But this print does even more than signify, finally, the passing of legislation promoting equal liberties for black and for white. It shows Dr. King just as comfortable holding court with the press as he is out with a loved one. The duality of his existence as both an outspoken public figure and a faithful family man (which he was) is marvelously captured here by artist Stephanie Marrott. She even throws in excerpts from the “I Have a Dream” speech as a symbolic gesture of what he stood for.

Martin Luther King, Master Speaker

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The cover portrait here by Ben Shahn is in simple black and white, and seems to simply do what it’s meant to do: capture him as the powerful orator that he was. Even as this Time issue was being published in March of 1965, Dr Martin Luther King, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (an organization he helped found), and many protesters were organizing a march that was to start in Selma and end in Montgomery. After two failed attempts early in the month, the march was finally realized on March 25, where, at the State Capitol Building, he gave another inspirational public address – his “How Long, Not Long” speech.

You could say that the magazine cover that came out earlier in the month was prophetic as far as the later “How Long” speech was concerned. But that would be like predicting that a winged eagle would eventually rise and soar away…

Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, One Vision

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Perhaps the most profound and most insightful of King posters (as far as the point-of-view of the artist is concerned, anyway) is the print of Bernard Stanley Hoyes that depicts Malcolm X and the reverend sharing an eye. Rightfully so, the art piece is called “One Vision,” and was created in 1970 after both men had already been assassinated (both at the age of 39). Hoyes, in his own words, wanted to highlight the similarities between King’s and Malcolm’s perspectives on racial equality and how to attain such, despite the public’s posthumous praising of the former and simultaneous denouncement of the latter.

To re-iterate, the purpose of this article was to celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr through picture art. To relive his moments in photographic detail, visit this extensive King gallery.  You can purchase any of the Time magazine cover wall posters by going to that publication’s website and following an appropriate link.

(OK, I think I might have exceeded a thousand words. But, in my defense, I was talking about more than I picture…:))

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Barack Obama’s Holiday, Don’t-Dare-Call-it-”Christmas,” Greeting Card

Sunday, December 20th, 2009

Well, it was bound to happen. I’ve been waiting, searching, and biding my time at ebay, and finally my efforts have been rewarded…

In case you didn’t know, Barack and Michelle Obama sent out Holiday cards (as most, if not all, presidential couples have done since the Eisenhower administration) about a week and a half ago. And now, as I expected, one has wound up for sale on ebay.

I believe ebay’s image usage rights preclude me from showing photos of the card presented in the listing. Suffice it to say, it’s not a bad looking card to look at – it’s simple yet elegant (then again, maybe that’s just my personal minimalist tendencies speaking). The card is cream in color. On the cover is the coat of arms of the president’s office, surrounded by a wreath, and both are embossed in gold. The inside sentiment reads (in gold) as follows:

“May your family have
a joyous holiday season
and a new year blessed
with hope and happiness.”

This year’s card from the Obamas was made by American Greetings – at least, according to the logo on the back cover…

I’m guessing that the mailed out holiday cards are bound to be collector’s items, especially one in an unopened envelope and untouched as this ebay item is. (Which begs the question, how did the ebay lister get any of the pictures of the card’s faces?) First of all, with it being the Obama’s first holiday season in the White House, this occasion is one you might want to remember as an Obama/Democrat supporter.

Secondly, as I alluded to in a previous entry on Barack Obama collectibles and memorabilia, official government paraphenalia is primo stuff. And these cards were paid for by the Democratic National Committee.

And lastly, did I mention that these holiday cards were signed by both the President and the First Lady themselves?

Now probably, by the time you find this page via Google or some other search engine, this particular ebay item would have sold by now. But if you’ve come to this page reasonably close to this posting date and would like to see the card listing at ebay, just type in “Obama holiday card” like I did, or “President holiday card” (remember, using the words “Christmas greeting card” might not work since, deliberately, no one particular holiday celebration is implied in the card verse). Maybe it hasn’t sold yet – which I doubt – or maybe the listing party will be selling another item of the type.

And if you’re wondering why I don’t just link directly to the ebay listing, I’ll just say, “What? And not get a commission in the event that my referral leads to a sale?” Greed is good, right? :)

Ghost of Obama cards past (2006)

Ghost of Obama cards past (2006)

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Dead (and Living) Presidents: executive portraits, collectibles, and currency

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

As a lot of you know, this past Sunday marked the 46th anniversary of the death of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Being the inspirational leader that he was, JFK has been memorialized in numerous ways, as far as presidential collectibles and presidential currency is concerned.

Liberian 2009 JFK $5 coin

Liberian 2009 JFK $5 coin

The Franklin Mint has already thrown its hat into the ring of Chief Executive memorabilia. The  private mint company (founded, coincidentally, in the year following Kennedy’s death, 1964) has a Presidential Dollar Completion Program, wherein you can acquire a full set of 24-karat-gold-layered coins, each one featuring a past US leader. One of the highlights of this limited edition collectible program is a coin depicting Kennedy (along with, mind you, an exact-type coin featuring Ronald Reagan), and plated with platinum . But you have to pay for the entire collection up-front to garner this prize…

(By the way, I’m not sure if these coins are legal tender, and if you could actually spend any of them in the purchase of goods or purchases. But having put forth all that money to get these coins, why would you want to do that, anyway? :) )

All of the collectible coins in the Franklin Mint series depict official presidential portraits on their respective obverse sides.  As I mentioned in my previous entry, American Mint has limited edition Barack Obama collectible coins which each display a likeness taken from his official photo portrait.  (Fun fact: a president’s portrait painting is usually not taken until he leaves office. ) And to let you in on a little secret, the photo on our Bill Clinton “Dollar Bill” Bumper Sticker was culled from Bubba’s executive portrait, also.

So why use an official portrait on a presidential collectible or presidential memorabilia item? In response to that question, I’ll ask another question: “Why not?”

For starters, all of the aesthetics and skills that culminate in a better-than-decent artistic endeavor are harnessed to put into this one picture (And it had better be because you don’t want to be that commissioned entity known throughout posterity as the one that screwed up a presidential portrait.):

  • a superb artist (hopefully)
  • the president’s “good” side
  • a subject at ease and in his element (usually somewhere in the White House, if not exactly in the Oval Office)
  • good illumination

Literally-speaking, a president might never be seen in a better light than in this picture. There are probably other considerations that go into creating that perfect painting, but my point is already made…

Another reason a presidential portrait might be a good starting point for creating a collectible, is that in many cases (for example, George Washington’s oil on canvas in 1796), a painting has been around for decades and/or centuries. It is a renowned work of art unto itself, it is familiar to lots of people, it has resonated with audiences for a long time, and, most of all, it is widely appreciated and admired. You’d think it would a good idea to capitalize on that popularity, and put some vestige of that art work on a marketable product.

And the last point I’ll bring up about using a portion or the whole of an official executive portrait in a presidential memorabilia item is somewhat obvious: other visual records of a particular Commander-in-chief, especially a pre-Civil War one, might be few and far between.

I’m not saying those records don’t exist (see below pic). Consider the fact that most US currency (and none of the four major presidential coin denominations in circulation), and many of the presidential bios at whitehouse.gov do not feature official presidential poses, so to speak. Those stately visages must have come from alternate sources (e.g. lesser-known historical pics), even if those sources were just artist renderings.

Young Lincoln circa 1846

Young Lincoln circa 1846

My point is that your typical White House painting is more accessible to the average Joe Collectible-maker, especially if he doesn’t have the “exclusive presidential depictions” hook-up.

And you, the reader, could do a lot worse than follow the examples of The Franklin Mint, American Mint, and the day after store. Ergo, take a part or all of a presidential portrait picture from the gallery, slap it on a coin or vinyl sticker, and include a famous US motto like “In God We Trust,” “Liberty,” or “E Pluribus Unum.” Lastly, don’t forget to throw in a national symbol – The Great Seal, an eagle, olive branches and arrows, etc – and/or a significant national edifice or structure – e.g. the Statue of Liberty, the Capitol, Mount Rushmore.

But remember, you can take the production of pseudo- presidential currency and presidential collectibles only so far. So please be responsible: don’t drink and print counterfeit money. The Secret Service and US Treasury tend to frown on that kind of behavior, to say the least…

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Memorable Points on Barack Obama Political Collectibles and Memorabilia

Saturday, November 21st, 2009

We’re now ten months into his presidency, and I’ve been reading a lot about those Barack Obama collectibles and memorabilia items that were vastly out-selling those of his two major political foes, Hillary Clinton and John McCain, last year. Here’s what I found…

The image on the famous Barack Obama collector coins issued by the American Mint was taken from the official presidential photo portrait below. (Incidentally, Barack Obama is the first commander-in-chief to have his official portrait taken with a digital camera. Just a fun fact you might want to impress your friends with…)

Official presidential portrait of Barack_Obama

Official presidential portrait of Barack Obama

The tiny island nation of Vanuatu in the south Pacific has a 10-vatu coin denomination with the likeness of Barack Obama.

10-vatu coin obverse side

10-vatu coin obverse side

Why would the people of that country put him on their currency? That’s hard to say.

Maybe (and this is pure speculation, but I feel it’s an educated guess) Mr Obama is a bit of a legend in that area of the world. He did spend 4 years of his young life in Jakarta, Indonesia which is not that far removed geographically from Vanuatu. Consider the fact that he is quite famous in most corners of Africa since his father hailed from one of that continent’s nations.

If you’re into collecting all things Obama, a 10-vatu coin might be a worthy addition to your Barack Obama collectibles and political memorabilia set. But I don’t know if you should really expect its future value to go up: even though the coin is rare in this country (the U.S.), it is still considered legal tender in another country and widely circulated in Vanuatu…

Now, though there were lots (let me re-word that: looooooots) of Obama buttons created for his presidential run, his campaign buttons that are most likely to hold the most value right now are those associated with his earlier career bids for government office. For example, the pins created when he ran (unsuccessfully) for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000. Or the pins produced when he pursued and attained the Democratic Senate seat for the state of Illinois in 2004…

Also, if you’re into collecting buttons, a button from a single-day event – maybe even one with a date-stamp on it, ala the one below (obviously not associated with Obama) – versus one for a season or year-long campaign would fetch you more money…

Carter-Jackson dinner, 06/02/1979

Carter-Jackson dinner, 06/02/1979

Products (buttons, magnets, coins, plates, etc) sold that are “Limited Edition” or are unique by virtue of not having many copies made, might also prove to be valuable keepsakes…

If you’re looking for the Holy Grail of Barack Obama memorabilia and collectibles, try getting your hands on official, government-sanctioned items from his Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009.  That means paraphernalia put out by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies for that day’s events (e.g. the swearing-in ceremony, the luncheon),  bearing the Obama-Biden inauguration seal: items include invitations (like the one below), coffee mugs, glassware, and event programs to name a few.

Obama-Biden Inaugural Invitation

Obama-Biden Inaugural invitation

Needless to say, the appropriation of the official stuff is not easy…

This is by no means an exhaustive list of ideas, tips, and good-to-knows as far as Barack Obama political collectibles and memorabilia are concerned. But considering his place and significance in American history (being, of course, the country’s first African-American president), there are bound to be several items, official or otherwise, that appreciate remarkably in the years to come.

You just have to know where to look…

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