This vintage 12 pound brass fire nozzle is stamped “BFD 23” to designate its use from the Birmingham, Alabama Fire Station #23. One of the most iconic and disturbing moments of the Civil Rights Movement was when the Commissioner of Public Safety, Bull Connor, ordered the Birmingham, Alabama Fire Department to use fire hoses on men, women, and children demonstrators. “Connor ordered the city’s fire hoses, set at a level that would peel bark off a tree or separate bricks from mortar, to be turned on the children. Boys’ shirts were ripped off, and young women were pushed over the tops of cars by the force of the water.

This typed letter was SIGNED by the infamous segregationist Governor George C. Wallace on June 5, 1964, while Governor of the State of Alabama.  In this anti-Civil Rights document, we such quotes as “…As you know I am currently running in Presidential Primaries throughout the country and already have received an overwhelming protest vote against the Civil Rights bill…I believe that the majority of the people of this country do not wish to see this bill passed…“

This 1950’s pamphlet “Freedom, the South, and Nonviolence” was published by Fellowship of Reconciliation. It is a plea for funding to support those boycotting the buses in Montgomery, Alabama.  It states, “In the immediate present, it has been demonstrated dramatically by thousands of Negroes in Montgomery, Alabama, as they have trudged the streets of that city, and organized a complicated system of carpools, rather than submit any longer to segregation on the city’s buses.  India’s millions, led by Gandhi, and Montgomery’s thousands, led by twenty-six Negro clergymen, have demonstrated how nonviolent resistance operates at its best….Where such campaigns begin, send your own words of encouragement and support to its leaders.  Let them know that you understand their goals and their methods, and that you are praying for their success.  The knowledge that thousands of other Americans are with them can mean a great deal to men and women surrounded by hostility and

In July 1962, Dr. W. G. Anderson attracted national attention with his performance on the television news show Meet the Press, where he successfully defended the movement to hostile white newsmen. Anderson was standing in for King, who was imprisoned at the time for his role in the Albany demonstrations. This letter from Anderson to Meet the Press producer and host Lawrence Spivak (written 45 days after the interview) reveals his thoughts about the historic television event. In it, he says, “This program gave to me the opportunity to tell to the world the plight of the American Negro in a manner that could only be told through searching interrogation.”

W. G. Anderson is famous for being the leader of the Albany Movement, a famous chapter of the Civil Rights Movement, where Dr. King suffered a rare public loss. This loss taught invaluable lessons that would contribute to the overwhelming success of the Birmingham Campaign….

This small handbill (6 1/4″ x 8 1/2″) advertises a mass meeting “In Protest of RACIAL DISCRIMINATION In Certain Montgomery County Schools” just 5 months after Brown v. Board of Education. It says, “Sponsored by the Montgomery County Citizens Action Committee, Rev. Joseph W. Jackson, Chairman. Cooperating Agency North Hills Branch – N.A.A.C.P.

Hear: Rev. Marshall L. Shepard, Raymond Pace Alexander, Gertrude Ely, Dr. Irwin Griggs, Dr. E. Luther Cunningham, Robert N. C. Nix, and others.

St. Charles Auditorium, Walnut and Moore Streets. Norristown, PA.

The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s was highly controversial in many black churches, where the minister preached spiritual salvation rather than political activism. The National Baptist Convention became deeply split; J.H. Jackson, President of the National Baptist Convention, had supported the Montgomery bus boycott of 1956, but by 1960 he told his denomination they should not become involved in civil rights activism.  Jackson’s vocal stance for “civil rights through law and order” went in direct opposition to the methods of civil disobedience advocated by King.

A group led by Gardner C. Taylor including Martin Luther King, Sr and Jr.; Ralph David

This program was handed-out at the silver anniversary Oklahoma Conference of Branches, NAACP on November 17 and 18th 1955.  The legendary T.M.R. Howard and Thurgood Marshall were the featured speakers.  The theme was “INTEGRATION”.

Howard moved into the national limelight as never before after the murder of Emmett Till in August 1955 and the trial of his killers, J. W. Milam and Roy Bryant in September. He delivered “[o]ne of the earliest and loudest denunciations of Till’s murder,” saying that if “the slaughtering of Negroes is allowed to continue, Mississippi will have a civil war. Negroes are only going to take so much.” He was also heavily involved in the search for evidence and gave over his home to be a “black command center” for witnesses

I have never seen another Hazel Bryan Massery autograph.  Massery was the infamous white teenager captured on the front page of newspapers around the world (click here to see original front page newspaper offered in this collection) on September 04, 1957 when she verbally assaulted Elizabeth Eckford, an African-American, who was trying to enter Central High School (an all-white school) in Little Rock, Arkansas.

This is an extremely intriguing letter because of its reference to bombings.  The letter from US Attorney General Herbert Brownell, Jr. is addressed to James E. Folsom, Governor of Alabama and is in response to the Governor’s letter to the President of the United States.  The Governor was apparently asking for help from the Federal government, specifically, the FBI and Department of Justice.  The 50’s and 60’s were a period of racial upheaval, with Montgomery, Alabama being a major focal point of the Civil Rights Movement.

In an attempt to create as much chaos as possible, segregationists disseminated these cards to students at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas during the 1957-1958 school year. The poem refers to Daisy Bates, who was a mentor, advisor, and escort for the nine African-American students integrating Central High School. The poem also refers to Lamb, Tucker, and Matson who were school board members at the time.

A former classmate of Ernest Green (one of the Little Rock 9) acquired this card from the Couch Estate in Little Rock, Arkansas. He confirms that these cards were handed out throughout the school year to keep tension high.

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was held in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, August 28, 1963. The purpose of the march was to advocate for the civil and economic rights of African Americans. At the march, Martin Luther King Jr., standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial, delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech in which he called for an end to racism.

The march was organized by A. Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin, who built an alliance of civil rights, labor, and religious organizations that came together under the banner of “jobs and freedom.” Estimates of the number of participants varied from 200,000 to 300,000, but the most widely cited estimate is 250,000 people. Observers estimated that 75–80% of the marchers were black. The march was one of the largest political rallies for human rights in United States history.

The march is credited with helping to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and preceded the Selma Voting Rights Movement which led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

[Information from Wikipedia]

A rare gem, “A First Step Toward School Integration” is a pamphlet from the Congress on Racial Equality (CORE).  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. states at the beginning of the Foreward, “Can the method of non-violence that erased the color line in Montgomery’s buses be applied effectively to schools?  This pamphlet seeks an answer to that question, so urgent in southern communities where the Supreme Court decision of 1954 is not yet accepted.”

One of the fine jewels of this black history collection is this original LIFE Magazine (in great condition) showing the cover story of the Central High Crisis with signatures from eight of the Little Rock Nine (Carlotta Ray Karlmark refused to sign and has moved to Sweden).

The Little Rock Nine were a group of African American students enrolled in previously all-white Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Their enrollment was followed by the Little Rock Crisis, in which the students were initially prevented from entering the racially segregated school by Orval Faubus, the Governor of Arkansas. They then attended after the intervention of President Dwight D. Eisenhower

Violence and threats of violence against people of color threatened to keep them from voting.  This booklet was created in an effort to reduce fear and discouragement among African-Americans contemplating the vote.  Notice the photo caption that says “Most persons register without major difficulty.”  Nicely illustrated booklet, 22 pages, The Right To Vote by James McCain, Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), 1962.  A phenomenal artifact demonstrating one of the strategies incorporated to persuade African-Americans to vote.  Fine Condition.

This bumper sticker is protesting James Meredith’s enrollment at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss).  The backing is still on the sticker.  It is in good condition.  In 1962, James Meredith was the first African-American student admitted to the segregated University of Mississippi, an event that was a flash point in the African-American civil rights movement.

Published in 1964, this is a large 95-page booklet covering the Civil Rights Movement from 1957-1964.  Full of photos, this book covers the Civil Rights Movement from Little Rock (1957) to the Protest at the World’s Fair (1964).  Photo shows that the booklet has water damage.

December 1958 and May 1963 issues of “New South Magazine”.  All articles are concerning segregation.  Each magazine is 16 pages.

The best and most valuable part is a chart showing a CHRONOLOGICAL LISTING OF SOUTHERN BOMBINGS from January 1, 1956 to June 1st 1963 (59 of them).  See the photo of the listing of bombings; amazing detail (many names of who was bombed or whether they were white integrationists, pastors, etc.).

One of the most interesting confidants in Martin Luther King’s inner circle was Bayard Rustin.  When J. Edgar Hoover began a smear campaign to discredit Rustin based on his homosexuality (and therefore attempt to discredit the Civil Rights Movement), Dr. King distanced himself from him. To avoid attacks based on his sexual orientation, Rustin served rarely as a public spokesperson; he usually acted as an influential adviser to civil-rights leaders.  Bayard Rustin was a leading activist of the early 1947–1955 Civil-Rights Movement. He organized the first of the Freedom Rides (1947) to challenge racial segregation on interstate busing

This 4 page political booklet is titled “More Civil Rights Double-Talk and More Goose Eggs”.  It was distributed by the Republican Congressional Committee in 1952 on behalf of Senator H. Alexander Smith.  The 4 page booklet is white (though discolored by age) with red and black print.  It includes political cartoons and photos of Eisenhower, Nixon, and Smith.  The content of the booklet details “Republican proposals for Civil Rights issues” and highlights the Democratic party’s push for “White Supremacy”.  The booklet is not torn and other than slightly aged, is in mint condition.

Vernon Johns (April 22, 1892 – June 11, 1965) is considered by some as the father of the American Civil Rights Movement, having laid the foundation on which Martin Luther King, Jr. and others would build. Johns was a courageous and vocal opponent of segregation.  In 1926, he was the first African-American to have his work published in Best Sermons of the Year; this was a personal triumph for Johns as he had repeatedly submitted sermons for consideration in previous years

This booklet titled “MARTIN LUTHER KING AND THE MONTGOMERY STORY” was published by the Fellowship of Reconciliation and sold for ten cents.  The subtitle says, “How 50,000 Negroes found a new way to end racial discrimination.”

Martin Luther King’s relationship with the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) began during the Montgomery bus boycott, when FOR veteran Bayard Rustin

This huge lot of 111 Jet Magazines is a fascinating time capsule taking you into all of the issues of the Black community before and during the Civil Rights Movement.  Note some of the cover stories: “BOYCOTT EXCLUSIVE: What’s Happening In Montgomery?, Will Bombs Keep Integration Out of Alabama?, Tenn. Negroes Who Must Vote In Tents Because They Voted, Will the Bates Be Forced To Quit Little Rock?, Parents: Unsung Heroes In School Integration Crisis, The Woman Who Tried To Kill King, The Girl Who Upset Alabama (Arthurine Lucy), Ambush Shooting of Meredith, Muhammad Ali’s Draft Dispute

Two rare Jet Magazines, both detailing the brutal and country-changing events that led to the 1965 Voting Rights Act.  The first documents the initial drama in Selma; the second documents the march from Selma to Montgomery.

Two pinbacks featuring black and white hands shaking with “SNCC” (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) inscribed below them.  One button is 1″ with black border, the other is 7/8″ with no border.  Both in perfect condition.

Many historians say that it was seeing the photos of Emmett Till’s mutilated body in THIS ISSUE (Sept 15, 1955) of Jet Magazine that sparked the Civil Rights Movement.  Rosa Parks said that she thought about going to the back of the bus, but when she thought about Emmett Till, she couldn’t do it (her refusal to give her seat to a white man occurred 95 days after Till’s death). The other 5 Jet Magazines in this collection show cover stories relating to Till’s death: “Will Mississippi Whitewash the Emmett Till Slaying?, Emmett Till’s Ghost Haunts Natchez, Where is Third Man in Till Lynching? How the Emmett Till Case Changed 5 Lives, Emmett Till’s Mother Starts a New Life.” 

This 1956 Advertisement is a double-sided card intended for distribution within the black community.  On one side it lists all of Eisenhower’s desegregation accomplishments that have benefitted African-Americans; the other side claims that Stevenson is a “fence-sitter”.

It shows that under Eisenhower…

“No more segregation in Washington D.C.–Hotels, Restaurants, and Schools, over 300 jobs for Negroes paying $6,000-$17,500 per year, no more segregation in Veterans Hospitals, no more separate water fountains or rest rooms in Navy shipyards, no more segregation in the Armed Forces.”

This 1st Edition autobiography is SIGNED by arguably the most famous of the Tuskegee Airmen, Chuck “A-Train” Dryden.  “A-Train” was also depicted in the critically acclaimed HBO movie “Tuskegee Airmen”.  Dryden passed away in 2008.

This 1971 book was “printed for the use of the Committee on the Judiciary” and is a compilation of hearings before the Civil Rights Oversight Subcommittee on the Enforcement of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.  It is a rare “time capsule” of everything that was said before the House of Representatives during this turbulent time.

This is a rare 1st Edition SIGNED copy of Daisy Bates’ autobiography The Long Shadow of Little Rock.  Just 5 years after the Little Rock Crisis, she writes “Especially for a freedom fighter.  May God keep you.  Daisy Bates Nov. 6, 1926 (she obviously meant 1962).  Ms. Bates passed away in 1999.  After the nine black students were selected to attend all-white Central High, Mrs. Daisy Bates would be with

This is an almost perfect 1st edition boldly SIGNED copy of Ralph Abernathy’s autobiography.  Ralph David Abernathy, Sr. (March 11, 1926 – April 17, 1990) was a leader of the American Civil Rights Movement, a minister, and the best friend of Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Abernathy was also the organizer of the first mass meeting of the Montgomery Bus Boycott to protest Rosa Parks’ arrest on December 1, 1955. Abernathy and his friend Martin Luther King, Jr. organized the boycott and gave birth to the American Civil Rights Movement.  Following King’s assassination, Dr. Abernathy took up the leadership of the SCLC Poor People’s Campaign and led the March on Washington, D.C., that had been planned for May 1968.

Click here to see signed photo of beating.

This is a SIGNED copy of Amelia Boynton Robinson’s autobiography Bridge Over Troubled Water.  Ms. Boynton Robinson personally invited Dr. King to Selma, Alabama and is considered the mother of the Voting Rights Movement.  She was famously beaten unconscious (photo went around the world) on the Edmund Pettus Bridge while marching for the right to vote.

This is a 1st edition copy (with dust jacket) of Rosa Park’s autobiography My Story.  Book is in mint condition; dust jacket is in great condition, with almost non-existent wear at top.

Four original Tuskegee Airmen have autographed this oversized poster (see wristwatch for size) for the movie “The Tuskegee Airmen.”  Among the bold signatures on this poster is that of Robert Williams.  Williams wrote the story for the movie, but more importantly, he was a distinguished and decorated pilot with the famed Tuskegee Airmen.  Most of these flying heroes have now passed away.  I aquired this poster and had it signed at the world premiere of the movie where several original Tuskegee Airmen were in attendance and agreed to sign.

This is the infamous photo of Amelia Boynton Robinson being gassed and beaten while marching for the right to vote.  She was eventually left for dead after being beaten with a billy club for her participation in a peaceful march (across the Edmund Pettus Bridge) for the right to vote. Evidence that this photo went around the world is the fact this is an original press photo from a Latin American country (everything is in Spanish).

Click here to see the autographed copy of Ms. Boynton Robinson’s autobiography.

This Freedom School Poetry book from 1966 is quite a jewel from SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee).  Please read the posted photo (dedicated to Emmett Till); it concludes regarding these poems and paintings that “These are the expressions of the young freedom school students of Mississippi.”

This magazine, published in 1968 (immediately after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.) is called “Martin Luther King, Jr. His Dream Marches On.”  The magazine, by teaching Dr. King’s philosophy, sought to prevent further rioting that exploded immediately after his death.  The publisher

I am fairly confident you will never see this again–the late Daisy Bates has signed an almost-perfect copy of the Little Rock Nine edition of Life Magazine.

After the nine black students were selected to attend Central High Mrs. Daisy Bates would be with them every step of the way. Bates guided and advised the nine students, known as the Little Rock Nine, when they attempted to enroll in 1957 at Little Rock Central High School, a previously all-white institution. The students’ attempts to enroll provoked a confrontation with Governor Orval Faubus, who called out the National Guard to prevent their entry. White mobs met at the school and threatened to kill the black students; these mobs harassed not only activists but also northern journalists who came to cover the story.

This is a collection of three signatures from Civil Rights legend James Meredith.  One signature is an autographed photo sized 4×6; another signature is on the cover of a program where he spoke in the 90’s; the last signature is on the cover of a booklet he sold based on his autobiography.   In 1962, James Meredith was the first African-American student admitted to the segregated University of Mississippi, an event that was a flashpoint in the African American civil rights movement.  Inspired by President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address, Meredith decided to exercise his constitutional rights and apply to the University of Mississippi. His goal was to put pressure on the Kennedy administration to enforce civil rights for African Americans.

John Lewis (pictured at the front of the line on this cover) has boldly signed this March 19, 1965 LIFE Magazine that features the Selma, Alabama cover story of “Bloody Sunday”…when peaceful demonstrators were beaten on the Edmund Pettus Bridge by State Troopers.

The 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches, also known as “Bloody Sunday” and the two marches that followed, led to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, a landmark achievement of the 1960s American Civil Rights Movement.

3×5 autographed photo of Civil Rights activist James L. Farmer.

James Leonard Farmer, Jr. (January 12, 1920 – July 9, 1999) was a civil rights activist and leader in the American Civil Rights Movement. He was the initiator and organizer of the 1961 Freedom Ride, which eventually led to the desegregation of inter-state transportation in the United States.

This 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ booklet is 92 pages of the NAACP’s Annual Report in 1954, titled “THE YEAR OF THE GREAT DECISION.”  There are several photographs in the book including one with Nixon and one with Eisenhower.  The condition is good.

This campaign brochure for Gene McCarthy lists the civil rights-friendly things Gene McCarthy did in the 1960’s.  Note the cover photo with a young black woman.

These 4 Crisis Magazines are published by the NAACP and are from 1955, 1966 (2), and 1968.  These magazines are filled with articles and photos on the Civil Rights Movement and outstanding achievements of African-Americans.  Note the article (see photo) entitled “Again the Name Negro” and the photo of the burned-down house of NAACP leader Vernon Dahmer (see photo).

This is a signature from NAACP’s Roy Wilkins (signed one year before he died) on an “Official First Day of Issue” Cover honoring Harriet Tubman. It is postmarked February 1, 1978 and also includes a 13 cent Harriet Tubman stamp.  Wilkins has signed with a blue pen.  In 1955, Roy Wilkins was chosen to be the executive secretary of the NAACP and in 1964 he became its executive director. He had an excellent reputation as an articulate spokesperson for the civil rights movement. One of his first actions was to provide support to civil rights activists in Mississippi who were being subject to a “credit squeeze” by members of the White Citizens Councils.

This 1963 brochure from the NAACP says “From Morning until Night…Humiliation Stalks Them”.  This is the text of the testimony of Roy Wilkins, NAACP Executive Secretary, July 22, 1963, in supporting the public accommodations section (Title II, S.1731) of the proposed civil rights bill being considered by the Senate Commerce Committee.  It says, “…our faltering fealty to the great ideal of ‘all men’ set down in our Declaration of Independence, has shaken the confidence of the millions of mankind who seek freedom and peace.  Do we mean ‘all men’ or do we just say so?  Is our nation the leader of the free world or of the white world?  Are we for democracy in southeast Asia, but for Jim Crow at home?”

This September 27, 1963 Time Magazine features Governor George Wallace on the cover.  The cover says “Alabama: Civil Rights Battlefield”.  In Very Good condition with mailing label.

This is the August 21, 1967 edition of Newsweek (with the cover story “The Black Mood“) and the March 5, 1965 edition of LIFE Magazine (with the cover story “A Monument to Negro Upheaval” about the death of Malcolm X and the “Resulting Vengeful Gang War”).  Also included is the August 22, 1966 edition of Newsweek with cover story “Black and White: A Major Survey of U.S. Racial Attitudes Today“; this issue addresses the racial turbulence that defined 1966.

This is the complete Life Magazine from May 21, 1965 with the cover story “Courtroom pictures of the Klan Murder Trial: Defense Lawyer Matt Murphy’s victory sign”. Matt Murphy was the Klan attorney.

The following, about the trial (but not in the magazine), is VERY interesting…

Twice frustrated in attempts to convict Collie Leroy Wilkins for the murder of Viola Liuzzo, federal prosecutors successfully prosecuted Wilkins with an 1870 law for depriving Liuzzo of her civil rights.

On March 25, 1965, thousands of civil rights marchers converged on the Alabama state capitol in Montgomery, demanding an end to obstacles to black voter registration. The day of speeches ended

Cleanest copy you will ever see of the September 30, 1963 Newsweek with the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama on the cover.  Inside is an excellent article with great photographs entitled “Birmingham: My God, you’re not even safe in church!”  A great time capsule.

Beside the magazine’s fantastic condition, it DOES NOT HAVE A MAILING LABEL.  It is as if it is fresh off the newsstand.

Heartbreaking Life Magazine from the funeral of Medgar Evers, June 28, 1963.  Magazine is in fantastic condition.
Medgar Wiley Evers (July 2, 1925 – June 12, 1963) was an African-American civil rights activist from Mississippi involved in efforts to overturn segregation at the University of Mississippi. After returning from overseas military service in World War II and completing his secondary education, he became active in the civil rights movement. He became a field secretary for the NAACP.  Evers was assassinated by Byron De La Beckwith, a member of the White Citizens’ Council. As a veteran, Evers was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. His murder and the resulting trials inspired civil rights protests, as well as numerous works of art, music, and film.

Cleanest copy you will ever see of the July 13, 1964 Newsweek with “Mississippi Summer 1964” on the cover.  Inside is an excellent article with great photos.  Inside, “Troubled State, Troubled Time.”  A great time capsule.  You’ll find coverage of the voting drive, the murder of Schwermer, Chaney, and Goodman, the police, civil rights, and more.

Besides the magazine’s fantastic condition, it DOES NOT HAVE a mailing label.   It’s as if it is fresh off the newsstand after exactly 50 years.