The Historical Value of Collecting Black Memorabilia
Unofficially, I became a collector of black memorabilia in December 1965 when I began working as a mailroom clerk for Johnson Publishing Company (JPC), the publisher of Ebony and Jet magazines. JPC’s New York office was located in Rockefeller Center which also housed journalistic giants, Time Inc. and NBC. It was the main office for JPC’s advertising department. Its only journalist components were an Ebony associate editor, an Ebony assistant editor, a Jet editor, two staff photographers and a receptionist.
The mailroom was filled with items needed by the advertising salespersons to carry out their assignments. Those included several dozen old and recent copies of the magazines. Every minute of free time I had was spent reading about the happenings covered by Ebony since its launching in November 1945 and Jet since its launching in November 1951. Most of them I had never seen before.
Eventually I began taking couple of magazines home so I could read them more thoroughly. One day the office manager told me that JPC’s home office in Chicago was using the new technology to microfilm all of its magazines so there was no longer any need to hold to those in the mailroom. They were using up valuable space needed by the advertising salespersons. She told me that I could have them. When I took them home that was the beginning of my becoming an official collector of black magazines.
In the early 1970s, I met Jeanette Carson the leader of an organization that focused on collecting black memorabilia. She told me they hosted an annual event for those who wanted to see, buy and sell black memorabilia. Since by that time I had begun collecting other magazines, not just Ebony and Jet, I decided to purchase a table for the event. That’s when I became an official collector.
My most memorable sale that day was to Camille Cosby, the wife of Bill Cosby. She and a friend stopped by my table and were completely fascinated by two premiere issues of Ebony Africa (March 1964). She immediately offered to buy them for $200. I was going to ask for $100. Her unexpected offer showed me for the first time the importance of black memorabilia, not only educationally and historically, but also financially.
By the time I moved from Harlem to Richmond, Virginia in 1986 to become Sports Information Director for Virginia Union University, I was a totally committed collector of black magazines and books. At that time in Richmond, many, if not most people, were totally unaware of the value of collectible black magazines and books, I was able to get many of them inexpensively at yard sales and flea markets. I also began focusing on collecting Vol 1, No.1 of black magazines. That was inspired by having an opportunity to purchase the premier November 1945 issue of Ebony. I had seen a photo of that issue but never really read it. It wasn’t in mint condition but it has now been in my possession for over 42 years.
The collection has now grown to over 100 magazines. It includes, besides the premier issues of Ebony and Ebony Africa, the first issues of Black Enterprise (Aug. 1970), Essence (May 1970), Emerge (Oct. 1989), Freedomways (Spring 1961), Vital Issues: The Journal of African American Speeches (Winter 1991), Langston Hughes Review (Spring 1982), O: the Oprah Magazine (May-June-2000), The Urbanite (March 1961), Routes (Oct. 1977), Vibe (Fall 1992), The Western Journal of Black Studies (Mar. 1977), Hue (Nov. 1953), Now (Feb 1997), Black Art: An International Quarterly (Fall1976), Relevant (1972), Black News (Oct.1969), Accent (Oct. 1983), The Black New Yorker ( Jan-Mar 1991), Onyx: A Reflection of Black Thought ( 1967), TBF: Today’s Black Father (Fall 1991), Strictly Philly (May 1945), Black Issues in Higher Education (Mar 1984), Today’s Black Woman (Spring 1995), Sisters (Spring 1988), First World (Jan-Feb. 1977), Health Quest (Winter 1993), African Opinion (May 1997), Caribbean Life & Times (Oct. 1979), Black Ethnic Collectibles (May-June 1987), and African Business (Sept. 1978). It’s revealing that the last named and Black Enterprise were the only two with a focus on economics.
My second focused collection, which is currently up for sale, includes 100 magazines with Michael Jackson on their covers from 1970 through 2009. I was inspired to do this collection because I believe, despite my strong disagreement with him on racial identity issues, that Michael was one of the greatest performing artist of the 20th Century. The collection includes 32 Jet covers, 14 Ebony covers, and covers on Life (Sept. 26 1971), Black Stars (Jan. 1978), Newsweek (Sept. 6, 1993), GQ (Oct. 1994), Vanity Fair (Dec. 1989), Paris Match (June 29, 1995), and People (July 18, 2000).
Finally, I must note that the favorite single item in my collection of black magazines and books by or about legendary warriors such as Marcus Garvey, W.E.B. DuBois, Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Martin Luther King, Jr, Brother Malcolm X, C. DeLores Tucker, Harriet Tubman, Benjamin Mays, Martin Delaney, and Mary Mcleod Bethune, is the “AfroAmerican Press and its Editors” written in 1892 by I. Garland Penn. It captivates me as a journalist and as a person committed to learning, teaching and preserving black history.
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I have in my possession an October 1947 Ebony magazine Entitled “NEGRO FBI AGENTS IN ACTION” It sold for 25 cents at the time. It gives me a sense of pride every time I look at it.
what Ebony Magazine are collectible.