Countee Cullen and others

One signed photograph and five volumes, comprising:

EDMONDS, Randolph (1900-1983). Shades and Shadows. Boston: Meador, 1930.
First edition of an important collection of Harlem Renaissance plays, inscribed by the author during his time as a professor at historically black college Dillard University. Octavo. Original purple cloth, spine and upper cover lettered in gilt, upper cover with border blindstamped (extremities slightly rubbed, lightly marked). Provenance: Miss Peterson (authorial presentation inscription to front free endpaper, dated Sep. 20, 1944).

THURMAN, Wallace (1902-1934). The Blacker the Berry… A Novel of Negro Life. New York: Macaulay, 1929.
First edition of Thurman’s first and most famous book. Octavo. (A few leaves dog-eared, library stamps on p.31 and p.153.) Original brown cloth, spine and upper cover lettered in black, upper cover with silhouette of figure stamped in black (lacking the rare dust-jacket, extremities lightly rubbed, upper hinge cracked but firm). Provenance: Dixie Lending Library, Atlanta (library stamp).

CULLEN, Countee (1903-1946). Color. New York and London: Harper & Brothers, 1925.
First edition of Cullen’s first book of verse. Octavo. Yellow cloth-backed decorative boards, orange label to spine and upper board titled in black (extremities very lightly rubbed, head of spine lightly soiled); original dust-jacket (flaps completely detached, edges and backstrip sunned, several small chips and nicks, those to backstrip resulting in some textual loss to publisher’s name at foot).

— The Ballad of the Brown Girl. An Old Ballad Retold. New York and London: Harper & Brothers, 1927.
First trade edition, signed by the author. Large octavo (239 x 157mm). Decorative title, border decorations and one double-page illustration by Charles Cullen. Modern yellow calf-backed marbled paper boards, spine lettered in gilt, top edge gilt (very lightly rubbed).

— Copper Sun. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1927.
First edition of Cullen’s most ambitious collection. Octavo. 17 black and white illustrations by Charles Cullen. Original black cloth-backed boards, label to upper cover lettered in blue and label to spine titled in brown (lightly rubbed, endpapers browned); original dust-jacket (lightly spotted, small nicks or chips to spine ends and corners, short closed tear along foot of one fold).

— Black and white portrait photograph of Countee Cullen [c.1930s].
Rare inscribed portrait of Countee Cullen to Henry Ogden Wintermute (1895-1964), a writer, historian and collector. Mounded on cork board and in silver frame (230 x 162 mm). Inscribed by Cullen 'For Ogden Wintermute, Cordially, Countee Cullen'.