Rare Book Monthly
Book Catalogue Reviews - November - 2010 Issue
Historic Documents from the Raab Collection
Future Democratic presidential candidate Woodrow Wilson, surrounded by four nominees from the past.
Heitmuller sent another of his tactless letters to Father Divine in 1939, offering to sell him a collection of slave material. Father Divine was a charismatic black preacher, some believed he was God. He built up a small following early in the century with a message of positive thinking. By mid-century, his following had become extensive, and included many whites as well. "Father" was not a civil rights worker in the traditional sense, but preached a message of overcoming racial classifications, that everyone should be treated equally as race was irrelevant. A solicitation of slave material, highlighting that inequality, was not an offer Father Divine would appreciate. In this 1939 letter he responds that he is not interested, "and particularly disinterested from a racial standpoint of consideration, for it is the very work of my mission to break down the segregated barrier of so-called races, creeds and colors…" However, Father Divine manages to avoid getting quite so testy as Susan Anthony, concluding that he hopes this letter finds Heitmuller the same as he is, "…well, healthy, joyful, peaceful, lively, loving, successful, prosperous and happy in the spirit, body and mind and in every organ, muscle, sinew, joint, limb, vein and bone and even in every atom, fiber and cell of my bodily form." Wow! I haven't felt that good in years. Item 13. $1,000.
Item 34 is a booklet for the Democratic Union of New Jersey. This 10-page book was published for the 1910 election. Included is a signed photograph of the party's gubernatorial nominee, Woodrow Wilson, dressed in his academic robes from his presidency of Princeton University. Wilson's portrait is surrounded by other Democratic notables, four men from neighboring states who at one time received the party's nomination for president: Grover Cleveland (the only successful candidate), George McClellan, whose peace-oriented campaign lost to Lincoln in 1864, Samuel Tilden, who should have defeated Rutherford Hayes in 1876 but for some congressional shenanigans, and Horatio Seymour, election fodder against Ulysses Grant in 1868. $1,250.
The Raab Collection may be reached at 800-977-8333. Their website is www.raabcollection.com.
