Between The Covers Rare Books, in conjunction with James Cummins Bookseller, has issued their Catalog 258 – Women. This catalogue includes items from Waiting for Godot Books, both their inventory and private collection. As for the subject, which covers a little over half the world's population, there are many books by women, about women, relating to women, along with other types of items such as photographs of women. Whatever it is, there is a woman involved. Here are a few of these items.
We begin with Hobomok, a Tale of Early Times, by “An American.” It was anonymously written though people wouldn't have known her name anyway. Perhaps she feared they would after this novel and be very displeased with her. It was controversial. It is a tale of settlers in early Plymouth and of a white woman who marries an Indian. Miscegenation was not a popular topic in 1824. The writer was Lydia Maria Childs and she would become a lot more controversial with her later writings. She advocated for women's rights, Indian rights, and African American rights. The latter is what she is best known for. In 1833, she wrote An Appeal in Favor of that Class of Americans Called Africans. Between the Covers describes this as being “considered the first book of the American abolitionist movement.” Child also promoted women's rights but she believed women, like African Americans, were held in slavery by white men and that blacks would need to be emancipated first before the nation would accept women's emancipation. Item 16. Priced at $12,000.
By 1916, the long battle for women's suffrage was finally nearing its successful conclusion. It was drawing more support from men by that time, though hardly universally. Two who were supporters were lyricist Alfred Bryan and music writer Alfred Paley. Item 14 is a copy of the sheet music for their song. The cover image shows a smiling woman and her baby standing in a window. The happy baby smiles as she waves. The title says it all – She's Good Enough to be Your Baby's Mother and She's Good Enough to Vote with You. $450.
I don't know where this pageant fits in the women's rights movement. Probably not very high though it just celebrated its 100th anniversary this past year. It's the Miss America Pageant and if not a very big deal anymore it was in the 1950s when this archive was created. The stated purpose of the pageant was to award scholarships, but... It has tried to feature the talents of the contestants, singing, reading poetry and whatnot, but the viewers were always focused on the swimsuit competition, which might lead one to not unreasonably conclude that it achieved its success by objectifying women. Part of its attempt to focus more on the intellectual aspects of the contestants came from its 1951 winner, Yolande Fox, who refused to wear a swimsuit after the competition and became involved with the civil rights and peace movements. The archive includes 13 panoramic photos from 1950-1956, six pageant yearbooks, and sheet music. The archive came from Fred Hess & Son photographers who took pictures at numerous Atlantic City events from 1920-1960. Item 54. $5,000.
None of these women ever would have participated in a beauty pageant, but it was not for lack of beauty or intellect nor because they were particularly emancipated. They were part of a religious community where childbearing was prohibited. They dressed very conservatively and lived a sequestered life. The community had 100 buildings on 3,000 acres in Canterbury, New Hampshire. At its peak, 300 people lived there. However, not having children is not a good way to keep a community going, particularly when its rigidly controlled lifestyle is not one designed for attracting new members these days. It had been fading since the beginning of the 20th century and its last member died in 1992. Item 76 is a collection of 25 captioned photographic portraits of 25 women members of the Canterbury Shaker community. The women are dressed in the standard conservative Shaker attire, including a bonnet. The collection was compiled between 1921-1930 and each photograph bears the person's name and a date (presumably birth date). Among them is Edith Green, one of the few African American members of the Canterbury Shakers, and Ethel Hudson, the last surviving member of the community. After she died in 1992, the village became a museum and was designated as a national landmark. Item 76. $15,000.
This is a linen broadside containing the words and music for Little Eva Song. No, this is not sheet music for The Loco-Motion. It is subtitled Uncle Tom's Guardian Angel. By the way, the story that the other Little Eva was named for the character from Uncle Tom's Cabin is not true. There is an image with the caption “Little Eva and Uncle Tom in the Arbor.” Printed underneath the image are two bars of music and lyrics for verses two and three. In case someone did not understand what all of this was, there is an explanation, “Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, is a Picture of American Slavery not overdrawn, since Southern Publications themselves give as facts accounts of characters and incidents fully matching anything this work presents – 115,000 copies or 230,000 vols. have been sold in six months.” The writers were John G. Whittier and Manuel Emilio, the publication date 1852, same as the book. Item 56. $6,500.
Between The Covers Rare Books may be reached at 856-456-8008 or mail@betweenthecovers.com. Their website is www.betweenthecovers.com.
