277 / 326
406
●
(MUSIC—OPERA.) JONES, MATILDA SISSIERETTA JOYNER.
Elaborate
blouse, belonging to Black Patti, given by her to singer Mabel Diggs.
Metallic
lace-like claret colored cloth with gold lame cloth with tiny rhinestones sewn into the
borders; quite worn and soiled. Sold with all faults.
SHOULD BE SEEN
.
Np, circa 1900
[2,500/3,500]
AN EXTREMELY RARE ARTIFACT
,
HAVING BEEN WORN BY THE NOTED AFRICAN AMERICAN
DIVA
,
SISIERETTA JONES
,
THE
“
BLACK PATTI
.”
Jones (1868-1933) was born in Virginia to
Jeremiah Malachai Joyner, an AME minister and his wife Henrietta Beale. When the family moved
to Rhode Island the young Sissieretta received formal training at the Providence Academy of Music.
She continued her voice training at the New England Conservatory. Her vocal range and abilities
earned her the nick-name of “Black Patti,” an allusion to the famous Italian opera star Adalina
Patti. In 1892 she sang before an audience of 75,000 at Madison Square Garden. Crossing all sorts
of color lines, Black Patti performed at Carnegie Hall and other venues hitherto unavailable to black
performers. Provenance: This blouse was given to Mabel Diggs, a cabaret and musical performer of the
nineteen teens and twenties (“the Child Wonder”), who in turn donated it to the National Black
American Historical Museum in Atlanta (now defunct). Acquired from the director/founder Thomas
Frederick Moore, with a letter of provenance from him.
407
●
(MUSIC.) ROBESON, PAUL LEROY.
Rutgers University 1919 Year Book,
The Scarlet Letter.
Copiously illustrated. 4to, original red cloth lettered in gilt on the
upper cover.
New Jersey, 1919
[250/350]
Rutgers’ 1919 year book with multiple appearances of Paul Robeson (1898-1976) as a varsity foot-
ball, baseball, basketball, track and debating team star. Sadly, Robeson is remembered by most
Americans through the controversy that was imposed on him by the shameful period of Senator Joe
McCarthy and his House Un-American Activities Committee and the witch-hunts of the early
1950’s. Robeson was a tremendously gifted actor, singer, civil rights advocate and polyglot, who spoke
at least a dozen languages.
406