Page 212 - Swann Galleries - Printed & Manuscript African Americana- Sale 2308 - March 21, 2013

387 ● (PERIODICALS.) The
Gazetteer and Guide. An Illustrated
Colored American Publication.
Volume I, Number I. Copious illustra-
tions from photographs etc.; 40 pages.
Small, tall 4to, original pictorial wrappers;
Library of Congress copyright accession
stamp, 1944 de-accession stamp and pub-
lisher’s “sample” stamp on front cover;
archival paper repairs to front cover.
Buffalo, New York, 1901 [800/1,200]
VOLUME I, NUMBER I, A POSSIBLY UNIQUE
COPY OF THIS IMPORTANT MAGAZINE CRE-
ATED FOR NEGRO RAILROAD PORTERS AND
HOTEL WORKERS, founded and edited by
James Alexander Ross (1867-1949). Ross,
lawyer, politician, real-estate broker, journalist
and editor was born in Kentucky, and raised in
Illinois. In the mid-1890’s Ross moved to
Buffalo New York where he became active in
numerous endeavors, including taking charge of
the Negro exhibit of the Pan-American
Exhibition, held there. He was Vice President
of the National Colored Democratic League,
and turned down the position of Consul to
Haiti in 1893. The “Monthly Gazetteer and Guide” was a very ambitious magazine, well laid out
and sparing no expense in printing. It was well-illustrated with advertisements appealing to those who
would be visiting the Exhibition. Since this inaugural issue coincided with the opening of the Pan
American Exhibition, there is a long article “to be continued” about the Negro exhibit, titled
“Advance of the Negro” chronicling the progress of the race since the end of the Civil War. A column
titled “Railroad Porters’ Notes,” is quite detailed and presages the publications of the Brotherhood of
Sleeping Car Porters. Not seen by Danky and no copies at all are located. But this might be for sev-
eral reasons, one being that this magazine is cited in a couple of places with several different names,
eventually evolving into a quarterly called “For You, Magazine and Gazetteer and Guide” that
lasted at least until a year before Ross’ death in 1949. Ross himself called it the “the oldest maga-
zine published by a race with a new name.” Between 1901 and 1948, it changed names at least four
times. See Penelope Bulluck “The Afro-American Periodical Press 1838-1909,” pages 179-182.
388 ● (PERIODICALS.) PERRY CHRISTOPHER JAMES JR. The Philadelphia
Tribune. White porcelain covered metal sign, printed in red, 12 x 18 inches, with two
looped pieces attached to the reverse for hanging; some very slight oxidation along the
edges; two tiny chips, otherwise a remarkable survival.
[Philadelphia, circa 1900-1920’s [1,500/2,500]
A RARE SIGN FROM THE LONGEST ONGOING AFRICAN AMERICAN PERIODICAL IN THE
NATION The Tribune was founded by Christopher James Perry in 1884. Perry (1854-1821)
was born to free parents in Maryland. When he was quite young he left to go to Philadelphia,
where he attended night classes and began contributing articles to the black press at the age of
fourteen. Within ten years he became editor of the Colored Department of the Sunday
Mercury. When the Mercury folded in 1884, Perry decided to open his own paper. The
Tribune soon became one of the leading African American papers in the country.