‘The Green Book’ Pulls In At The Top Of Swann Galleries’ African Americana Sale – Antiques And The Arts Weekly

NEW YORK CITY — Swann Galleries’ March 21 auction of printed and manuscript African Americana was the firm’s largest offering of the material to date. The sale included important documentation of the abolition movement, catalogs and posters for exhibits by leading Black artists, previously unseen Black Panther material, material on Black-owned businesses and more. The sale was led by The Negro Travelers’ Green Book, the vital travel guide for Black families from the late 1950s in the United States when a long-distance drive would be a cause for apprehension about finding lodging, gasoline or even a restroom. Edited by Victor H. Green, the 80-page guide soared from a $12/18,000 estimate to a final price of $35,000, inclusive of buyer’s premium. The book’s contents consisted of listings of Black-friendly service stations, hotels, nightclubs and restaurants arranged by state across the United States — North and South. “Carry your Green Book with you…You may need it!” the cover of this edition states. The last Green Book was printed in 1966. Additional highlights from this sale follow in a later review.