1897 – Kemble’s Coons | African American Racist Caricatures | First Edition

E.W. Kemble was a 19th-century American illustrator who is best known for his sketches of black culture and African American men and women. Kemble’s Coons, intended for children, was written with significant racist views that would not be considered tolerable today; yet, this book does represent a culture reminiscent of a bygone American era.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Kemble’s Coons
• Author(s): Edward Windsor Kemble
• Illustrator(s): Edward Windsor Kemble
• Publisher: New York: R.H. Russell and Son
• Edition: First Edition, 1897
• Binding: Illustrated board, cloth spine
• Format: Oblong (4to), single volume
• Size:  9 in x 12 in (22.9 cm x 30.5 cm)
• Collation: Unpaginated
• Illustrations: Numerous line drawings throughout
• Contents Include:
  • Colloquial text with cartoon illustrations
  • Late 19th-century caricature art
  • Kemble’s signature visual style

Condition:

Good. Cloth-backed binding with moderate wear to edges and rubbing to pictorial covers. Corners show exposure. Internal pages are intact and without markings. Boards are firm, and illustrations are complete.

Why Collect This?

• First edition with all original illustrations

• Of interest to collectors of controversial Americana

Item Number: # 50022