From The Private Collection Of Mary

The following slide show contains images from the collection of Mary, an antique and vintage collectibles seller. The following are her words:

I'm a 59 year old White person. When I was 20, I was poor, but saw a pair of Black Americana salt and pepper shakers in a shop. They had so much character, and the lady had such a beautiful face, I just had to have them. Thus started my first ever collection....Black Americana. I never thought of the images of being something that could be hurtful, because I was raised that we are all the same, and never saw discrimination on a personal level. Over the years, my sensitivity has increased. I still can't resist buying interesting Black Americana, both for my collection, and for resale. I have met so many wonderful people at the antique shows I've done, through my section of Black Americana. Most of my buyers for it are Black. I've never had a negative comment, and have gained a lot of insight.

Have you heard of Rose Hill? She's a modern day potter, and artist. I met her in the late 90's, and she had these wonderful pieces with the images of the cutest Black children I'd ever seen. Of course, I had to have some of her work! Several years later, she and her work were featured on Oprah. http://rosehillart.com/

Here are pictures from my favorite pieces from my collections. I've included pictures of some Rose Hill pieces that are from the 1990's.