?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 1,500 - $ 2,500
THE FIRST INTERRACIAL KISS ILLUSTRATED (MEDICINE.) FOOTE, DOCTOR EDWARD BLISS. Science in Story. Sammy Tubbs, the Boy Doctor, and Sponsie, the Troublesome Monkey. Copious engraved illustrations. 5 volumes, uniform brick red cloth, blocked in black and gilt; all edges tinted red; all volumes dated 1874, but IV, dated 1876. a fine, bright set. New York: Murray Hill, 1874, 1876
The author of this series, Doctor Edward Bliss Foote (1829-1906), physician, birth control and public hygiene advocate, was also an abolitionist and civil rights advocate. This series of books introduces children to medicine, anatomy and the reproductive system via a young black man and his pet, a 'troublesome monkey.' In so doing, Foote breaks a number of taboos in Volume V, by both discussing, and illustrating the female anatomy--- and wildly revolutionary for 1874, discussing and again illustrating his protagonist, Sammy, a young black man, not only involved with, but kissing a white girlfriend. Doctor Foote had enough sense to offer a choice regarding the illustration of the female plumbing. A note at the top of page '180-1/2' offers one the option of tearing that page out, while leaving a less graphic and offensive description on page 180. He did not however deem it taboo enough to skip the illustration of Sammy in a tight, kissing embrace with Miss Barkenstir (page 205). All the more revolutionary, because Sammy had hitherto been involved with and kissing Miss Milward, a young lady of color (page 144). Foote goes into the fact that Miss Barkenstir's father was plenty angry about the relationship, but ducks out of further discussion by saying, 'As neither of these stories need to concern us, we will dismiss them as rumors of passing interest.' Sets of four are not uncommon, sets of five, with volume five complete and un-bowdlerized, are rare.
