?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 1,500 - $ 2,500
THE HARLEM HELL FIGHTERS (MILITARY--WORLD WAR I.) Recruits Wanted. 15th Regiment, New York Guard. Large stencil-painted [?] poster, 37 x 26 inches; scratches and 'dings' to surface of what appears to be pressed board. New York, circa 1918
a rare example of this beautiful ww i poster. The 15th Regiment of New York Guard later changed its official name to the 369th, better known as the Harlem Hell Fighters! The 369th not only gained fame for their tremendous courage under fire--nicknamed "Hell Fighters" by the Germans, due to their toughness and the fact that they never lost a man through capture, lost a trench or a foot of ground to the enemy. But they were legendary for their marching band, led by James Reece Europe. One of their marches was modified version of Memphis Blues, arranged by Europe and kicked by two jazz drummers. The 369th had among its members some of the best early 20th century jazz musicians, which included Noble Sissle who later wrote 'Shuffle Along,' the first black musical, with Eubie Blake. The band recorded eleven pieces with Pathe.
