Mar 21, 2013 - Sale 2308

Sale 2308 - Lot 521

Price Realized: $ 4,080
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 1,000 - $ 1,500
ADVERTISEMENT FOR HIS BOOK OF THE SAME TITLE (RACISM.) [CARROLL, CHARLES.] The Negro a Beast, or "In the Image of God." Large illustrated brochure made from a single folio sheet, folded to form four large 4to pages, printed in black and red on all sides with engraved vignettes; the poor quality paper is evenly toned; a couple of archival repairs at the outer folds, otherwise a remarkable survival of a fragile piece. St. Louis: American Book and Bible House, circa 1900

Additional Details

a rare and elaborate brochure, advertising charles carroll's racist classic. Coming at the end of the 19th century, the book was immensely popular with those who needed a rationale for their post-slavery, post Reconstruction racist beliefs. Carroll's arguments fall under the exotic categories of monogenism and polygenism, "supported" of course by the Bible. The brochure is peppered with bizarre questions referencing Genesis like "Whom did Cain Marry?" and "Does 'like beget like?. . . If the Negro is human, then he is of the same blood and flesh as Adam and Eve, for Adam was the only representative of God. Now if Adam and Eve are the parents of the Negro, you cannot get around the fact that you have Negro blood in your veins. . ---Would your neighbors associate with you?" He reasons that since we're certain there's no way we could have a single drop of Negro blood flowing in our white veins, the Negro cannot then be descended from Adam and Eve----and therefore he is not human. The rear cover of this flyer is filled with testimonials, may from clergymen, under the heading "What Men of Brains Think of This Book," like this man of brains, "Reverend Isaac Turley of Texas, who says "God bless Bro. Carroll. He has sounded a note that will fill the world with melody." Though "Bro. Carroll's" book was quite popular, going through several editions, is scarce today. OCLC cites only a single copy of this brochure.