The Ken Oden Collection of African-American Photography and Ephemera

On Tuesday, August 24th and Wednesday, August 25th, Jackson's International Auctioneers & Appraisers of Fine Art and Antiques held a notable and extensive sale of African-American photography and ephemera held by the collector, Ken Oden. As reported in an announcement posted on Auction Central News, Oden collected upwards of 40,000 pieces over two decades:

458-album collection of more than 42,000 pieces representing over 5,500 publishers and 125 different categories.

The pieces collected draw from various aspects of black life in North and South America (including the Caribbean), Africa, Asia, and Europe. The images reflect moments of achievement (both personal and social), entertainment, cultural heritage, minstrelsy, and stereotypes, among others.

The top five items sold include lot 324, an ambrotype portrait of Frederick Douglass, c. 1870s. The item was estimated at 10,000-15,000 USD, and sold for 24,000 USD. A similar image sold at Swann Auction Galleries in their February 25, 2010 sale of Printed & Manuscript African Americana for 15,600 USD.

The second highest item was lot 104, an early twentieth-century image of the lynching of Jesse Washington (Waco, TX). The image sold for 7,200 USD.

The third best selling item, lot number 6, was a photo postcard of the all-black 24th Infantry Manila League Baseball Team based in Batangas, Philippines. The unused postcard, dated July 20, 1913, features ten team members, and sold for 6,600 USD, over seven times its high estimate of 900 USD.

The fourth best selling item is a tie between lot numbers 100 and 176, both selling at 5,760 USD. Lot number 100 is a postcard of a lynching, estimated at 800-1,200 USD, and lot number 117 is a interior view of a convict's cell, estimated at 200-400 USD.

The fifth highest selling item is an early twentieth-century lynching photograph "apparently of Benny Simmons". The image was estimated at 300-600 USD, and sold for 3,360 USD, nearly six times its high estimate.