Description:

Civil Rights Activists Ruby Dee & Ossie Davis Personally Owned Items, 7pc Archive

A group of seven items relating to husband and wife actor-activists Ossie Davis (1917-2005) and Ruby Dee (1922-2014), including 4 books signed and inscribed to the couple, as well as three identical programs from a tribute event, all signed by Dee. The materials span nearly 50 years of their marriage, ranging in date between 1949-2000. Varying degrees of page toning, bumped corners, and creasing throughout. Overall, very good- an interesting collection of materials from two leaders in African-American film. Please see below and accompanying images for further information.

The lot includes:

1.) The Tom Fletcher Story- 100 Years of the Negro in Show Business by Tom Fletcher. First edition, 337pp (New York: Burdge and Co., 1954). Written on the inside of front cover in Dee's distinctive hand: "Ruby and Ossie Davis, Dec. 1960", below featuring the stamp of the Negro Actors Guild of America, Inc. Additionally features the couple's property stamp on front flyleaf as well as on top and outer right end pages.

2.) 'Smoked Yankees' and the Struggle for Empire- Letters from Negro Soldiers, 1898-1902, edited by Willard B. Gatewood, Jr. Reprint series, 325pp (Fayetteville: The University of Arkansas Press, 1987). Inscribed to Ossie Davis on half title page by fellow actor Michael O. Smith: "To Ossie, with much love + admiration!! Enjoy! Michael O.".

3.) The Smile of the World by Garson Kanin (New York: Dramatists Play Service Inc., 1949). 80pp. Inscribed by the playwright to Davis, reading in full: "This one is for Ossie, my idea of a man, my idea of an actor. With thanks and love, Garson Kanin/ N.Y.C. August 1949". Features the couple's property stamp above on front flyleaf. Notably, Dee and Davis would appear in the 1949 production of The Smile of the World in the roles of Evelyn and Stewart, respectively.

4.) The Visit- A Drama in Three Acts by Friedrich Deurrenmatt, adapted by Maurice Valency. (New York: Samuel French, Inc., 1958). Accompanied by 3pp of notes from actress Louise Beavers (1900-1962) in which she writes to Ossie and Ruby: "My Dears! Hope this helps. All my love, Louise". Annotated throughout by Beavers and other unknown hands. Earlier, Beavers and Dee acted as co-stars in the 1950 film The Jackie Robinson Story.

5.) A group of three signed programs for an event entitled "A Tribute to Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis, and benefit for the Betty Shabazz Wholistic Retreat Center", which took place on December 6, 2000. All have been signed as "Ruby Dee" at middle left. Shabazz (1934/36-1997) was the wife of Malcolm X and a notable Civil Rights activist.

Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis first met while costarring on Broadway in the 1946 production of Jeb by Robert Ardrey, which tackled the issue of race in post-World War II America. The two were married in 1948, and would go on to star in several film and TV productions together. In addition to their extensive careers in acting, and in the case of Davis, directing, they would notably use their influence within the industry to become leaders in political and Civil Rights activism. In particular, Dee was a member of both the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the NAACP, as well as being an active member of the Harlem Writers Guild for over 40 years. The couple was also involved in the organization of the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, later serving as its emcees. As personal friends of both Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, Davis would give the eulogy at Malcolm's funeral in 1965 alongside Dr. Ahmed Osman.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE! 

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

January 10, 2024 10:30 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000