RARE Lot, Booker T. Washington Signed Letter, 1st Ed. “Up from Slavery” with NEVER-before-seen Letters from Washington’s Mentor, General Samuel C. Armstrong 

Unique 1st edition book “Up from Slavery” (1901) with two letters. One from General Samuel C. Armstrong, a mentor of Booker T. Washington, and a letter from Booker T. Washington. Believed to be previously owned by George Huntington Williams, Baltimore’s Commissioner of Health, due to the inner page being signed “Huntington Williams, M.D.” Expected wear from shelf-life and use. Please see photos for condition. 8” x 5.5”.

Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) was an American educator, author, speaker, and adviser to several presidents of the United States. Between 1890 and 1915, he was the dominant leader in the African-American community. Washington was from the last generation of black American leaders born into slavery and became the leading voice of the formerly enslaved people and their descendants. He was a key proponent of African-American businesses and one of the founders of the National Negro Business League. Washington’s base was the Tuskegee Institute, a historically black college in Tuskegee, Alabama, where he served as principal. As lynchings in the South reached a peak in 1895, Washington gave a speech that brought him national fame, known as the Atlanta Exposition Speech. In front of a predominantly white audience, Washington called for black progress through education and entrepreneurship rather than directly the Jim Crow segregation and the disenfranchisement of black voters in the South. In addition to his educational contributions, Washington wrote fourteen books; his autobiography, "Up from Slavery" first published in 1901, is still widely read today.

Booker T. Washington’s letter includes details of his being invited to speak at the New England Women’s Club, but the invitation was late, so he could not attend. The letter is signed, and a printed signature of Booker T. Washington is in the first edition book “Up From Slavery” under a printed portrait of him.

Samuel C. Armstrong, a native of Hawaii, was a general during the American Civil War who led many units of African American soldiers and later became an educator, particularly of non-whites. Armstrong founded the Hampton Institute in Virginia, later known as Hampton University. In 1872, Booker T. Washington arrived at the school with fifty cents in his pocket.

After coming to the school in 1872, Washington immediately began to adopt Armstrong’s teaching and philosophy. Washington described Armstrong as the most perfect specimen of man, physically, mentally, and spiritually the most Christ-like.

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.

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