The Ballad of a Brown Girl: An Old Ballad Retold

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A first edition, hardcover octavo bound book by Countee Cullen titled: The Ballad of the Brown Girl: An Old Ballad Retold. The book (2011.31.1a) has a yellow cover with black corners and edges. The interior pages have graphic illustrated borders by Charles Cullen surrounding the text. A handwritten inscription on the first interior page reads "Author's Copy, Countee Cullen". There are 11 pages. The book has a green paper book sleeve that has been torn in two pieces. The front of the sleeve (2011.31.1b) has an off-white label that has black text that reads: [The Ballad of The Brown Girl / An Old Ballad Retold / by / Countee Cullen / With Illustrations / And Decorations By / Charles Cullen / Harper & Brothers / New York and London / 1927]. The text is framed by a depictions of two figures in the bottom corners of the label, looking upward.

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