God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons In Verse

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 second printing (July 1927) edition of a book of poems by James Weldon Johnson titled God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse. The book features eight poems, each with an illustration by Aaron Douglass and title lettering by C.B. Falls. The hardcover book has a cream paper dust jacket, worn at the spine and lightly soiled. On the front of the jacket is a rectangular illustration by Douglass for the poem, “The Judgement Day,” printed in contrasting black, white and shades of grey. The illustration depicts the central figure of the angel Gabriel, in profile, standing upon two globe-like geometric spheres, one higher than the other. The angel’s proper left knee is bent upon the higher sphere, with the proper left elbow resting on it. The other arm is raised and bent at the elbow, holding a trumpet to his lips. Two wings rise up from his shoulders.

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