1 / 2
Description
CUNARD (Nancy).
*Negro: An Anthology*. Edited and abridged, with an introduction, by Hugh Ford.
New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., [1970]. — 4to, 309 x 237: xxxii, 464 pp., publisher’s hardback, with printed dust jacket.
This is the first reprint of this seminal work in the defence of Black rights, first published in 1934; it is illustrated with nearly 200 photographs, some of which did not appear in the original edition.
Among the most remarkable aspects of *Negro* are, first and foremost, its very existence, and secondly, its author, Nancy Cunard (1896–1965). Both have attained legendary status. Before 1934, Nancy Cunard was already a poet, a daring publisher of avant-garde books, an influential figure in the Montparnasse literary scene, and a passionate collector of African art. But it was *Negro*, conceived for the Black community and dedicated to Henry Crowder, her ‘first Black friend’, that took her career to its zenith.
In 1934, *Negro* became the first work to comprehensively document Black people’s demands for equal treatment. It put forward a thesis—now widely accepted—that, in creative and cultural terms, Black people are the equals of white people. Nancy sought contributions from around the world, organised sections on Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, music, art and politics, and faced the reluctance of some contributors, racist attacks from the press, and difficulties in finding a publisher. Yet she overcame all these obstacles.
The rarity of *Negro* has contributed to its legendary status: of the 1,000 copies printed by a small London publishing house in 1934, only a handful remain today, mostly in private collections. The unsold copies were lost during the London bombings, which destroyed the publisher’s stock.
*Negro* inspired generations of activists and intellectuals. Its content makes it a seminal work in the struggle for Black rights.
This reprint was published by and with notes by Hugh Ford. Following the introduction, there is a note stating that: ‘The publisher has selected more than half of the original content: most of the section devoted to America, all of the poetry, half of the European texts and around two-thirds of the African section. New photographs by Nancy Cunard, some of which were taken whilst she was preparing the book *Negro*, have been added to the selection of images reproduced here from the original edition.”
A copy belonging to the American novelist, journalist and translator Solita Solano (1888–1975), featuring this autograph dedication signed on the half-title page:
Dear Solita, // well, as you see, it is // still a large and important //
book. May its message // travel far! // Love. // Hugh // Trenton. October 1970
Solita Sodano had met Nancy Cunard in 1924. Among other works, she wrote *Nancy Cunard: Brave Poet, Indomitable Rebel*, published by Hugh Ford in Philadelphia in 1968. Ford cites her in the book on pages xxvii (note 28) and 131.
The dust jacket has some tears, creases and water stains. There are marks left by paper clips on the front endpaper and the first three leaves. A few rare, faint foxing spots.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
About the sale
Claude Mozis Library – Black Africa and the African diaspora
Auction location
Auction time
10/21/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
You may also like