B etween
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112 Nicholson Rd, Gloucester City, NJ 08030
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Langston Hughes
Archive of Correspondence and Books Inscribed by Langston Hughes
betweenthecovers.com
$8500
A small archive from the collection of Al and Irene Liggins, longtime friends and early supporters of Langston Hughes, who was a frequently
houseguest at their home in Cleveland, where he attended high school. Al Liggins was a lifelong member of the NAACP, and shared many of
Hughes’ sociopolitical philosophies. He and his daughter, Arlene, met Martin Luther King Jr. after King delivered a speech in Cleveland in 1965.
Irene and Al bequeathed this collection to their daughter, Arlene Watkins (nee Liggins), of Shaker Heights, Ohio.
The collection consists of:
Books:
- Inscribed first printing of I Wonder As I Wander, 1956
- Inscribed paperback of Something In Common, 1963
Programs & Pamphlets:
- Signed program for a lecture reading on the radio show, Negro Business Hour, 1940
- Signed program for the musical, Simply Heavenly, 1959
- Inscribed biographical pamphlet, Langston Hughes: Poet of the People, 1967
Correspondence:
- Inscribed greeting card, 1965
- Autograph Letter Signed from Bermuda, 1959
- Inscribed Postcard with address card, [no date]
A wonderful collection from a couple that shared warm and affectionate relations with Hughes, a fellow Cleveland native.
A detailed list follows:
1. Hughes, Langston. I Wonder as I Wander: An Autobiographical Journey. New York: Rinehart and Company, Inc., 1956. First edition, first
printing. Inscribed by Hughes in green ink on the front free endpaper: “For Irene ~ / Sincerely, / Langston Hughes.” Publisher’s light gray cloth,
spine stamped in dark green and light blue. About very good, with wear at the extremities, some fraying at the crown, and a bit cocked.
I Wonder as I Wander is Hughes’ second autobiography following The Big Sea (1940), which chronicled his first 28 years. In I Wonder as I Wander,
Hughes remembers the 1930’s, an often understated period in the poet’s writing career, laden with literary experiments and travels. The text
begins with the onset of the Great Depression in 1929, a time-period that mirrored Hughes’ own depression after graduating college, losing the
financial support of his benefactor Ms. Charlotte Osgood Mason, and struggling to support himself as a writer. So, as Hughes explains, “I went
to Haiti to run from my problems” and where he began to “puzzle out how I, a Negro, could make a living in America from writing,” specifically
“the kind of writing I like to do.” Hughes continued to travel around the globe in the years to follow, visiting Mexico, the U.S.S.R., China,
Spain, Japan, and Cuba, among other locations. While abroad, he endeavored in
various literary efforts, including reporting on the Spanish Civil War and acting
in a Soviet film about racial inequality in the United States. Hughes’ frustration,
struggles, and travels during the 1930’s bred beautiful poetry such as “Let
America Be America Again,” and solidified Hughes’ sense of self, creating the
foundation for his prolific writing of the 1940s and 1950s.
2. Hughes, Langston. Something in Common and Other Stories. New York: Hill
and Wang, 1963. First American Century Series Edition. Inscribed by Hughes
in green ink on the front free endpaper: “Especially for / Al and Irene ~ / with
sincere / regards from ~ / Langston / New York, / April 1, / 1963.” Publisher’s
mustard yellow wrappers designed by Oliver Lundquist, with circle illustrations
and lettering in white and black. Very good, some wear at the edges, reading
creases to the wraps and spine, and a bit cocked.
Something in Common is Hughes’ third collection of short stories. Specifically,
it contains 26 previously published and 11 previously unpublished pieces,
including “Who’s Passing for Who?,” “Spanish Blood,” “Power-White Faces,”
“Trouble with the Angels,” “Breakfast in Virginia,” and “Father and Son,”
among others. After writing his first story at Central High School in Cleveland,
Hughes continued to write short fiction in the 1930s while living in Europe,
West Africa, and the Soviet Union, but, as the dust jacket notes, after his return
to Harlem and during the height of his proclivity, Hughes focused on poetry,
nonfiction, and a column in The Chicago Defender featuring his well-known
character Simple. Accordingly, the short stories collected in this volume were
written over the course of Hughes’ writing career, including many early pieces.
For example, “Gumption” was first published in The New Yorker as “Oyster’s
Son” on January 12, 1935.
3. Hughes, Langston. Autograph Card Signed. Harlem, NY: 29 December,
1965. One greeting card, Inscribed by Hughes in green ink on the verso:
“Happy New Year! / Langston.” Card with a sign proclaiming “Merry Christmas
from Langston Hughes” on the recto; in the original mailing envelope, with
Hughes’ 127th St. Harlem address to the verso,
Hughes notes for his postman to the verso in green
ink, various postal stamps to both sides. Card with
a hint of wear to the extremities, faint creasing to
the top right corner, else fine; envelope slightly
torn at the flap where it was opened, a few light
spots of minor soiling, else fine. A bright and
attractive letter, with warm greetings.
With this card, Hughes simultaneously wishes the
Liggins a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
from his home in Harlem. The letter was returned
to Hughes after the U.S. Postal Service failed to
find the recipient’s address, prompting Hughes to
write (presumably to his postman): “Dear Nolan
– This came / back. So please / take it by the / bar.
/ Langston.” He also adds “P.S. I’m / just back /
from Paris / L.H.” In late December 1965, Hughes
traveled to Paris to see a performance of his play
The Prodigal Son by a British theater company at
the Theatre des Champs-Élysses.
4. Hughes, Langston. Autograph Letter Signed.
Pembroke West, Bermuda: 24 May, 1959. One
page letter, written in blue ink on Archlyn Villa
(Bermuda) stationery; in the original mailing
envelope, with Hughes’ 127th St. Harlem address
to the verso, Bermuda postmark and customs
stamps to the verso, addressed in green ink by
Hughes. Letter with creasing where folded, else
fine and without blemish; envelope cut open on
the right edge, with light ripping, minor offsetting
to the verso, else fine. A warm letter in pristine
condition.
In this letter, Hughes reminisces about “that most
pleasant party” that Liggins threw in Cleveland,
where the poet was able to see his childhood
friends. Hughes wrote this letter at
Archlyn Villa, a private guest house,
in West Pembroke, Bermuda, which
he describes as “not to different from
the U.S., since it is so near.” He
traveled to Bermuda in May 1959
“as a guest of the women’s auxiliary
of the local chapter of Alpha Phi
Alpha Fraternity.” There, he gave a
series of lectures to various audiences,
including poetry fans at the Berkeley
Institute, the Bermuda Union of
Teachers, and school children from
across the island. (The Bermuda
Recorder, May 20, 1959).
5. Meltzer, Milton. Langston Hughes: Poet of the People. New York: Springboards / Portal Press, 1967. Inscribed by Hughes in green ink on the
front panel: “For/ Irene ~ Sincerely ~ Langston.” Paper leaflet, with a black and white photograph of Hughes as a student at Lincoln University
in 1928 to the front panel. Very good, with a hint of wear to the extremities, horizontal creasing where the leaflet was previously tri-folded, light
offsetting to the center of the front panel, otherwise clean pages. Overall, a bright and pleasing copy.
Langston Hughes: Poet of the People is a biographical pamphlet about Hughes’ upbringing, travels, and literary significance, that paints Hughes
not just as “the unofficial poet of the Negro people” but as one of America’s most important poets “regardless of race or creed.” Specifically, it
chronicles the challenges Hughes faced as an aspiring writer and young black male coming of age in the Jim Crow Era. On the rear panel, there is
a quiz entitled “What Do You Know?” that polls the reader’s knowledge of the African-American history and Langston Hughes. Langston Hughes:
Poet of the People was written by American historian Milton Meltzer, who collaborated with Hughes on the 1965 A Pictorial History of the Negro
in America and went on to write Hughes’ biography (published in 1968).
Springboards was a series of informational pamphlets related to the Civil Rights Movement and African-American literature and history. The
series was published by the Portal Press and intended for use as teaching aides. Other titles in this series include Harriet Beecher Stowe Speaks Out,
Harriet Tubman Leads the Way, and The Negro in American History, among others.
6. [Hughes, Langston]. [Theatre Program]: Simply Heavenly. Cleveland: Karamu Theatre, 1959. Single leaf program. Signed by Hughes in green
on the front panel. Gray paper, with title lettering and abstract comedy/tragedy mask border in maroon, interior lettered in black. Very good,
with some light toning to the fold and panel edges, minor creasing to the panels, a few light spots of minor soiling to the front and rear panel,
bright and clean interior. An attractive piece of Hughes theater ephemera.
Simply Heavenly is a musical folk comedy with music by David Martin featuring Simple, Hughes’ fictional Harlemite named Jesse B. Simple.
It was first produced in New York off-Broadway at the 85th Street Playhouse in May, 1957, and then on-Broadway at the Playhouse Theater
in August of the same year. Hughes first created Simple for his column in The Chicago Defender, and published multiple collections of Simple
stories, including The Best of Simple (1961). This play, like much of Hughes’ writing as an African-American during the Jim Crow Era, Simply
Heavenly is geared towards white audiences so as to make it marketable for contemporary theater, and, accordingly, Hughes’ sociopolitical
messages are couched within more neutral subject matter. In Simply Heavenly, Hughes features two prominent scenes where African-American
characters both profess pride in their race and express frustration with racial inequality. The Karamu Theater production of Simply Heavenly
opened on May 5, 1959, and starred Nolan D. Bell Sr., the first African-American actor to join the regular staff of the Cleveland Playhouse.
7. [Hughes, Langston]. [Program]: Negro Business Hour of the Progressive Business Alliance, Inc. Presents Mr. Langston Hughes in a Lecture-Reading.
Cleveland: Lane Metropolitan Church, 1940. One page folded program. Signed by Hughes in black ink on the front panel. Cream paper,
stamped in black; about near fine, with a hint of wear and faint toning to the extremities, vertical creasing at the fold, a hint of horizontal
creasing across the centers of the panels. A pleasing piece of Hughes ephemera.
This program accompanied the April 29, 1940 Negro Business Hour event at the Lane Metropolitan Church in Cleveland that featured Langston
Hughes as the keynote speaker. The Negro Business Hour was a weekly radio program hosted on Sunday mornings by the Progressive Business
Alliance, a business association founded in 1939 to promote the advancement of African Americans in the business community through advocacy
and professional development. Hughes lectured on African American identity and read a selection of poems in a presentation entitled “Problems
and Poems of Negro Life.” Additionally, this event included religious invocations and songs, interviews of African American businessmen, and
addresses by the president and secretary of the Progressive Business Alliance.
8. Hughes, Langston. Autograph Postcard Signed. Harlem: [no date]. One postcard, Inscribed by Hughes in black ink on the verso, with postage
stamps in black on the verso, with stamp and lettering in mauve to the recto, recipient’s address typed in black to the recto; very good or better,
with some minor toning to the recto, minor smudging and a hint of light soiling to the verso, else fine. Overall, a clean postcard with a warm
greeting. [With]: White address card with Hughes’ Harlem address and phone number in holograph in green on the recto, with the phone
number additionally written in blue ink; very good, uneven left edge, minor creasing, else fine.
With this postcard, Langston Hughes thanks his friend Irene Liggins for her recent gift. In a darker, centered ink, Hughes wrote “Thank you
/ very much ~ / Langston Hughes.” In a lighter black marker, Hughes added “Dear Irene ~ I love the / Greek wine ~” in the top margin and
“Best wishes to the / newlyweds!” in the bottom margin. Most likely, Hughes wrote the first inscription to make this postcard as an all-purpose
“thank you” card, but then added the personal inscription later, writing over parts of his first inscription to fit the marginal text. The postcard
is accompanied by Hughes’ handwritten contact information, including his address at 127th Street in Harlem and his telephone at that address.
While his references to gifts and weddings are somewhat ambiguous, Hughes extra inscription and supplementary contact information indicate
the intimate nature of his friendship with Liggins. [BTC#398101]