BLK MKT Vintage

August 1, 2024

Business and life partners Handy and Stewart, owners of BLK MKT Vintage, share their mission of curating and reclaiming Black history through physical objects. Frustrated by seeing racist objects labelled as "Black memorabilia" in antique shops, Handy and Stewart dreamed of creating their own store for Black cultural ephemera; they now have an online marketplace as well as a brick-and-mortar site in Brooklyn, NY. The couple's book is not only a tribute to Black culture but a celebration of their 10-year-old company, their personal histories, and their relationship. The text is highlighted by 300 photographs of vintage objects, including books, magazines, playbills, vinyl records, advertising posters, clothing, pins, photographs, pennants, and yearbooks. The authors share cherished items from their private collection as well, including a rare first edition of Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God, a Faith Ringgold lithograph, the program from James Baldwin's funeral, and a backgammon board that belonged to Handy's father. The book is also an inside look at the resale industry and includes tips for building, preserving, and displaying collections. VERDICT This one-of-a-kind monograph will inspire readers to cherish and curate their own collections.--Denise Miller

Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 2, 2024
Handy and Stewart debut with a vibrant coffee-table book exploring their work as founders of Brooklyn’s BLK MKT Vintage store, which archives and sells historical “Black ephemera and material culture.” They argue that vintage items showing the diversity and dignity of Black history are needed to counteract the racist representations that adorn so much white ephemera, and the plentiful photos of the authors’ private collection fulfill that purpose splendidly. For instance, the authors shed light on the intersectional oppression of queer Black people by sharing mug shots of Black civilians arrested on charges related to their non-cis gender expression in 1940s and ’50s Cleveland. Elsewhere, “Black ABCs” posters (“A is for afro”) designed by Chicago educators for use in the city’s classrooms attest to the Black Power era’s concern with “pride, self-determination, and community.” In interviews with Handy and Stewart, Black collectors discuss their favorite finds, as when Wisconsin shopkeeper Megan Dorsey recounts getting into a heated bidding war for a Black Victorian-era photo album. The featured items serve as a whistlestop tour through the past century of Black history, and the authors include useful tips for anyone who wants to start their own collection (“Don’t give your price first” when haggling with a seller, they recommend). It’s a joy to behold.