Church
The Psalms of David
Sermones Parati de Tempore et de Sanctis
This is a rare (only copy in America), first edition of a collection of sermons in Latin created by the Roman Catholic Church in the 15th century. More than likely, it was to provide standard, timely, and spiritual homilies appropriate to be performed at mass throughout the church year. Library catalogs note “Parartus” as author; this individual's actual identity is yet to be determined.
A Biohistory of 19th-Century Afro-Americans
Upon the discovery of a long-forgotten cemetery in Philadelphia, excavation and study exposed the remains of a Baptist church cemetery and its African-American inhabitants. Thorough research of the skeletons and surrounding area shed light on the living conditions of the African Americans in 19th-century Philadelphia and its environs. This book is important to scientists and curators studying 19th-century American life and physical remains of 19th century Africa -Americans.
How Sweet the Sound
This book traces the development of gospel music, from its roots in the 1900s through its golden age in 1945-55. How Sweet the Sound takes the reader from African American churches in Los Angeles in 1906; to the Deep South Pentecostal churches; to Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, and St. Louis in the 1930s. Author Dr. Horace Boyer (1935-2009) was one of the foremost scholars in African American gospel music, a music historian, and a gospel singer himself.
Frontier Spirit
This book showcases evocative pictures of Southwestern churches taken by Douglas Kent Hall, a well-known documentary photographer. Originally from New York, Hall moved to the small village of Alcalde in northern New Mexico. He spent time travelling throughout the Southwest and along the Mexico-U.S. border in the 1980s gathering material for two photographic books.
God's Trombones
Seven sermons, written in verse, inspired by memories of sermons by black preachers heard by Mr. Johnson in childhood. They are titled: Listen, Lord; a prayer; The creation; The prodigal son; Go down death; A funeral sermon; Noah built the ark; The crucifixion; Let my people go; and The judgment day. The book is illustrated by Aaron Douglas, who was best known for his depiction of African-Americans in the 1920s-1930s notably a four panel mural for the New York Public Library entitled “Aspects of Negro Life” in 1934 for the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP).