The Ethiopian Glee Book Containing the Songs Sung by the Christy Minstrels With Many Other Popular Negro Melodies in Four Parts, Arranged for Quartett Clubs, No. The Ethiopian Glee Book Containing the Songs Sung by the Christy Minstrels With By Chaff, Gumbo (Elias Howe)

Relatively light edge and corner wear with some surface toning and soiling along with a scuff on front upper left and minor tears and chips. The backstrip that covers the spine has a slit for about two inches up on the back, but the binding is still square and secure. Remarkable condition for an antebellum songbook. This was Book 2 of a set of four that, I think, expanded upon a single volume issue (lacking the reference to the Christy Minstrels) that was published around the same time. The author, Gumbo Chaff, was fictitious; the book was written y Elias Howe. This is a very early minstrel collection. It is also of interest in its presentation of what types of songs were associated with African-Americans at the time. ; Oblong 16mo 6″ – 7″ tall; 59-111 pages