Hi James,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

Mildred Boyd (1908–1999) was an American actress, singer, and dancer active in Hollywood from the 1920s through the 1950s. She appeared in hundreds of films, often in roles typical for Black actresses at that time, and also performed as a chorus girl and dancer in high-profile venues such as Sebastian’s Cotton Club in Los Angeles. While she may not be widely famous today, she is part of the history of Black performers in early Hollywood and contributed significantly to film and stage during her era.

Mildred Washington (1905–1933) was an African American actress and dancer in the 1920s and early 1930s. She performed in musicals, nightclubs, and films, including Hearts in Dixie (1929), one of the first major studio films with a predominantly Black cast. Though her career was cut short by her early death at age 28, she is remembered for her work during a formative period for Black entertainers in the U.S. film industry.

An online search for Mona Boyd, who I presume to be Mildred's sister, turned up quite a bit less but nonetheless, this is a potentially important archive that identifies key players in the history of vaudeville and entertainment.

The market for African American ephemera is quite strong at the moment and Swann Galleries in New York City holds dedicated sales of just this material annually, in its Printed & Manuscript African Americana sales. Rick Stattler, the director of Swann's Books & Manuscripts department, was quoted in Antiques & The Arts Weekly saying :"Institutions and private collectors are maintaining their commitment to preserving Black history. We are proud to do our small part in bringing this important material into the public eye.”

It would be difficult to find an exact match to your archive, particularly as you mention you have more photographs and memorabilia than pictured here but some other African American ephemera archives that Swann has sold recently include an original 1958 copy of Victor H. Green's "Green Book" ($62,500); A large collection of Pullman Porter artifacts and ephemera brought $32,500 on a $4,000-6,000 estimate; a collection of Malcolm X material from the Alex Haley estate brought $30,000 on a $4,000-6,000 estimate; a trunk of photos and records from Washington’s Club Caverns nightclub brought $40,000 on a $7,000-10,000 estimate; papers of pioneering veterinarian Jane Hinton brought $25,000 on a $4,000-6,000 estimate (as a gift to her alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania); and the Mississippi-printed Manual for Midwives by Felix J. Underwood from circa 1935 brought $13,750 on a $1,500-2,500 estimate.

Swann isn't the only auction house selling this material: Freeman's (Philadelphia and Chicago) also covers this material as does Heritage Auctions (Dallas). All would want to place their own estimates after examining this archive in person but I'm confident that given its extent and scope, this would have a presale valuation of at least $3,000-5,000.

Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia