Black Opals: Volume I, Number 3, June 1928 [and] Volume II, Number 4, Christmas 1928. [Gertrude Parthenia McBrown and Lois Mailou Jones' Copies, respectively]

Very Good with soiling, wear and stray marks to wraps, chipping and several closed tears to covers, stitching of Vol. III perished. A few stray marks to contents of Vol. IV, manuscript copy of James Weldon John's poem "The Awakening" on the inside rear cover.

Two scarce issues of short-lived Philadelphia literary magazine in the same vein as Harlem's FIRE!!. Features work by Harlem Renaissance luminaries such as Jessie Fauset and Gwendolyn B. Bennettt, paired with lesser known young black authors from local public schools and nearby universities. Originally intended as an outlet for young black writers, it was seen as a way for older established authors to encourage and foster younger talent, with a slogan of "Hail Negro Youth," and a list of editorial staff and contributors being a veritable who's who of the Harlem Renaissance--Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Alain Locke and Arthur Huff Fauset. The June issue also includes a review of Nella Larsen's recently published novel Quicksand. Quite scarce.