<I>God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons In Verse</I>
date: label: Date
content: 1927
name: label: Illustrated by
content: Aaron Douglas, American, 1899 - 1979
label: Written by
content: James Weldon Johnson, American, 1871 - 1938
label: Published by
content: Viking Press, founded 1925
notes: label: Description
content: A second printing (July 1927) edition of a book of poems by James Weldon Johnson titled God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse. The book features eight poems, each with an illustration by Aaron Douglass and title lettering by C.B. Falls. The hardcover book has a cream paper dust jacket, worn at the spine and lightly soiled. On the front of the jacket is a rectangular illustration by Douglass for the poem, “The Judgement Day,” printed in contrasting black, white and shades of grey. The illustration depicts the central figure of the angel Gabriel, in profile, standing upon two globe-like geometric spheres, one higher than the other. The angel’s proper left knee is bent upon the higher sphere, with the proper left elbow resting on it. The other arm is raised and bent at the elbow, holding a trumpet to his lips. Two wings rise up from his shoulders. Behind Gabriel on the lower sphere are two crouching figures, the sinners. In the middle and on the higher sphere, two figures of the saved raise their hands above their heads to be received into heaven. Above the illustration, printed in red text is [GOD’S TROMBONES], below the illustration in smaller, red text is [SEVEN NEGRO SERMONS IN VERSE]. The author’s name [JAMES WELDON JOHNSON] is printed in black text at the bottom center. The inside title page features calligraphy in a free-form style based on Old English lettering, printed in a yellow-gold. The same yellow-gold lettering is used for the titles of the poems throughout the book. Each poem has an illustration by Douglass, in the same style as the cover with silhouetted figures against graphic, geometric backgrounds. The cover illustration appears again as the last illustration in the book, accompanying the poem “The Judgement Day.” There are 56 pages in the book. Printed on the back cover is a summary of the book, a short biography of the author, a quote about the poem “Go down Death” by H.L. Mencken, and the logo for the publisher, The Viking Press.The summary begins [The inspirational sermons of the old-time Negro preachers are here set down as poetry. Mr. Johnson tells in his preface of hearing these same themes treated by famous preachers in his youth; some of the sermons are still current, and like the Spirituals they have a significant place in Negro folk material].
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Art
label: Topic
content: Christianity
label: Topic
content: Folklife
label: Topic
content: Poetry
label: Topic
content: Preaching
label: Topic
content: Religion
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Books and Published Materials
label: Movement
content: Harlem Renaissance (New Negro Movement)
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2015.34.2
objectType: label: Type
content: hardcover books
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Cover: © Aaron Douglas Foundation/Licensed by Visual Artists & Galleries Association, Inc (VAGA), New York, NY Book: © 1927, The Viking Press Inc
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: ink on paper with cardboard
label: Dimensions
content: 9 × 8 1/2 × 1/2 in. (22.9 × 21.6 × 1.3 cm)