Lovely original Bronzeville Beauty!

Recognize any of these names? Sam Cook, Dinah Washington, Etta Moten Barnett, Richard Wright, Charles White, Frank Hayden, Jesse Owens, Richmond Barthe, William Carter, Mahalia Jackson, Nat King Cole; every great artist, entertainer , writer or intellectual got their start in Bronzeville Chicago! Bronzeville was commonly referred to as the ‘Black Belt’ during the Great Migration of 1914-1970.

When I was a child you travelled the community with your parents. Shopping, ice cream, movies… Anyone remember Dr. Beasley in the Supreme Life building? That was our family doctor. The family optometrist was Dr Sosin over on 47th and Cottage Grove in the South Side Trust & Savings Bank. And may I mention ALL the incredible architecture in Bronzeville, hell the Southside. Simply STUNNING. Massive limestones and mansions on Martin Luther King boulevard. Ellis ave from Oakwood to 47th boasts some of the grandest rowhouses in the Midwest. Bonus points if you know where the Jackson Park highlands are.  If you’re into architecture you must check out Chicago’s very own Lee Bey.

This work signed by artist Eugene Andrews and dated 1949, features a nude Black woman showcasing her lovely form and smile. Her hair is styled in what appears to be a “Marcel” wave with an elongated Bob. Red lips with a white cotton sheet drape over her nether regions. This Bronzeville Bronze Beauty smiles openly at the artist. On the reverse is where it gets interesting. The artist wrote the address 523 E. 44th Street. I walked over to 44th street hoping to knock on the door and perhaps meet someone that could offer a smidgen of information, but the original structure is no longer there. In its place sits a ‘newer’ build. Dang. Still, the provenance is all there. Add this piece to your heirloom portfolio!

Pick up-where else? BRONZEVILLE! (For those of you not familiar with the southside of Chicago or the neighborhood of Bronzeville, Estate Sale Goddess is around the corner from President Obama’s mansion).

Questions?