CJMoorLaw

Pittsburgh has Rich History in The Hills that have been documented and wanted by Smithsonian In Pittsburgh. Saving AMERICA'S Treasures in the HILL DISTRICT. PLEASE HELP SAVE THESE NATIONAL TREASURES OF PITTSBURGH IN AMERICAN HISTORY - HILL DISTRICT needs to be SAVED!! THESE ITEMS ARE NOT ONLY PARTICULAR TO PA, BUT TO NATIONAL HISTORY IN THE AREAS OF WAR, TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE. PHILIP J. MERRILL IS A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED EXPERT IN AFRICAN AMERICAN MEMORABILIA AND HISTORY. HIS SPECIALTIES INCLUDE AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORICAL RESEARCH, ORAL HISTORY AND COLLECTING AND INTERPRETING CULTURAL ARTIFACTS. HE WAS AN APPRAISER WITH THE PBS TELEVISION SHOW ANTIQUES ROAD SHOW FROM 1996-2001, WHERE HE CREATED THE CATEGORY FOR BLACK MEMORABILIA. HE HAS LECTURED EXTENSIVELY ON AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND COLLECTIBLES. HE HAS WORKED ON MANY PROJECTS ACROSS THE NATION. MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HIM CAN BE FOUND AT THE FOLLOWING LINK. HTTP://WWW.NANNYJACK.COM/ABOUT_PHILIP_MERRILL.HTM APPRAISAL REPORT SUBJECT OF APPRAISAL: SELECTED ARTIFACTS FROM THE JOHNSON FAMILY COLLECTION APPRAISAL PROVIDED FOR: THE JOHNSON FAMILY TRUST DATE OF APPRAISAL: FEBRUARY 2, 2006 Summary of Appraisal NANNY JACK & CO. WAS EXTREMELY PLEASED TO PERFORM THIS APPRAISAL OF SELECTED AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTIFACTS FROM THE JOHNSON FAMILY COLLECTION. THIS APPRAISAL WAS PERFORMED BY PHILIP J. MERRILL, A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED SPECIALIST IN AFRICAN AMERICAN MEMORABILIA.http://www.nannyjack.com/about_philip_merrill.htm SPECIFICALLY, WE WERE ASKED TO EVALUATE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS: ABOUT 44 PHOTOGRAPHS 1 COLORED DEMOCRATIC PARTY CARD 2 NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS FROM THE 1936 PITTSBURGH COURIER 2 DOCUMENTS FROM U.S. PRESIDENTS 1 DEED TO PROPERTY FROM GEORGE H. WHITE REALTY COMPANY- INVESTOR OF WHITESBORO, N.J The appraisal was requested for donation purposes. Specifically, these artifacts are to be donated to the Heinz Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Note:Yet to be agreed upon by Johnson Family Historical Trust. The initiative will actively pursue the option of Historical Trust Radio Room and Museum at 303-305 Main Street or Hill District Pittsburg as a primary option with secondary preservation services offered by Smithsonian in Pittsburgh Senator Heinz Museum.) In determining the value of the collection, we took into account the rarity, condition and desirability of the artifacts in the collection. A brief definition of each of these terms follows: RARITY: THE RARITY OF AN OBJECT REFERS TO THE NUMBER OF EXAMPLES OF THE OBJECT THAT WERE MADE OR HAVE SURVIVED. AN OBJECT’S RARITY WILL GREATLY AFFECT ITS DESIRABILITY AND VALUE. WE FOUND THE RARITY OF THIS COLLECTION TO BE EXTREMELY HIGH. Each artifact tells its own story, misconception, learning lesson and historical impression. Photographs, articles and documents listed as follows: GRANDMA PEARL – WAITING FOR HIM (JOHN JOHNSON IN SPANISH AMERICAN WAR – PHILIPPINES 1898 MILITARY CENSUS) SHE IS PICTURES WITH ELIZABETH (JOHNSON) THOMAS. BLACKS IN SPANISH AMERICAN WAR WERE PROMISED LAND AND RESPECT AFTER FIGHTING FOR AMERICA. THEY WERE DISRESPECTED AND SOUGHT TO MAKE THEIR OWN INVESTMENT BANKS, POLITICAL PARTIES AND EMPIRES Lived in Hills District in 1936 - started Colored Democratic Party) ELIZABETH THOMAS – (JAMES JOHNSON OLDEST SISTER) COLORED DEMOCRATIC PARTY CARD 1936 (ONLY ONE IN EXISTENCE, NOTHING LIKE IT IN THE SMITHSONIAN - ONE OF A KIND) -HILL DISTRICT PITTSBURGH COLORED DEMOCRATIC PARTY CARD – FEATURES THE NAME OF PAUL F. JONES FOUNDER OF COLORED DEMOCRATIC PARTY. HILL DISTRICT PITTSBURGH JAMES L. JOHNSON (MY GRANDFATHER) 1936 HISTORIC PITTSBURGH COURIER PAPER. RECEIVED NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR HIS WORK IN HAM RADIO’S AT PITTSBURGH’S HISTORIC KAY CLUB. RADIO WORK DONE IN HISTORIC WHITESBORO. JAMES L JOHNSON HOLDS, ALONG WITH HIS FATHER JOHN JOHNSON, DEED TO PROPERTY 303 MAIN STREET WHITESBORO. GRANDMA PEARL, UNCLE SAM, AUNT KELLY AND UNKNOWN FEMALE IN WHITESBORO, NJ. PROPERTY HAS THE DEED FROM GEORGE H. WHITE REALTY COMPANY. 1700 ACRES WAS PURCHASED FOR WHITES COLORED AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL EQUITABLE ASSOCIATION. GEORGE H WHITE, BOOKER T WASHINGTON, PAUL DUNBAR AND WYLIE BATES (FROM PITTSBURGH). THE MESSAGE FROM GEORGE H WHITE TO THE NEGRO MAN THAT FOUGHT UNDER UNCLE SAM AS REPUBLICANS WERE ADDRESSED IN 1901 IN HIS FAREWELL SPEECH TO CONGRESS. IT WAS THEM BLACKS STARTED TO THINK DEMOCRAT BECAUSE OF CONTINUOUS FAILED PROMISES AND LACK OF RESPECT FROM REPUBLICAN PARTY. All Radio and transmission National Awards were featured in Pittsburgh Courier 1936) AUNT ETHEL – LIVED IN THE CENTER OF TOWN IN PITTSBURGH. PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN 1714 N. 4TH STREET. THIS ADDRESS ON THE BACK OF HER PHOTOGRAPH IN A HISTORICAL NATIONAL REGISTRY SITE. FROM THE REGISTRY - (FOURTH AVENUE NORTH 1600-1800 FOURTH AVE. N, 300 BLOCKS 17TH & 18TH ST. NORTH, 24 COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS (18 C, 6 NC), 1908-1928, INCLUDES A MASONIC TEMPLE, THE PENNY SAVINGS BANK AND THE CARVER THEATER-ALABAMA JAZZ HALL OF FAME MAHALA JOHNSON BORN 1819 - IN BIRMINGHAM IN LATE 1880’S OR 1890’S – A MEMBER OF ONE OF THE FIRST BLACK BANKS - PENNY SAVERS IN BIRMINGHAM. NAME OF THE BANK IS ON THE ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPH CARDBOARD FRAME BORDER. MA JOHNSON – ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE BANK MR. JARWELL – FROM WISCONSIN – MILWAUKEE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST BLACK SETTLEMENTS FOR ELITE BLACKS IN LATE 1700’S. VIA THE ROTARY CLUB AND INVESTMENTS COMPANIES IN BLACK PAPERS LIKE PITTSBURGH COURIER, WORD GOT AROUND OF BETTER LIFE IN BIRMINGHAM. SO MUCH SO, IT WAS CALLED THE “PITTSBURGH OF THE SOUTH. 2 TIN TYPE PHOTOS – ELEY JOHNSON, MARIA ANN REED, MOTHER REED (ON NANSEMOND, VA FREE BLACKS CENSUS 1850) DURING THE CIVIL WAR ERA E.W. JOHNSON NEWS ARTICLE 1936 HISTORIC PITTSBURGH COURIER – FOUND CHURCH AT 10TH AND WALLACE IN PHILADELPHIA and was awarded in Hill District via article in 1936. UNCLE ED – PHOTOGRAPH, UNCLE ED CERTIFICATES IN Artifacts JAMES L. JOHNSON – ORIGINAL HAM RADIO’S FOUND AT THE SITE 303 MAIN STREET IN WHITESBORO. OVER 40 OF THE BULBS IN TACT ARE FROM WESTERN PA COMPANY’S. First Radio Transmission from 1936 Pittsburgh Courier. COLORED DEMOCRATIC PARTY CARD 2 ARTICLES EW JOHNSON AND JAMES L JOHNSON, PITTSBURGH COURIER 1936 Albums in Original Cover played over Pittsburgh Radio in 1930's and 1940's THERE ARE A TOTAL OF 75 WP PAGES AT 12 POINT SIZE CURRENTLY. WHAT WAS SENT WAS JUST A PIECE. THERE ARE OTHER AREAS OF THIS HISTORICAL STUDY FROM PERSONAL PROSPECTIVE ONLY TO HOW TO BOOK (OR PIT FALLS IN RESEARCHING YOUR HISTORY) IN SEARCHING FOR YOU HERITAGE AND LEARNING WHAT TO TAKE AS FACT OR FICTION. OR, SIMPLY LEARNING THAT A FACT FOR MANY IS NOT A FACT IN HISTORY FOR YOU. CONDITION: THE CONDITION OF AN OBJECT IS A CRITICAL FACTOR IN DETERMINING ITS VALUE. WE FOUND THE CONDITION OF THE OBJECTS IN THIS COLLECTION TO BE AVERAGE. DESIRABILITY: THIS RATING FACTOR REFERS TO THE DEGREE TO WHICH SOPHISTICATED COLLECTORS AND OTHER KNOWLEDGEABLE PERSONS WOULD DESIRE TO OWN AN ITEM. DESIRABILITY IS LARGELY SUBJECTIVE, BUT IT WILL AFFECT AN OBJECT’S VALUE. WE FOUND THE DESIRABILITY OF THIS COLLECTION TO BE EXTREMELY HIGH. A MAJOR FACTOR IN OUR EVALUATION IS THE STRENGTH OF THE DOCUMENTATION OF THE ASSORTED PHOTOGRAPHS, ESPECIALLY THE CRITICAL GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH AND SUPERB PROVENANCE RELATED TO THE HISTORIC AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY OF WHITESBORO, NEW JERSEY, IN GENERAL, AND THE PIONEERING RADIO WORK OF JAMES JOHNSON IN PARTICULAR. INDEED, WITHOUT THIS SUPPORTING EVIDENCE, THIS COLLECTION WOULD BE LESS SIGNIFICANT. MANY OF THE FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHS CAPTURED BY FAMILY MEMBERS ARE IN POOR TO AVERAGE CONDITION AT BEST. HOWEVER, WITH MODERN RESTORATIVE TECHNIQUES SEVERAL CAN BE RESTORED TO THEIR ORIGINAL SPLENDOR. SEVERAL OF THE CABINET CARDS, TINTYPES AND REAL PHOTO POSTCARDS ARE IN MUCH BETTER CONDITION. THE LARGE FRAMED FEMALE IMAGE IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. A MAJOR FACTOR IN OUR EVALUATION IS THE STRENGTH OF THE DOCUMENTATION OF THE ASSORTED PHOTOGRAPHS, ESPECIALLY THE CRITICAL GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH AND SUPERB PROVENANCE RELATED TO THE HISTORIC AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY OF WHITESBORO, NEW JERSEY, IN GENERAL, AND THE PIONEERING RADIO WORK OF JAMES JOHNSON IN PARTICULAR. INDEED, WITHOUT THIS SUPPORTING EVIDENCE, THIS COLLECTION WOULD BE LESS SIGNIFICANT. WHILE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS APPRAISAL, IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT SEVERAL OF THE VINTAGE VACUUM TUBES IN THE JOHNSON COLLECTION ARE DESIRABLE RADIO AND ELECTRONIC ARTIFACTS. WHILE SOME ARE RUSTED AND IN POOR CONDITION, THEY ARE STILL SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE JAMES JOHNSON USED HOMEMADE PARTS TO REPAIR THEM. WHILE THE HEINZ MUSEUM MAY NOT BE INTERESTED IN THESE ITEMS, THE JOHNSON FAMILY TRUST SHOULD BE FROM AN INTERPRETIVE AND PRESERVATION STANDPOINT. IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE, WITH THE HELP OF THE RIGHT SPECIALIST, TO RESTORE ONE OR TWO RADIOS TO FUNCTIONING AND/OR DISPLAYABLE CONDITION. THE CONCEPT OF A RADIO ROOM NEEDS TO BE EXPLORED IN DEPTH. I am thrilled and enlightened of the strength of Community (One Hill) in this fine article. My only hope is to get this information out to save The HILLS, AMERICAN" TREASURES and the Community! The National Main Streets Could bring MILLIONS to the Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh and the Hills Districts in years to come with such National Treasures. I am already set to speak. see more information on opportunities in the Hill District for National Main Street. http://www.mainstreet.org/ I hope this information finds those more uplifted in the spirit in which the HILLS was created! I thank them my Community! Peace, Freedom and Preservation, Always, Carla Johnson Curator - Johnson Family Historic Trust and Museum [email protected] "Education Through Preservation is Key"