BLK MKT Vintage: Reclaiming Objects and Curiosities That Tell Black Stories

BLK MKT Vintage: Reclaiming Objects and Curiosities That Tell Black Stories by Jannah Handy and Kiyanna Stewart is the coffee table book on collecting Black history, one object at a time.

Some objects take us straight back to a front room, a particular year, a feeling we thought we’d lost. This is the book that treats them as history.

Jannah Handy and Kiyanna Stewart founded BLK MKT Vintage, a Brooklyn vintage shop and online store that has handled tens of thousands of items, from literature and vinyl to clothing, art, decor, and furniture. Over more than 15 years of collecting and sourcing, they have searched through piles, boxes, and bookshelves for Black history. BLK MKT Vintage is what they found, and how they found it.

Designed like a scrapbook or family album, the book brings together more than 300 photographs of vintage pieces, from 1972 Shirley Chisholm campaign pins to early 1800s hand-drawn maps of Africa and 1920s HBCU yearbooks. It includes a foreword by Spike Lee, interviews with Black archivists, artists, memory workers, and collectors, and a look into the authors' private collection of thousands of items.

For the considered collector, this is a practical guide as much as a visual one. Handy and Stewart explain how the vintage world works, who the players are, how value is set, and how to haggle. They also share how to start a collection and how to curate a space that reflects who you are.

About the Authors

Jannah Handy and Kiyanna Stewart are the co-founders of BLK MKT Vintage, an online and Brooklyn-based vintage and antique shop that specializes in collectibles and curiosities representing the richness of Black history and lived experience. Handy has a background in business and education. Stewart has a background in fashion and education. Their work also includes interior design, set design, prop rental, museum loans, and curatorial projects.

Inside the Book

• 300+ photographs of vintage pieces that tell Black stories
• Interviews with Black archivists, artists, memory workers, and collectors
• A look into the authors' private collection of thousands of items
• Guidance on starting a collection and curating spaces that reflect your identity
• Foreword by Spike Lee

Product Details

BLK MKT Vintage is also a coffee table book in the truest sense. At 288 pages, with more than 300 photographs of the objects and collections it documents, it is as considered as the pieces it features. It belongs on display.

Every object has a story, and so does every home. Add BLK MKT Vintage to your library.