Profound Black Queens Almost Lost in History

By Joseph Pollakoff

The book delivers a captivating journey shown through art and storytelling on ancient black queens who were almost forgotten or unrecognized in history. It features breathtaking, ready-to-hang, original art depicting beautiful black queens who ruled in Africa, Europe, America, and the Middle East. Powerfully written, it describes the opulent, mysterious, intriguing lives of several black queens broken down into four chapters. Each chapter is a spellbinding story in itself and a thought-provoking insight into their lives. The stories are about an ancient family of diabolical, beautiful black queens; a shy black European princess who married an insane king; a black queen who ruled a magical kingdom in America; and a fierce, beautiful African queen who had a harem of over sixty-eight men collected from around the world. This is a must-have as a great reading experience, art collection, or collectible.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 19, 2019
• ISBN: 9781796045819

Joseph Pollakoff

Joseph Pollakoff was a victim of physical, psychological and sexual abuse as a child. He had to write and draw in secret during his childhood and said, "it gave me great incentive to pursue the forbidden fruit." Growing up in an atmosphere with mentally unstable and abusive parents he found relief from being trafficked and their chronic abuse by expressing himself through his writing, drawing and painting. Being self-taught, he had little contact with the mainstream art until he was discovered by Shonna McDaniels, Director of the Sojourner Truth Multi-Cultural Art Museum. He went on to paint for profound celebrities including Maya Angelou. He has also worked as a curator, historian and resident artist for the Sojourner Truth Multi-Cultural Museum. He provides and teach classes free for youth empowerment, African Diaspora and painting for impoverished populations. He currently lives with his spouse in Elk Grove California with his rescued dogs and cats.

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Copyright © 2019 by Joseph Pollakoff. 798459

Written and Illustrated by Joseph Pollakoff

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Rev. date: 09/19/2019

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

CONTENTS

CLEOPATRA

INTRODUCTION

DEDICATION

GRATITUDE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

CHAPTER ONE CALIFIA, THE QUEEN CALIFORNIA TRIED TO FORGET

Illustration    Califia Dressing by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Procession of Califia by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    The Island of Califia by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    The Search of Califia by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    The Mermaids of California by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Califia’s Warriors dance of Victory by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Califia’s Legend of the Mermaid by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    The Children of Califia by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Mermaid of Califia by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Children of the Island by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Califia’s Warriors by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Warrior of California by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    It’s Not His Imagination by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Path of Manifestation by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    The Griffin of California by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    The Sphinx of California by Joseph Pollakoff

CHAPTER TWO QUEEN CHARLOTTE’S MARRIAGE OF INSANITY

Illustration    Madragana by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Madragana’s Island by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Madragana and Child by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    The Vanity of Charlotte by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    The Contract by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Pretty in Pink by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Charlotte at the Window by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    The Queen of Diamonds by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    She is Such a Card by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    A Royal Flush by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Garden of Delights by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Restraining the King by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Queen Charlotte Lounging by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    The Powdered Wig by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    As Beautiful as her Garden by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    The Blue Fan by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Queen Charlotte’s View by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Entertaining the Queen by Joseph Pollakoff

CHAPTER THREE NZINGA, THE WOMAN WHO CHOSE TO BE KING

Illustration    Madragana by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    The King and I by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Target Practice by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    The Shaman by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    The Meeting by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Pleasing the Queen by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Nzinga by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Paradise in Africa by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Temptation by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    A Heart for Refugees by Joseph Pollakoff

CHAPTER FOUR THE FAMILY OF CLEOPATRA

Illustration    All the Cleopatras by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    In her Image by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    The Chariot of Cleopatra by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Cleopatra and Ptolemy by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    The Swing of Cleopatra by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Cleopatra’s Beautiful Night by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Preparing Dinner by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    The Capture of Arsinoe by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Bath of Cleopatra by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    The Romance of Cleopatra by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    The Lair of Cleopatra by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Cleopatra’s Family by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Cleopatra Queen of the Blues by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Sultry in Blue by Joseph Pollakoff

Illustration    Cleopatra Entertaining Caesar by Joseph Pollakoff

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CLEOPATRA BY JOSEPH POLLAKOFF

INTRODUCTION

It wasn’t until I was an adult, I learned California was named after a beautiful black queen, named Califia. This fact wasn’t considered important enough by the Board of Education, to include in our curriculum. Instead, in the fourth grade we were required to learn false history about Father Serra. We were told, he was a kind missionary who helped Native Americans. Later, I learned he was a trafficker and enslaver. In high school I learned about the white queens of England, but was taught nothing about England’s black queens. I let go of the false knowledge I learned during my lifetime, reinforced by art, literature and the media. Upon my discovery emerged the incentive to write revealing the truth. While history has been obscured and erased, it becomes difficult to decipher truth from fiction. As an artist and writer, I created stories around aspects of forgotten facts. This original and inspiring art book provides a wide range of fascinating stories, with beautiful ready to frame artwork for your enjoyment. It was written and illustrated, by me to provide an enjoyable discovery of black queens that Hollywood, history books, and public education didn’t provide. Their lives were previously rewritten which clouded literature, art and the media. The main characters are all black queens, who lived in distinctly different cultures and fought against the established norms. As a man who lives outside of established norms, I proudly present this book.

DEDICATION

I dedicate