Details
Creator Harris, I., engraver.
Contributor Tregear, G.S., publisher.
Title Life in Philadelphia. Grand celebration ob de bobalition ob African slabery. [graphic] / Drawn and Engd. by I. Harris.
Publisher London: Published by Tregear, at his humourous Print Shop, Cheapside
Publisher ENG. London. 1833
Date [ca. 1833]
Physical Description 1 print: hand-colored aquatint; sheet 21 x 25 cm (8.25 x 10 in.)
Description Racist caricature about free African Americans' celebratory response to the abolition of the African slave trade by the United States, an act passed in 1807 that took effect in 1808. Depicts a group of over fifteen well-dressed men sitting and standing and drinking, smoking, and making toasts around a large dinner table. A number of the men raise goblets and/or pipes in the air. Soup tureens are visible on the table. One man, standing, drinks from a rum bottle. In the far right, an attendee, in a wide-brimmed hat, carries away another who is unconscious, his tongue out, and holding a pipe. The men are attired in waistcoats with tails, pants and pantaloons, some striped, vests, and cravats. Some wear their hair in pompadour styles and one man has white hair. The biting toasts address "De Orator ob de day," William Wilberforce, a prominent British abolitionist; William Eustis, Governor of Massachusetts and the disgraced former Secretary of War under Madison; "De Sun" which should shine at night; Joseph Gales, a publisher and secretary of the American Colonization Society who believed that only states had the right to emancipate enslaved persons; "Ning Edwards;" "De Genius ob Merica;" the "White man" who wants to colonize blacks "now he got no furder use for him;" and "De day we Celembrate" and why it did not come sooner. Figures are portrayed with oversized and exaggerated features and their skin tone is depicted in black hand coloring. During the early 19th century, summer celebratory processions commemorating the anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade occurred annually in major Northern cities like Boston, New York, and Philadelphia.
Notes Title from item.
Date inferred from content and name of publisher.
Contains eight bubbles of dialogue in the vernacular within image: De Orator ob de day_When I jus hear him begin he discourse, tink he no great ting, but when he come to end ob um, I tink he like to scorch cat more better dan he took_Moosick_Possum up de Gum tree/Gubner Eustas Cleber old sole as eber wore nee buckle in de shoe_99 cheer and tree quarter/De Sun _Wonder why he no shine in de night putting nigger to dispense ob de candle./De day we Celumbrate! who he no come sooner? Guess de hard fros & de backward spring put um back. 29 pop gun v. 2 grin. White man _ mighty anxious to send nigger, to de place dey stole him from, now he got no furder use for him./De Genius de Merica _ He invent great many curious ting: wonder who just invent eating & drinking. 30 cheer & ober./Joe Gales _ He ax Massa Adams “if he be in health my brudder” and den he cut he guts out./Ning Edwards_ Guess he no great Angs no more nor udder people all he cut such a swell.
Inscribed: No. 11.
See Lib. Company Annual Report 2003, p. 40-42.
Shane White and Graham White's Stylin': African American Expressive Culture... (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1998), p. 111. (LCP Ii 4, A2880.O).
RVCDC
Description revised 2022.
Access points revised 2022.
Subject Wilberforce, William, 1759-1833,
Gales, Joseph, 1761-1841,
Eustis, William, 1753-1825,
United States. Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves (1807)
African Americans -- Caricatures and cartoons -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
African American men -- Caricatures and cartoons -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
African Americans -- Clothing & dress -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
African American men -- Clothing & dress -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
African Americans -- Commemorations -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
Antislavery movements -- United States.
Conversation.
Middle class -- Caricatures and cartoons -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
Racism in popular culture.
Slavery -- Law and legislation -- United States.
Toasting -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
Genre Caricatures -- 1830-1840.
Etchings -- Hand-colored -- 1830-1840.
Anti-abolition prints.
Caricatures -- 1830-1840.
Aquatints -- colored -- 1830-1840.
Anti-abolition prints.
Printer Tregear, G.S., publisher.
Location Library Company of Philadelphia| Print Department| Life in Philadelphia (London Set) [7510.F]
Accession number 7510.F