| Creator |
Summers, William, delineator. |
| Contributor |
Hunt, Charles. |
|
Hunt, Charles, engraver. |
|
Isaacs, Harrison, publisher. |
| Title |
Life in Philadelphia. A black ball. La pastorelle. [graphic] / W. Summers, Del.; C. Hunt, Sc. |
| Publisher |
London: Published by Tregear, at his humourous Print Shop |
| Publisher |
ENG. London. 1833 |
| Date |
[ca. 1833] |
| Physical Description |
1 print: hand-colored aquatint; 23 x 27 cm (9 x 10.75 in.) |
| Description |
Racist caricature ridiculing the manners and dress displayed at an African American dance ball by depicting attendees making
malapropisms as they flirt with one another. A male attendee promenades with "Miss Zephyrina," on his left, dressed in a pink
gown with white pantalettes and another woman dressed in a multi-colored gown on his right. He is impressed with Miss Zephyrina's
"Rotations" from the poet "Joe Miller" who from which she quotes, "Grace in all he teps ... in all him action, dignity, and
lub." In front of them, in the right, "Brudder Brutus" gestures toward Miss Zephyrina and states that he feels the same "Ting."
Brutus, who is "cutting him capers by himself" has impressed the lady in the multi-colored dress who looks with rounded eyes
upon his pointed toe. To the far right, a man depicted with bow-legs and attired in a large blue tie, and accompanied by a
short-statured lady in a pink and yellow gown, is shown with his eyes looking to the left toward the "elegum Wenus in de trousers,"
Miss Zephrina. She makes his "heart tump about." Several other men and women attendees are seen in the background. Figures
are depicted with oversize and exaggerated features. The men are depicted attired in coats with tails, pantaloons, stockings,
and slipper shoes adorned with bows.
|
| Is referenced by |
Fowble 121 |
| Notes |
Title from item. |
|
Date inferred from content and name of publisher. |
|
Contains five dialogue bubbles above the image: What a figure Broder Brutus look cutting him capers dare by himself./ What
fine Rotations Miss Zephyrina make from de poets./ Grace in all he teps – heaben in he eye in all him action dignity and lub
as de poet Joe Miller say/ If I didn’t feel jist de Ting how bery frit I should be afore such quizzes./ How dat elegum Wenus
in de trousers make my heart tump about.
|
|
Charles Hunt was a respected London engraver who was most well known for his aquatints of sporting subjects. |
|
RVCDC |
|
Description revised 2021. |
|
Access points revised 2021. |
| Subject |
African Americans -- Caricatures and cartoons -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia. |
|
African American women -- Caricatures and cartoons -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia. |
|
African American men -- Caricatures and cartoons -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia. |
|
African American women -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia. |
|
African Americans -- Clothing & dress -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia. |
|
Balls (Parties) -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia. |
|
Conversation. |
|
Middle-class -- Clothing & dress -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia. |
|
Racism in popular culture. |
| Genre |
Caricatures -- 1830-1840. |
|
Aquatints -- Hand-colored -- 1830-1840. |
| Illustrator |
Hunt, Charles, engraver. |
| Printer |
Isaacs, Harrison, publisher. |
| Location |
Library Company of Philadelphia| Print Department| Life in Philadelphia (London Set) [P.9710.10] |
| Accession number |
P.9710.10 |
