| Creator |
Summers, William, delineator. |
| Contributor |
Hunt, Charles, engraver. |
|
Isaacs, Harrison, publisher. |
| Title |
Life in Philadelphia. A black ball. La pastorelle. [graphic] / W. Summers, Del.; Chas. Hunt, Sc. |
| Publisher |
London: Published by Harrison Isaacs, Charles St. Soho Sqre |
| 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 yellow
gown with green pantalettes and another woman dressed in a pink 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 pink 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 yellow tie, and accompanied by a short-statured lady
in a green 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. |
| Printer |
Isaacs, Harrison, publisher. |
| Location |
Library Company of Philadelphia| Print Department| Life in Philadelphia (London Set) [6253.F] |
| Accession number |
6253.F |
