[Abraham Lincoln miscellany] [graphic].
Collection of miscellaneous Lincoln prints and ephemera, including a circa 1880 right-profile, photo mechanical portrait print of the president; 1909 souvenirs from the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLUS) and the Philadelphia Electric Company in honor of the 100th Anniversary of the birth of Lincoln; and a series of ca. 1890 illustrations of medals commemorating and memorializing him. Imagery on souvenirs includes a portrait of Lincoln bordered by an American and MOLUS flag and the reproduced Jean Leon Gerome Ferris painting "Lincoln and the Contrabands" depicting Lincoln greeting an African American woman freedom seeker with her two children. Scene also shows African American men and women freedom seekers near a Union soldier, including a woman sitting with her head in her hands and an older man who takes his hat off., Title supplied by cataloger., Artists, printers, and publishers include Jean Leon Gerome Ferris and Wolf & Co., 5792.F.94c contains copyright statement: painting only copyrighted, Wolf & Co, Philada, 1908., During the Civil War, the U.S. government declared African American freedom seekers as "contraband of war.", RVCDC, Description revised 2021., Access points 2021., Originally part of a McAllister scrapbook of materials related to Abraham Lincoln. McAllister Collection, gift, 1886.
[African American nanny with two white charges in Atlantic City]
Full-length portrait of an African American woman caretaker standing on the steps with a white girl and a white boy. The woman, wearing her hair tied up and attired in a hat and a long-sleeved, white dress with a belt, stands on the sidewalk before the stairs with her right hand in front of her waist and her left hand behind her back. The girl, wearing her curly hair with a bow tied in the left and attired in a long-sleeved white dress with a belt, white socks, and Mary Jane shoes, stands on the steps facing the viewer with her hands at her side. In the right, the boy, attired in a sailor suit with a belt and shoes, stands facing the viewer with his hands at his sides. In the left is "The Criterion," a hair dressing parlor in Atlantic City. The parlor operated from 1907 until 1908, first at the Hotel Islesworth, then The Hotel Bothwell., Title supplied by cataloger., Date inferred from the attire of the sitters., Accessioned 1998., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022., Part of digital collections catalog through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014.
[Album of Richard DeReef Venning] [graphic].
Photograph album of African American government worker Richard DeReef Venning, a member of the African American middle-class Stevens-Cogdell and Sanders-Venning family, and containing predominantly unidentified portraits of African American and white men, women, and children, including family and friends. Contains bust, half and full-length portraits, often studio portraits. Several of the female sitters wear ornate hairstyles and many sitters also wear crosses. Also contains a carte de visite reproduction of a painted portrait of possibly George Cogdell (p.16) and a carte de visite inscribed “Pete” and “Sam” showing two men in checkered patterned jumper costumes, wigs, hats, and full-face masks (p.18). Identified sitters include Samuel Le Count Cook (p.2, photograph dated 7/4/[18]90 and imprint of DC photographer Rice on verso, ), Edward W. Venning (p.13, photograph dated 1869 and imprint of Philadelphia photographer G.W. Cheston on verso), Sarah Venning (p.13 &14, imprint of Philadelphia photographer Larkin on the verso), Richard DeReef Venning (p.13, photograph dated 12/7/[18]74 on recto and imprint of Philadelphia photographer Henrici & Garns on verso), Sarah Ann Sanders, daughter of Sarah Sanders (p.14, lower right, ca. 1865, inscribed on recto: S.A.S.; imprint of Philadelphia photographer B.F. Reimer and "property of ed. y.v." inscribed on verso), Cordelia Chew Hinkson (p.35), and Cordelia Hinkson Brown as a baby (p.35). Other sitters may possibly be William H. Chew (p.1), Addie Howard (p.3) and George Washington Musgrave (group portrait, p.19)., Album also contains a portrait signed "Ellie" (p. 22, photograph dated 11/16/[1875] and imprint of NY photographer G.H. Johnson on verso) and an unidentified portrait that is likely Cordelia Sanders (Chew) and her sons Richard and Charles Chew (p.15, lower left, imprint of Philadelphia photographer Miles & Foster on verso). Another unidentified portrait is likely Jacob C. White, co-founder of the Pythians, Philadelphia's first African American baseball club (p. 27, upper left, imprint of Philadelphia photographer Gutekunst). Also contained are inserted portraits (rehoused on boards and with album), including one of a Black man inscribed "H.S.S." and Jan. 11/82 on the recto and verso of the mount (L.W. Cook, Boston, photographer) and one of a Black woman inscribed "Respects of Marie" on the verso (J.P. Silver, photographer)., Title supplied by cataloger., Date inferred from content., Contains title page: Album. Page illustrated with ornamental border., Contains several loose portraits., Various photographers, including Philadelphia photographers H. D. Garns & Co., G. W. Chesterton, African American photographer Gallo Cheston, Larkin Gallery, O. B. DeMorat, C. Hagemann & Co., Henrici & Garns, B. F. Reimer, H. D. Garns & Co., Miles & Foster, Broadbent & Phillips, M. S. Hagaman, Lothrop’s Ferrotype Gallery, Germon, J. Fenton, J. P. Silver, Parlor Galleries, as well as Washington, D.C. photographers Kets Kemethy and Rice, Norfolk photographer J. A. Faber, Trenton photographer J. Bainbridge, Charleston photographer Jesse E. Bolles, Boston photographer L. W. Cook, Salem photographer Smith & Bousley, and New York photographer G. H. Johnson., Inscription on front free end paper: R.D. Reef Venning, June 12/84, Washington, D.C., Some of the photographs contain inscriptions, including dates, identifications, and valedictions, on the versos., Label pasted on back cover: No. 464 Gately & Haskell, booksellers, Hoen building, Baltimore, MD., Ca. 1900 pastel portrait of possibly Clara, nurse to children and grandchildren of Sarah Sanders and R. W. Cogdell (P.9367.32, Stevens-Cogdell/ Sanders-Venning Collection) after ca. 1875 tintype photographed by J. Fenton (729 South St., Phila) P.2012.37.1.23b originally inserted in album and housed with album., See Lib. Company Annual Report, 1991 p. 26-31., Gift of descendants Cordelia H. Brown, Lillie V. Dickerson, Mary Hinkson Jackson, and Georgine E. Willis in honor of Phil Lapsansky., See LCP exhibit catalogue: African American Miscellany p. 45., Genealogical charts available at repository., Some photographs dated during conservation treatment in July 2021. Conservation notes in collection research file at repository (Graphic Arts Department)., Part of digital collections catalog through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of the Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022., Richard DeReef Venning (1846-1929), born in Philadelphia, was son of seamstress Elizabeth and carpenter Edward W. Venning. Venning worked as a grocer in Philadelphia before being appointed as a clerk to the Eastern Division of the Pension Office in 1881. He resided in Washington, D.C. from the early 1880s to early 1900s, and boarded with the African American Presbyterian minister Francis Grimké and his brother, lawyer and diplomat Archibald Grimké for several years. In 1914, Venning returned to Philadelphia and lived with his nephew George E. Venning's family who referred to him as "Dah." The family was active in the Philadelphia African American political, social, educational, and cultural community from the 1850s to the 20th century, including the St. Thomas P.E. Church, Church of the Crucifixion, Central Presbyterian Church, the Colored Institute of Youth, and the Citizens Republican Club.
BRL? minstrels of Philadelphia
Group portrait photograph depicting nine white members of a minstrel club, including two in Blackface, seated in a row on a stage in front of a paneled wall. The performers are attired in dark tuxedo suits or Buster Brown suits in a checkered pattern, gloves, and comical corsages. "Blackface minstrelsy is a popular entertainment form, originating in the United States in the mid-19th century and remaining in American life through the 20th century. The form is based around stereotypical and racist portrayals of African Americans, including mocking dialect, parodic lyrics, and the application of Black face paint; all designed to portray African Americans as othered subjects of humor and disrespect. Blackface was a dominant form for theatrical and musical performances for decades, both on stage and in private homes.", Title from item. First word is illegible., Date inferred from content and attire of the sitters., Photographer's imprint inscribed in negative., Description of Blackface minstrelsy from Dorothy Berry, Descriptive Equity and Clarity around Blackface Minstrelsy in H(arvard) T(heater) C(ollection) Collections, 2021., Purchase 2004., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022., Part of digital collections catalog through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014.
Charge of the colored troops - San Juan. [graphic].
Commemorative print of the Spanish-American War depicting members of the African American regiments of soldiers during the Battle of Kettle Hill, generally known as the Battle of San Juan Hill, on July 1, 1898. Shows, in the left and foreground, African American soldiers, three with head wounds, lying on the ground, on their knees, back, and side. They are portrayed with blood flowing from their wounds, and two likely portrayed to have been killed. Behind and near the men, their fellow soldiers charge, carry an American flag, aim and shoot, and/or engage in hand-to-hand combat with Spanish soldiers, many of whom lay or fall injured and/or dead. In the background, a military fort and charging Spanish soldiers under gun fire and explosions are visible. View also shows firearms, a drum, wagon wheel, and a crate laying in the grass of the battleground. The Spanish American War was the conflict between Spain and the United State originating with the Cuban War of Independence. Cuba gained independence and the United States acquired the territories of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippine Islands from Spain. The regular army's four Black troops (9th and10th Cavalry and 24th and 25th Infantry) and thousands of Black men volunteers served during the war. African American troop's service during the war caused controversy within the African American community which still did not have equal civil rights as citizens of the United States. Nearly thirty Black soldiers from the 9th and 10th Cavalry and the 24th and 25th Infantry were killed during the battle., Title from item., Date from copyright statement: Copyright 1907 by James Lee Co. Chicago., Printed in lower right: 3838.
[Charles J. Webb Company float during a parade along a Philadelphia street]
View of the float for Charles J. Webb Co., Philadelphia woolen and cotton yarn dealer. Bordered by a log fence and adorned with cotton plants and two small American flags, the float carries four live sheep and several costumed passengers including: three African American men attired as cotton pickers; a white man attired as a colonial lady near her spinning wheel; and a white boy attired as a colonial sheepherder holding his crook. Partial view of preceding float is visible with a white man attired in colonial garb. A large, stone building lines the street., Title supplied by cataloger., Date inferred from content., Purchase 1989., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022., Part of digital collections catalog through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of the Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014.
Cliveden 1911 [graphic].
Series of exterior and interior views of the Germantown estate Cliveden built 1763-1767 by master carpenter Jacob Knor for Philadelphia attorney Benjamin Chew at 6401 Germantown Avenue. Benjamin Chew (1722-1820), the patriarch of an influential Quaker family, was one of Pennsylvania’s largest enslavers. Images depict front, front oblique, and "rear" views of the façade of the residence, including outbuildings and landscaped lawns and grounds; the front "doorway" with steps and sculptures; the "pump" near an ivy-covered wall; the "barn" near which a horse-drawn cart loaded with hay rests across from a cow out to pasture; a cracked "fireback" resting against a tree; "servant’s quarters," i.e. quarters for enslaved persons; and multiple views of the "hall at Cliveden" modestly furnished with chairs, a desk, side table, a long rifle, and framed prints and a painting. Hall views also depict columns fronting a hallway and stairway., Chew House, also known as Cliveden, was the site of the turning point in the Battle of Germantown in 1777. The Chew family enslaved people of African descent in the city of Philadelphia and in Germantown during the 18th and 19th centuries. The estate was the Chew family residence until 1972 when it was acquired by the National Trust for Historic Preservation., Series title from manuscript note on mounts., Date from title., Many of the images accompanied by captions written on the mounts., Two of the mounts (P.2017.88.4.2-5 and P.2017.88.4.6-9) contain manuscript note: Cliveden 11-7-1911., Verso of mount P.2017.88.44.1 contains manuscript note: New York Public Library 1911., Copies of images included in “Pictorial Archives of Early American Architecture” (PAEAA), PAEAA PA 51-Germ, 64D-1, assembled by the Library of Congress during the 1930s., Three of images (P.2017.88.4& 7 &11) published in Harry M. Tinkom, Margaret Tinkom and Grant Miles Simon, Historic Germantown: ... (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1955)., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022.
The Court of Honor during the Elks' greatest parade, Philadelphia, July 18, 1907.
View of the "Elks Greatest Parade" on South Broad Street during the 21st Annual Benevolent Protective Order of Elks Convention held in Philadelphia in 1907. Depicts a float, a horse-drawn wagon carrying a large stuffed elk and passengers, and several costumed parade participants from various Elk Lodges throughout the country. Participants include a group dressed as minstrels in bowler hats and duster jackets and members attired all in white holding umbrellas. Spectators line the street. The south side of City Hall is visible in the distance., Title from item., Berry, Kelley & Chadwick was an early 20th century prolific publisher and retailer of stereoviews with locations in Philadelphia, Chicago, Dallas, and Atlanta., Purchase 1978., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022., Digitization funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012.
A darktown wedding, the ceremony
Racist depiction of the nuptials of a young African American couple officiated by a white-haired African American man and witnessed by six African American attendants. In the left, the officiant, attired in a suit, holds a paper as he conducts the ceremony. The bride, attired in veil pinned to the back of her hair, a white dress with a large boutonniere of flowers, and white gloves, has her head tilted down and holds the hand of the groom. The groom, attired in a white collared shirt, a waistcoat, a jacket with a large flower boutonniere, pants, and shoes, stands facing left towards the officiant. Two women and three men stand behind the couple and watch the ceremony. One man alters a placard on the wall that reads, “suffer little children to come unto me” by crossing out “me” and writing “us” inverting the “s.” The dilapidated wall with exposed brick is sparsely decorated with another placard, “God bless our home” and a framed picture. A top hat rests on a stool., Title from item., Date from copyright statement: Copyright 1901 by C.H. Graves., Publisher's blindstamp on mount., Distributor's blindstamp on mount: The Universal Photo Art Co. Philadelphia, Napierville, Ill., London, Paris, Hamburg., Stamped on mount: 4574., Purchase 2001., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022., Digitization funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012.
[Double-sided proof print containing a racist caricature with a mammy and a comic genre scene with a bookmaker] [graphic] / Bernhard Hall 1902.
Left panel depicts an African American mother, portrayed in racist caricature, with her three children in the doorway of a home in the country. The mother, attired in a red headkerchief with white polka dots, a white shirt with pink polka dots and the sleeves rolled to the elbows, a green skirt, and a white apron with blue stripes, stands smiling with her arms crossed. Sitting in front of her are three young barefooted children attired in pink short-sleeved dresses. The children suck on the tubes of their nursing bottles. A small black dog, a cat with two kittens, and a pig gather and watch children. At the right of the door, a barrel rests under a drain pipe. A food tray lies nearby, and a horseshoe hangs above the door. The right panel shows "Joe McK.. Bookmak[er]" accepting bets, seated at his table, outside a stadium. The older white man bookie, attired in a gray bowler hat, a white collared shirt, a red polka dot vest, blue and white striped pants, and yellow shoes, smokes a cigar and accepts money from a young white man waiting at the head of the line. Also shows the backs of men leaving the bookie and headed toward the "Grand Stand" visible in the background., Title supplied by cataloger., Date from copyright statement: Copyright 1905 by J. Hoover & Son Phila., Printed lower left corner: 2039., Gift of S. Robert Teitelman, 2007., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022., Part of digital collections catalog through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014.
Children of all nations. A series of 50. [graphic].
Series of pop out cigarette cards depicting waist-length portraits of children (boys and girls) of different nationalities attired in their "native" costume. Includes Arabia (boy); Australia (boy); Belgian Congo (boy); Belgium (girl); Bulgaria (boy); Burma (girl); Denmark (girl); Egypt (girl); England (boy); Greece (girl); Holland (girl); Hungary (boy); Italy (girl); Ireland (girl); Mexico (boy); Natal (girl); New Zealand (girl); Norway (girl); Palestine (girl); Patagonia (girl); Poland (girl); Portugal (boy); Rumania (girl); Russia (girl); Scotland (boy); Siam (boy); Spain (girl); Sweden (girl); Tahiti (girl); Tibet (girl); Tunis (girl); Turkey (girl); United States (girl); and Wales (girl). The Ogden Branch was originally founded by Thomas Ogden as the Ogdens Tobacco Company in 1860. In 1901, American Tobacco Company bought Ogden's Tobacco Company and it in turn was bought by Imperial Tobacco Co. in 1902. Ogden started to include cigarette cards in its packaging in 1894., Date inferred from pop out format. Series issued in 1924 as pop outs., Printed above images: Ogden's Cigarettes., Title from series title on items., Versos contain explicative statements describing the depicted children's appearance, social life, and customs., Gift of George Allen., RVCDC, Description reviewed 2022., Access points revised 2022.
[Finale of an unidentified theatrical production]
Depicts the entire cast of men gesturing toward center stage where the show's "female" star is hoisted on the shoulders of two cast members. In the left, a supporting player, wearing Black face and costumed as a messenger in a cap and white gloves, kneels and points with his right hand. The front row of actors kneel, many of whom are attired as women in large brimmed hats and dresses with tulle skirts. The back row of actors stand, attired in white collared shirts, ties, dark-colored jackets, and white pants. The backdrop depicts a small town street including "Bernies Antique Shop," a drug store, and a post office. "Blackface minstrelsy is a popular entertainment form, originating in the United States in the mid-19th century and remaining in American life through the 20th century. The form is based around stereotypical and racist portrayals of African Americans, including mocking dialect, parodic lyrics, and the application of Black face paint; all designed to portray African Americans as othered subjects of humor and disrespect. Blackface was a dominant form for theatrical and musical performances for decades, both on stage and in private homes.", Title supplied by cataloger., Photographer's imprint ink stamped on verso., Description of Blackface minstrelsy from Dorothy Berry, Descriptive Equity and Clarity around Blackface Minstrelsy in H(arvard) T(heater) C(ollection) Collections, 2021., Gift of Joseph Kelly, 1982., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022., Part of digital collections catalog through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014., Part of digital collections catalog through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014.
[African American faces]
Folk art bust-length portraits of two African American men and two African American women, portrayed in racist caricature, shown in a row, alternating woman, then man. In the left, the woman, wearing her hair in two braids tied with blue bows on either side of her head that stick out, with red lips, and attired in an off-the-shoulder blue dress with ruffles, faces forward with her eyes looking left. Beside her the man, with red lips and attired in a white collared shirt, a pink tie, and a black jacket, slightly faces left and his eyes look at the woman. The woman, wearing her hair tied in multiple braids, with pink lips, and attired in a pink, ruffled dress, looks to the left. In the right, the man, with pink lips and attired in a blue bowtie, a white shirt with blue stripes, and a black jacket, faces left and looks at the woman., Title supplied by cataloger., Gift of Mrs. S. Marguerite Brenner, 1984., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022., Part of digital collections catalog through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014.
Frank & his darkies. A wagon load of beets just in from the field
Group portrait depicting African American women agricultural laborers posed in front of a horse-drawn wagon loaded with beets. Three African American men agricultural laborers, including the foreman "Frank," stand beside them and on the cart. The women, most attired in hats, long-sleeved shirts, and full-length skirts, are covered in dirt from the day's work. In the left, another horse is visible., Title from manuscript note written on verso., Date inferred from attire of the sitters., Gift of Tom Nicely, 1990., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022., Part of digital collections catalog through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014.
[Group portrait of women minstrels in blackface and costumes] [graphic].
Group portrait of twenty-two women posed in three rows while wearing Blackface and comical costumes for the racist entertainmentof minstrelsy. The women in the front row are seated and the women in the back two rows stand. The female minstrel entertainers wear black curly haired wigs, black face paint, and different-styled hats, jackets, skirts, and/or dresses. Costumes include ruffled and wrinkled skirts, rumpled jackets, ties and bowties, bowler hats, top hats, and a large, wide-rimmed Edwardian picture hat. Several women hold stenciled or hand-written signs (with malapropisms) identifying their "character," often a government or civil employee. Signs, in various shapes and designs, read: "Sheriff"; "Ise De Librarian"; "Ise de [Post]master"; "Colletor [sic] Ob De Mon[ey]"; "Justice Ob De Peace"; "Street Commissioner and Alderman"; and "Ise De State Legislture." A backdrop is visible in the background and fabric runners are tied in a central bow above the women's heads. A piano is partially visible in the left of the image. Blackface minstrelsy is a popular entertainment form, originating in the United States in the mid-19th century and remaining in American life through the 20th century. The form is based around stereotypical and racist portrayals of African Americans, including mocking dialect, parodic lyrics, and the application of black face paint; all designed to portray African Americans as othered subjects of humor and disrespect. Blackface was a dominant form for theatrical and musical performances for decades, both on stage and in private homes. By the 1870s nearly a dozen all-female minstrel troupes had been organized. Many of the troupes eventually evolved into burlesque reviews., Title supplied by cataloger., Description of Blackface minstrelsy from Dorothy Berry, Descriptive Equity and Clarity around Blackface Minstrelsy in H(arvard) T(heater) C(ollection) Collections, 2021., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022.
Halloween party given by the Craftsman Club of the Reading Co.
Group portrait of the male and female attendees, ranging in age from child to adult, in front of a stage. Most are attired in Halloween costume, many in masks and hats, and including clowns, a soldier, a pirate, a chef, and possibly a mummer’s headdress. In the right, a boy wearing Black face and attired as a bell hop, stands and smiles. "Blackface minstrelsy is a popular entertainment form, originating in the United States in the mid-19th century and remaining in American life through the 20th century. The form is based around stereotypical and racist portrayals of African Americans, including mocking dialect, parodic lyrics, and the application of Black face paint; all designed to portray African Americans as othered subjects of humor and disrespect. Blackface was a dominant form for theatrical and musical performances for decades, both on stage and in private homes.", Title from manuscript note on verso., Photographer's blind stamp on recto., Photographer's imprint stamped on verso., Description of Blackface minstrelsy from Dorothy Berry, Descriptive Equity and Clarity around Blackface Minstrelsy in H(arvard) T(heater) C(ollection) Collections, 2021., Gift of Joseph Kelly, 1982., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022., Part of digital collections catalog through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014.
Happy Lil' Sal as the queen of the May. [graphic] / R.F. Outcault.
Racist cartoon containing vignettes about a group of African American children, portrayed in caricature, at a May Day party where Happy Lil’ Sal and Por Lil' Mose are crowned as Queen and King. In the left, Mose, attired in a gold crown, a blue sailor suit, and blue shoes, stands holding the may pole. Sal, attired in a gold crown, red roses around her head and neck, a pink dress, yellow stockings, and white shoes, carries sunflowers. At the bottom, a group of African American children hold ribbons and dance around the may pole in exaggerated movements as a boy sits on a wooden fence playing the banjo. The center vignette depicts white men thieves, attired in torn and worn clothes, stealing baskets with the children’s lunch. In the right, a rain storm soaks Mose and Sal, and the wind blows the children off their feet while holding umbrellas. Along the top, shows the parade of children, led by Sal and Mose, followed by a boy playing the drum, children holding ribbons on the may pole, a dog pulling a wagon labeled, “the Prince of May” carrying a small boy, boys carrying the picnic baskets, and a boy playing the horn. Contains 25 lines of text written in the vernacular explicating the vignettes which end with the line "Por lil' Mose., Title from item., Date from copyright statement: Copyright 1901 by the New York Herald Co., The "Por lil Mose" series was published in the New York Herald from 1901 until 1902., Purchase 1978., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022., Part of digital collections catalog through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014., Richard Felton Outcault (1868-1928) is known as the creator of the first published full page comic. He is also the creator of "Buster Brown."
The Inasmuch Mission
Reproduction of a drawing of a busy street scene with the four-story "Inasmuch Mission Men's Hotel and Restaurant" at 1019 Locust Street, Philadelphia. Completed in 1913, the mission house, the exterior resembling a warehouse, rehabilitated "fallen" men through religious and social services. Scene includes views of the nearby markets adorned with awnings under which men and women shoppers peruse displays, converse, and stand idle. The African American man, attired in a bowler hat, a shirt, a jacket, pants, and shoes, stands leaning against the awning pole with his hands in his pockets. In the right, the Chinese man, wearing a queue and attired in a tunic, pants, and slip-on, cloth shoes, stands against a wall and looks down the street away from the viewer. A horse-drawn wagon and pedestrians traverse the street. In the left, a man organ grinder with a monkey entertains children standing on the sidewalk., Copyrighted., Drawn by artist in 1914., See accompanying pamphlet containing the artist's descriptions of the views, "Ever-Changing Philadelphia" (Philadelphia: Frank H. Taylor), p. 6., Accessioned circa 1916., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022.
Is yo' sho' lady when I wears dese stockings I won' fin' ma laigs all black.
Racist caricature reminiscent of the plate "Have you any flesh coloured silk stockings...?" from E.W. Clay's racist satiric series, Life in Philadelphia, originally published in the late 1820s and early 1830s. Depicts an African American man dressed as a woman attired in a brimmed hat, a long-sleeved dress tied with a bow at the back, a fur shawl, shoes, and with a closed umbrella and a basket at her feet. She sits in front of the counter of a dry goods store and inquires in the vernacular about a pair of dark stockings which she holds. A young white woman sales clerk smiles with her elbows on the counter and displays to the customer a second pair of dark-colored stockings. Bolts of fabric rest on shelves behind the clerk, and socks and hosiery hang above. A white woman customer shops at the other end of the counter, in the right., Title from item., Date from copyright statement: Copyright 1902 by Underwood & Underwood., Printed on mount: Works and Studios. Arlington, N.J. Westwood, N.J. Washington, D.C., Sun sculpture trademark printed on mount., Title printed on verso in six different languages, including French, German, and Spanish., Grey mount with rounded corners., See Life in Philadelphia. "Have you any flesh coloured silk stockings...?" [LCP Life in Philadelphia (Philadelphia) P.9701.9], Purchase 2002., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022., Digitization funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012.
Joyous birthday [graphic].
Racist, metamorphic birthday card depicting a caricatured portrayal of a Black man taxi driver and a Black man passenger, riding in a taxi. Scene, with the card closed, shows the exterior of a yellow taxi with blue and checkered trims. The passenger and driver, depicted with exaggerated and minstrelized features, including wide eyes and a circular mouth, look out their respective rear and front windows, and toward the viewer. The passenger wears a bowler hat and the driver is in a uniform, including a cap. A suitcase is strapped to the top and a a spare tire is attached to the rear of the vehicle. Scene, with card opened, shows the rear door of the car open and the passenger, attired in a pink plaid suit, seated on a blue car seat, and holding a pot with three flowers on his lap. The trim of the taxi is pink., Title from item., Date deduced from the visual content., Printed in the vernacular on inside front cover: When yo' Birf'day rolls around. May it find yo' Up to Snuff,' And may it bring de best ob joys. Now ain' dat Fare enuf?, Printed on verso: Made in U.S.A., Manuscript note on verso: Hoping you have many more Happy and Joyous Birthdays to come. Ruth., RVCDC, Gift of James Hill.
A luxury fleet featuring newest pullman refinements at low travel cost! Pennsylvania Railroad [graphic] : Broadway Limited (All-Room Train). The General New York-Philadelphia-Chicago. "Spirit of St. Louis" New York-Philadelphia-St. Louis. Liberty Limited
Poster showing an interior view of a luxury pullman car to advertise the Pennsylvania Railroad. Shows several white men and woman passengers relaxing in the car. In the left, a Black man server, serves drinks to two women and a man seated at a booth. Across from them, in the right, an older man sits in an arm chair, and smokes a cigar, and holds a paper in his lap. An older woman sits on the arm of his chair. Behind them, two women converse, one standing. In the far background, two men stand at a bar. Image also shows a train window. The server wears a white smock shirt and black pants. The men passengers wear suits. The women passengers wear a dress or suit jacket and skirt and/or hats., Title from item., Date inferred from content., RVCDC
Marriage certificate. This certifies that [blank] of [blank] and [blank] of [blank] united in holy matrimony according to the ordinance of God and the laws of [blank] at [blank] on the [blank] day of [blank] A.D. [blank]. Witnesses [blank] [blank] [graphi
Marriage certificate containing a scene with an African American bride, groom, and reverend, pictorial details, and an ornamented border. Scene depicts the bride, in the left, in right profile, standing, and attired in a long-sleeved white wedding dress and bridal cap with floor length veil draped down her back. She holds a large bouquet from which ribbons stream and she bows her head slightly forward. In the right, the groom, in left profile, stands, attired in a dark suit with morning jacket and a boutonniere adorning the lapel. His head is slightly bowed. Between them, facing the viewer, stands an older reverend, attired in a clerical waistcoat and pants. He is balding with tufts of grey hair by his ears. He holds a Bible at his midriff. Ferns adorn the background. Pictorial details, surround the scene and text of the certificate, and include two Black putti; a vignette depicting the clasped hands of a Black bride and groom; and tropical greenery. The ornamented border is composed of ribbons and a chain link., Title from item., Name of publisher inferred and date from copyright statement: copyrighted 1910 P.P. and F. Co. Chi., Description of print (No. 1900) included in 1911 trade catalog for the Consolidated Portrait and Frame Co., p. 135a. Description reads: Good Luck Marriage Certificate. This certificate was printed and designed especially for the negro race. There is no other certificate so far as we know, exclusively for them., RVCDC, Purchased with partial funds from the Davida Tenenbaum Deutsch Women's History Fund.
Minstrel show. Wentworth Town Hall. March 26th - 8:15. Adults .25. Children .15. Orchestra - dancing. [graphic].
Mixed media poster containing a clipped, bust-length, racist caricature depicting "N.D. Johnson" above manuscript text promoting a minstrel show, probably in Wentworth, N.H. Clipped image shows a man in black face, with an exaggerated broad smile, and looking to the left with his eyes. He wears a top hat, red bow, a white shirt with wide lapels and a "shiny" star-shaped pin at the chest, and a tuxedo jacket., Blackface minstrelsy is a popular entertainment form, originating in the United States in the mid-19th century and remaining in American life through the 20th century. The form is based around stereotypical and racist portrayals of African Americans, including mocking dialect, parodic lyrics, and the application of Black face paint; all designed to portray African Americans as othered subjects of humor and disrespect. Blackface was a dominant form for theatrical and musical performances for decades, both on stage and in private homes., Title from item., Date inferred from content., Contains pasted, clipped photomechanical print captioned: N.D. Johnson., C. Belyea is possibly Charles Moses Belyea (1904-1980) of Grafton, New Hampshire., RVCDC, Description of Blackface minstrelsy from Dorothy Berry, Descriptive Equity and Clarity around Blackface Minstrelsy in H(arvard) T(heater) C(ollection) Collections, 2021.
Pore lil' Mose sends his Pa a valentine. [graphic] / R.F. Outcault.
Racist cartoon containing vignettes about an African American family, portrayed in racist caricature, with the boy prankster Pore Lil' Mose giving valentines to his gal Happy Lil' Sal and his Pa. In the left, shows Miss Sally Sunbeam, portrayed in caricature and wearing her hair in pigtails with yellow bows and attired in a pink dress with a white ruffled collar, yellow stockings, and boots, standing with her dog. She smiles and holds up the valentine while Mose looks on from behind a fence. Below is a vignette depicting Pa angrily holding and reading his “comic” valentine, “Moses Pryor shif’less coon quit his job de first of June never works again till fall hates to ever work at all.” Mose’s mother, attired in a red headkerchief with white polka dots, a yellow shawl, and a blue dress, smiles as she looks over Pa’s shoulder. A younger brother, attired in a red and white sailor shirt with a green bow and green pants, stands behind Pa and scowls with his hands in his pockets. The next vignette, shows Mose fleeing the kitchen with only his legs visible running out the door as a mule looks on. Pa, tripping over the cat, flies through the air head down and legs up and carrying a stick in his hand. Ma leans back with her hand on her head as the plates, cutlery, and coffee pot are thrown from the kitchen table. In the top right is a portrait of Uncle Jack, wearing white hair and attired in a black top hat, a white and red striped shirt, a yellow vest with red polka dots, blue pants, red socks, and brown shoes, standing with his hands in his pockets. The image of Pa’s valentine depicts a racist caricature of an African American man stealing a chicken at night under the moonlight. Contains 21 lines of text written in the vernacular explicating the scenes ending with the line "Pore Lil' Mose.", Title from item., The "Por Lil' Mose" series was published in the New York Herald from 1901 until 1902., Purchase 1978., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022., Part of digital collections catalog through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014., Richard Felton Outcault (1868-1928) is renowned as the creator of the first published full page comic. He is also the creator of "Buster Brown."
[Robert Swayne collection of Philadelphia photographs] [graphic].
Collection of photographs documenting Philadelphia cityscapes, neighborhoods, landmarks, churches and benevolent institutions, businesses and factories, street views, and local events. Images depict interiors, exteriors, and alleyways. Many views include storefront signage; utility poles and street clocks; railroads and stations; and street and pedestrian traffic, as well as show the Western, Southern, and Northern sections of the city. Subjects depicted include All Saints Church (Torresdale); Cliveden; views along the Delaware River; Fairmount Park and Waterworks; Wissahickon Creek, Schuylkill River and Boathouse Row; Frankford Arsenal (1948); Philadelphia Gazette Building (924 Arch Street); the WCAU building (Bala Cynwyd) ; Rittenhouse and Logan squares; the “Clothesline Show” at Rittenhouse Square: a ca. 1930 view of a baseball game at the Baker Bowl, i.e. National League Park (2622 North Broad St.); the power house of the Westinghouse Gas Engine Machinery (Manayunk); the attic and basement of the original United State Mint (37-39 N. 7th Street, built 1792) photographed ca. 1890 by Newell & Son; interior of the second Mint Building (Broad and Chestnut);, the construction of the Delaware River, later Benjamin Franklin, Bridge (ca. 1924), Hahnemann Hospital (1928), Philadelphia Municipal, later JFK, Stadium (ca. 1926); the interior of an unidentified bakery (53rd and Vine) photographed ca. 1905 by C.H. Miller; interior and exterior of Geo. W. Einselen, Fine Cake Bakery and Ice Cream Saloon (1372 Somerset St.) photographed 1904 by Joseph Pearce; progress photographs photographed 1926 of the property of “Philadelphia Brick Co. Required for P.R.R. Temporary Track” and photographed 1921 by J.E. Bewley of and near the 3400 block of North 5th Street ; “Stephen Girard's ‘Alleged Slave Dungeons,’ Front & Market Streets uncovered by demolition” photographed 1906-1907 by John Trautwine, likely the civil engineer (P.2017.88.37.1-7); ca. 1880s studio portraits of adult and child mummers photographed by Richter & Co.; workers on scaffolding attached to the Nixon Building (20 S. 52nd St.); an exterior view photographed ca. 1873 by Newell & Son of the carpenter shop of Clarkson Fogg in front of which numerous household implements and furniture are lined, as well as men, women, and children, including a policeman are posed (449 N. 10th St.); ca. 1868 view of the 100 block of North Third Street, including the storefront for Dr. Stoever's Bitters manufactured by Kryder & Co (121 N. Third); Maryland Metal Bldg. Co. Incorporated classroom modules for the Philadelphia School District (ca. 1924); ca. 1920 advertising photos for an unidentified lighting company of examples of their work in Philadelphia manufactories with sewing machines (Greenwald Bros., Inc., 313 Arch St. and Trio Waist Co., 821 Arch St.) and of the moulding room of S.J. Cresswell Iron Works (2250 Cherry St.); the ca. 1905 interior of the cigar store of Ramon Azogue (102 S. 8th St.);, ca. 1930 view of the hairdressing salon at the Benjamin Franklin Hotel; ca. 1895 view of the interior of the Bourse (i.e., Philadelphia Stock Exchange); and a ca. 1930s exterior view of the Roxborough Home for Indigent Women (601 Leverington Avenue). Other images show a WWI benefit parade "to Keep the War Chest Filled" (1419 N. 2nd St.); a ca. 1900 lavish display of elaborately-decorated cakes photographed by William Phillipi; a posed WWI publicity still with release statements on the verso for Eastman Kodak showing Anna B. Graham with a camera and a young girl in a nurse’s uniform photographed by William F. Langrock; the storefront of a women’s owned business (Mrs. R.T. Anderson); a ca. 1920s contact sheet of variant bust-length portraits of a young woman photographed by the Lipp Studio; and the Walter Lippincott family posed on the porch of a residence., Portrait photographs, including of engraver John Sartain (P.2017.88.77.1 & 2), African American Rev. C. M. Tanner (1869-1933)(P.2018.66.4), John McAllister, Jr. and family members, and “physio-psychism” researcher Emil Sutra (P.2018.66.2) by Philadelphia photographers and occupational, school, and organizational group portrait photographs also comprise the collection. Group portraits document the Bellview Wheelmen; a class trip to the Franklin Institute; and performers attired in leotards, including jugglers, titled “Mr. Jonathan Evans, Haines & Cheer St.” Collection also includes William Stuart McFeeters family photograph album; a small number of images depicting African American men (P.2017.88.11, P.2017.88.61, P.2017.88.76.9 & 38); an organizational group portrait with a man with dwarfism (P.2018.66.15); candid snapshots, including ca. 1900 views of women using cameras along the Schuylkill River; and two film negatives depicting the WCAU building., Title supplied by cataloger., Various photographers, including Frank B. Cassel; William Bell; Berry & Homer; J. E. Bewley; Coward & Shannon; Harry A. Derr; Eagle Photo View Co.; Empire Photo Co.; H. Fetters; S.M. Fisher; Frederick Guteknust; Hansbury Studio; Henry C. Howland; Keystone Instantaneous View Company; William J. Kuebler; William F. Langrock; Lipp Studio; Charles Luedecke; F. Mattes; Monarch Photograph & Publishing Co.; Marriott C. Morris; Robert Newell; Newell & Son; Newell Studio; C. H. Miller, C. R. Pancoast; Joseph N. Pearce; William Phillipi; William Rau; Frederick DeBourg Richards; Schreiber; George Sheridan; Alfred Taylor; John Trautwine; Universal Photo Service; and W. D. Weland, Cartes-de-visite portraits of John Sartain (P.2017.88.77.1 & 2) housed separately and with cdv portraits – sitters - S., View by Schreiber of horse cart racing (1903) housed separately and with *photo – Schreiber., Cartes-de-visite portrait photographs of John McAllister, Jr. and family members (P.2017.88.79-102) housed with the McAllister Family Portrait Collection - cartes-de-visite., Electronic inventories of collection available at repository., See Lib. Company. Annual report, 2016, p. 64-65., RVCDC, Access points revised 2022., Robert Swayne (1927-2011) was a West Chester antique dealer, collector of vernacular photographs, and local writer about the Civil War.
Scene at polling place in Wilmington, Del. Local option election, Nov. 5 1907 [graphic] / A.N. Sanborn, 404 Market St., Wilmington, Del.
Documentary view taken by Delaware news photographer A.N. Sanborn showing African American men voters outside of Buck's Chemical Co., a Wilmington, Delaware polling place. Depicts the men standing on the edge of the sidewalk, some conversing, one holding papers in his hand, in front of the brick building of the chemical company adorned in signage reading "Incorporated 1900. Bucks Chemical Co., 1201 & 1203 French St. J.C. Buck[? ], Pres. Wm C. [?], Secy. & Treas. Other men stand near the building by the sign and an entryway with the frame marked "Laundry." To the left, a group of white men stand in a huddle, across from a partially visible entry way, and next to two white girls who look toward the photographer. All the men are attired in suits. To the right, a group of African American and white children crowd together and look toward the photographer. Behind them, in the background, the Black church, the Union American Methodist Episcopal Church, is visible. View also includes two lines of ropes and poles that extend into the empty street from the partially visible entryway and create a cordoned passage. In 1901, the Delaware State General Assembly took actions to dismantle laws that impeded voting by the Black community, as well as had finally symbolically ratified the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. The November 1907 local option election ballot was on the question of whether state licenses should be granted to outlets to serve alcohol. Wilmington voters voted in favor of licenses., Title and date from manuscript note on mount., Name of photographer from imprint blindstamped on mount., Manuscript note on verso: 5th Dis of 6th Ward. 2nd Ref Dis. Cor 12th & French, Wil Del., Partially purchased with funds for the Visual Culture Program., RVCDC
St. Johns Episcopal Church's minstral club - graphic of minstral show April 12 and 13, 1901
Negative blocked with marking tape depicting a bust-length portrait of an African American man, portrayed in racist caricature wearing a beard and attired in a bowler hat. Contains name of minstrel club and performance dates. Along the top are small photographs including several portraits of white women, a large group portrait of white men and women, and a seated white man playing the guitar., Title from negative sleeve., Duplicate: St. John's club minstrels, Friday and Saturday, April 12 and 13 1901 (cartoon). [P.9645.743], Gift of Matthew Schultz, 1998., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022., Part of digital collections catalog through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014.
[Stevens-Cogdell and Sanders-Venning and Chew families miscellaneous portraits collection]
Collection of photographs, several unidentified, of members of the African American middle-class Steven-Cogdell and Sanders-Venning and Chew family of Philadelphia, as well as their extended families and friends. Includes predominantly studio portraiture, including a portrait of William H. Chew (P.2013.14.10), in addition to two miniatures (possibly members of the Cogdell family) and a casual group photograph. Also includes a small number of photographs representing the African American expatriate entertainers' community in Paris in the 1930s; a group portrait of the “Soap Box Minstrels, Musical Fund Hall, December 7, 1909”; and a group portrait with possibly George Washington Musgrave. Minstrel show photograph depicts performers in black face and African American musicians on a stage in front of which a row of African American performers, some in costume and some in tuxedoes, is seated. George Venning and his brother-in-law William Holden were founders of the Soap Box Social in 1908. The Soap Box Social performed an annual minstrel show in the aughts as a fundraiser for the Citizens Republican Club, a social and political club of African American elite men started in 1884. The club’s mission focused on the election of African Americans into public office., Blackface minstrelsy is a popular entertainment form, originating in the United States in the mid-19th century and remaining in American life through the 20th century. The form is based around stereotypical and racist portrayals of African Americans, including mocking dialect, parodic lyrics, and the application of Black face paint; all designed to portray African Americans as othered subjects of humor and disrespect. Blackface was a dominant form for theatrical and musical performances for decades, both on stage and in private homes., Identified sitters include Ivan H. Browning, Edward W. Venning, Sallie Venning (Holden), Turner Layton, Clarence Johnstone, Thomas "Fats" Waller, and Ada "Bricktop" Smith., Title supplied by cataloger., Date from content., Various photographers, including L. Blaul, African American photographer G. W. Cheston, Flett, J. E. Forbert, O. B. De Morat, S. Georges Ltd, Studio di Art, Sol Young Studios, and Suddards & Fennemore., P.2013.14.12 contains manuscript note on verso: My Honey, My Wife, My All., P.2013.14.15 contains manuscript note on recto: To two regular fellows “Bill & Agnes” Ivan Browning, Paris, France, 1932., P.2013.14.16 contains manuscript note on recto: To The Agnes, Bill, Gene Upshur, With Warmest Wishes, Turner Layton. C.T. Johnstone., P.2013.14.17 contains manuscript note on recto: To Mr. & Mrs. Chew. With Tons of Good Wishes for Every Joy & Oceans of Happiness. Layton & Johnstone., P.2013.14.19 contains manuscript note on recto identifying the sitters: Unknown; [Us.?] Browning; Snow; Unknown; Fats Waller; Unknown; Bricktop., P.2013.14.20 contains manuscript note in ink on recto identifying the sitters: Unknown; Fats; [Mau?]; [Mask?]; Bricktop; Uncle John; Unknown; Ms. Chew; Susan Williams; Unknown; Maureen Browning; Mr. Anson; Ms. Hinkson; Dr. Hinkson; Mr. Chew; Mr. Browning; Unknown. Also contains manuscript note on recto: To Uncle John-Don’t get your derby knocked off. Thomas “Fats” Waller; Uncle John, I think your great & how. Bricktop., See Lib. Company Annual Report, 1991, p. 26-31., Gift of descendants Cordelia H. Brown, Lillie V. Dickerson, Mary Hinkson Jackson, and Georgine E. Willis in honor of Phil Lapsansky., See LCP exhibit catalogue: African American Miscellany p. 45., Genealogical charts available at repository., Description of blackface mintrelsy from Dorothy Berry, Descriptive Equity and Clarity around Blackface Minstrelsy in H(arvard) T(heater) C(ollection) Collections, 2021., Part of digital collections catalog through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of the Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022.
[Stevens-Cogdell and Sanders-Venning and Chew families portrait collection]
Collection of primarily professional portrait studio photographs depicting members of the Venning, Chew, Saunders, and Sanders lines of the African American middle-class Stevens-Cogdell and Sanders-Venning Family. Portraits show the sitters when children and/or when adults. Sitters include Sallie Venning Holden ( P.2014.51.16-17) and her nieces Lillie Venning and Mary Venning; Harriette Elizabeth Richardson Saunders and George Saunders (parents of Georgine Saunders Chew); Cordelia Sanders (Chew) and her sons Richard Sanders Chew (P.2014.51.4) and Charles Sanders Chew (“Papoo”) (P.2014.51.6); Georgine Saunders Chew (“Dama”), her daughters Cordelia Sanders Chew (Hinkson) and Agnes Saunders Chew (Upshur), and her siblings Joseph S. Saunders (dentist), Mary Saunders (Patterson) (soprano and music instructor), Charles Saunders, Susan Saunders (Williams), Agnes Saunders. Small number of portraits document school graduations, including those of Cordelia Chew (Hinkson), Agnes Chew (Upshur), and Joseph S. Saunders. Also contains an unidentified silhouette of a young man, probably a member of the Cogdell family., Title supplied by cataloger., Date inferred from content., One paper photograph (P.2014.51.1) mounted in daguerreotype brass mat., Silhouette (P.2014.51.3) mounted in daguerreotype case., Various photographers including Herbert Bridle (Philadelphia), Broadbent and Phillips (Philadelphia), H. D. Garns & Co. (Philadelphia), William Kuebler (Philadelphia), Snellenburg & Co. (Philadelphia), William C. Withers (Philadelphia), Keet & Gemmill (Harrisburg), Le Rue Lemer (Harrisburg), Arthur W. Sheppard (Brooklyn), W. E. Perry (Cresson, Pa.), and Abraham L. Myers (Atlantic City)., Sitters identified from manuscript notes on versos and/or accompanying photographic prints., See Lib. Company Annual Report, 1991, p. 26-31., Gift of descendants Cordelia H. Brown, Lillie V. Dickerson, Mary Hinkson Jackson, and Georgine E. Willis in honor of Phil Lapsansky., See LCP exhibit catalogue: African American Miscellany p. 45., Genealogical charts available at repository., P.2014.51.1-3 housed separately in phase box., RVCDC, Description revised 2023., Access points revised 2022.
[Stevens-Cogdell and Sanders-Venning family portrait collection]
Primarily studio portraits and snapshots of members of the Venning line of the middle-class Philadelphia African American family descended from the 19th-century white South Carolinian Richard Walpole Cogdell (1787-1866), and Sarah Martha Sanders (1815-1850), a Black enslaved woman. Includes professionally photographed group portraits depicting the family's participation in the Philadelphia African American music community of the early 20th century, including: the Mendelssohn Singing Society; Sid Stratton's Orchestra; the Treble Clef Mandolin and Guitar Club; and the Soap Box Social, a minstrel club associated with the African American political club, Citizen's Republican Club. Other formal portraiture includes the graduation portrait for the South Philadelphia High School for Girls class of 1921, including Lillie Venning and contralto Marian Anderson, and a group portrait of the Citizens Republican Club (ca. 1910). Collection also contains studio portraits and snaphots photographed during family summer excursions to Pleasantville and Atlantic City, New Jersey; portraits of family friends and family members through marriage; silhouettes of members of the Cogdell family cut by Master Hankes, i.e., Jarvis F. Hanks (ca. 1828); and an album (ca. 1860-ca. 1913) containing portraits of members of the Venning family and of unidentified sitters., Sitters include members from the Cogdell family, the Venning family, the Capps family, and the Saunders family. Cogdell family members include: Cecilia Cogdell, wife of Richard Walpole Cogdell, and three of their sons - James Gordon Cogdell, George Burgess Cogdell, and John Walpole Cogdell. Venning family members include: Richard Cogdell and Sarah Sanders' daughter, Julia Sanders Venning, her husband Edward Y. Venning (a contractor), and his brother, Richard DeReef Venning (a government clerk). Julia Sanders Venning and Edward Y. Venning's children - Louise Sanders Venning, Miranda Cogdell Venning (a school principal), Oliver Casey Venning (family historian), George Edward Venning (postal worker), Sarah (Sallie) Venning (Holden) (substitute teacher), and her husband William B. Holden (caterer). George Edward Venning and Julia Capps Venning's children - Mary Venning, Martha Venning (Bowie), and her husband Charles Bowie. Capps family members include: Julia Capps Venning's father Augustus Capps (butler), and her siblings, Lillie Capps Adams (educator/musician), Oscar Capps (post office clerk), Adolphus Capps (an undertaker), Berkley Capps (bellman), and Meta Capps (Thomas). Other sitters include family members George Saunders; Agnes Saunders; Georgine Rex Saunders (Chew); Mary Saunders (Patterson) (soprano and music instructor of Marian Anderson); Susan Saunders (Williams); Richard Sanders Chew; and Charles Sanders Chew; and acquaintances African American bibliophile and Tribune columnist William C. Bolivar, African American undertaker Joseph Seth, and Mrs. and Dr. Perry., Title supplied by cataloger., Date inferred from content., Date of silhouettes inferred from active dates in Charleston, S.C. of silhouettist Jarvis F. Hanks. See Charleston Courier, March 13, 1828, 2 and "For A Few Days," Charleston Courier, March 31, 1928, 3., Various photographers, including the following Philadelphia photographers: Bell Studio; Frederick Gutekunst; H.D. Garns & Co.; Moses S. Hagaman; Charles Hagemann & Co.; Frank W. Harris, Jr.; Miles & Foster; Parlor Gallery; Charles M. Sullivan; and Daniel Slutzky Studio., Sitters identified by descendants, from manuscript notes on versos, and/or accompanying photographic prints., P.9367.32, ca. 1900 pastel portrait of possibly Clara, nurse to children and grandchildren of Sarah Sanders and R. W. Cogdell, after ca. 1875 tintype photographed by J. Fenton (729 South St., Phila.), P.2012.37.1.23b, Richard DeReef Venning Album, Stevens-Cogdell/Sanders-Venning Collection., Lib. Company. Annual Report, 1991, p. 26-31., Gift of descendants Cordelia H. Brown, Lillie V. Dickerson, Mary Hinkson Jackson, and Georgine E. Willis in honor of Phil Lapsansky., LCP exhibit catalogue: African American Miscellany p. 45., Genealogical chart available at repository., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022., Part of digital collections catalog through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of the Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014., Middle-class African American family active in the Philadelphia African American political, social, educational, and cultural community from the 1850s to the 20th century. The family was involved in several prominent local African American institutions, including the St. Thomas P.E. Church, Church of the Crucifixion, Central Presbyterian Church, the Colored Institute of Youth, and the Citizens Republican Club.
[Stevens-Cogdell/Sanders-Venning family photograph album]
Album compiled by a member of the African American middle-class Stevens-Cogdell and Sanders-Venning family containing portrait photographs of family and friends. Majority of contents are unidentified and include professionally photographed cabinet cards, cartes de visite, and tintypes, as well as snapshots. Several of the professional photographs also show props, including a baby's swing, fur rug, wicker chairs and stools. Other portraits include women dressed in early 20th-century beach attire, a ca. 1920's photo of a woman with a ukulele; and two men posed in front of an entryway draped in an American flag. Album also contains a reproduction of an unidentified painted portrait photograph; ca. 1828 silhouettes of Richard C. Cogdell and his brother Charles S. Cogdell (sons of Richard and Cecilia Cogdell) stamped on verso cut by Master Hankes, i.e., Jarvis F. Hanks; and a clipped periodical illustration depicting Maria Walpole, Countess of Waldegrave., Sitters include Cordelia Chew Hinkson and her daughter Cordelia Hinkson Brown as a baby (inside cover & insert before p. 32); Lillie Dickerson (p. 8); George Venning (insert before p. 10); Florence I. Warwick as a child and adult (insert before p. 10 & 24); Richard DeReef Venning (insert before p. 18 & 36); Louise Sanders Venning (insert before p. 32); and possibly Cordelia Chew (p. 36)., Title supplied by cataloger., Date inferred from content., Some loose photographs contain identity of sitter and date inscribed on verso. Some inscriptions barely legible., Twelve ca. 1920s 2x3 snapshots showing vacation portraiture pasted on inside front cover., Two photographs inserted in slot on p. 8., Date of silhouettes inferred from active dates in Charleston, S.C. of silhouettist Jarvis F. Hanks. See Charleston Courier, March 13, 1828, 2 and "For A Few Days," Charleston Courier, March 31, 1928, 3., Various photographers, including Philadelphia photographers Baumgardner & Hebling; H. D. Garns (& Co.); L. Blaul; Kuebler; Swain & Bridle; M. Herbert Bridle; 1XL Gallery; Larkin Gallery; F. S. Keeler; Bell Studio; and Henrici & Garns., See Lib. Company Annual Report, 1991, p. 26-31., Gift of descendants Cordelia H. Brown, Lillie V. Dickerson, Mary Hinkson Jackson, and Georgine E. Willis in honor of Phil Lapsansky., See LCP exhibit catalogue: African American Miscellany p. 45., Genealogical charts available at repository., Part of digital collections catalog through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of the Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022.
Vegetable dealer Bermuda [graphic].
Postcard depicting an older Black man with a beard, seated in a mule-drawn cart. Bunches of root vegetables, a basket, and a barrel lay behind him in the cart. A partial view of a building with three windows is visible in the background., Title from item., Date inferred from design of verso of postcard: Undivided back and "Post Card" in thin serif letters, Manuscript note written on recto: How would you like to ride [in that?] [ illegible]., Name and address of recipient in manuscript on verso: Miss Mabel McClure, 328 Preston St., W. Phila, Pa. U.S.A., RVCDC, Description reviewed 2022., Access points revised 2022.
Véritable extrait de viande Liebig. [graphic] : La case de l'oncle
Series of six captioned (in French) trade cards containing scenes from Harriet Beecher Stowe’s "Uncle Tom’s Cabin" to promote Liebig Extract of Meat. Cards depict scenes from chapters 4, 7, 12, 14, 17, and 41. Translated captions include: Aunt Chloe preparing corn cakes; Crossing the Ohio on floating ice, Elisa[sic] escapes from Haley; The fight against slave traders; The slave market; On the verge of drowning, Eva is saved by Tom; and the death of Tom. Scenes show enslaved African American woman “Aunt Chloe” at her brick stove, surrounded by three enslaved African American boys as the white adolescent son of her owner, George Shelby, teaches enslaved African American man and her husband "Uncle Tom" to write; enslaved African American woman Eliza Harris escaping white slave trader Mr. Haley with her son Harry in her arms as she runs across patches of ice on the Ohio River; Eliza Harris’s multi-racial husband George Harris shooting white mercenary Tom Loker in a chasm after departing his and his family’s shelter within a Quaker settlement and for Canada; the market of enslaved people attended by Haley following Eliza’s escape where a young enslaved African American boy stands for sale near a white man mercenary and an enslaved African American woman who reaches out for him; Tom swimming toward the flailing, young white girl Eva St. Clare, i.e. Little Eva, in the water near a dock and a steamboat lined with spectators watching the event; and an adult George Shelby visiting with a dying Tom who rests against a bundle amongst crates and straw within a shed after being beaten at the request of his white enslaver Simon Legree., Most of the African American figures are not caricatured in features or attire. Eliza and George Harris figures are depicted with fair complexions. Also depicts Tom as unbeaten in his "deathbed" scene. Von Liebig, a German-born chemist, who developed a manufacturing process for meat extract in 1840, established the Liebig Extract of Meat Company in 1865. The extract was marketed as an alternative to meat., Series title from items., Cards numbered No. 1 - No. 6., Printed lower right corners: Voir L'Explication au verso., Advertising text and explanation of the depicted scenes and their context printed in French on versos. Includes statement about the cards being distributed gratuitously with the purchase of Liebig extract., Majority of the cards contain a vignette depicting a jar of Liebig extract in the lower right corner. No. 1 contains the vignette in the upper left corner. No. 2 contains the vignette in the lower left corner, Date inferred from circa date of other trade card series issued by Liebig Company., Housed with the Emily Phillips Advertising Card Collection., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022.
"We's done all dis s'mornin'." [graphic].
Racist scene showing, in the foreground, a young, African American girl and boy standing behind a large basket of cotton in a cotton field. The girl faces the camera and the boy looks behind him and with his head turned away. The girl wears a bonnet, dark-color, long-sleeved shirt, and a light-color skirt. The boy wears a long-sleeve, light-color, smock-like shirt. In the background, African American men, women, boys, and girls work in the field or are posed to stand and face the camera. One man sits, high up, on bales., Dates from copyright statements on recto and verso: Copyright 1899, by B. L. Singley. Made in U.S.A. and Copyright, 1913, by the Keystone View Company., Title from recto of item., Title printed in five different languages, including Italian, French, and German, on verso., Variant title on verso: 9506-"We'se done all dis's mornin',"-Picking cotton on a Mississippi plantation., Several lines of text printed on verso, often describing in racist terms, the culture, conditions, and economics of the cotton industry in the South., Curved grey mount with rounded corners., Gift of David Long., RVCDC, Description reviewed 2022., Access points revised 2022., Keystone View Company was founded in 1892 by B.L. Singley, an amateur photographer from Meadville, Pennsylvania. Keystone View Company was the leader in promoting stereographs for educational purposes. In 1912 the company purchased rights to some Underwood & Underwood negatives for use in educational sets, and in 1922 purchased the remaining stock of Underwood materials. The company remained in business until 1970.
"Wish you'd hush"
Racist postcard depicting an African American boy looking exasperated at the crying African American baby beside him. The children are shown from the waist up and are bare-chested. The older boy has a glistening substance around his mouth and on his cheeks. The baby holds, possibly, ice in their hands., Title from item., Publication information and date from copyright statement: Copyrighted, 1905, and published by Knaffl & Bro., Knoxville, Tenn., Accessioned 1999., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022., Digitized with funding from a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012.