Details
Creator Summers, William, artist.
Contributor Hunt, Charles, engraver.
Tregear, G.S., publisher.
Title Life in Philadelphia. The new shoes. [graphic] / Designd & drawn by W. Summers; Hunt sculpt.
Publisher London: Published by G.S. Tregear, Cheapside
Publisher ENG. London. 1833
Date [ca. 1833]
Physical Description 2 prints: hand-colored aquatint; sheets 25 x 33 cm (10 x 12.75 in.) or smaller.
Description Racist caricature depicting an African American woman trying on shoes at "Sambo Paley Boots & Shoe Manufacturer." In the left, the woman, seated on a chair, looks down at her slightly raised left foot on which an African American clerk has placed a black slip-on shoe. Her removed yellow shoe rests beside her feet. She is attired in a yellow bonnet adorned with feathers and with a white veil that frames her face like long straight hair, a red puff sleeve dress, and a yellow slip-on shoe. She slightly raises her dress with her left ungloved hand to appear at her shoe and holds a green parasol to the floor with her gloved right hand. A blue and yellow purse hangs from her right wrist. The clerk kneels in front of her and holds her left foot. He is attired in a striped shirt, neck tie, brown vest, brown pantaloons, white stocking and red slipper shoes. The woman states the shoe "is sich a bery dirty color" and does he not have any white or pink ones. The clerk replies that it may not be "handsome" to look at, but surely a "good color to wear." In the background, an African American man, attired in shirt sleeves and an apron, possibly the bootmaker, shines a boot behind a counter and in front of a row of boots and shoes on a cabinet. A brush and can of boot black rest on the counter. A sign reading “Sambo Paley Boots & Shoe Manufacturer. The Best Jet Blacking Sold Here" hangs above the man’s head. In the far left, shoes hang inside the store’s window and visible through the shop’s doorway, a well-dressed African American man and woman walk past in the street. The man wears a top hat and waistcoat and the woman wears a yellow bonnet and puff sleeve dress. Scene also shows pairs of boots resting on the floor across from the kneeling clerk in the right. Figures are portrayed with oversized and exaggerated features and their skin tone is depicted in black hand coloring.
Notes Title from item.
Date inferred from content and name of publisher.
Inscribed: No. 3.
P.2016.45.1 trimmed.
Charles Hunt was a respected 19th century London engraver and etcher known primarily for his prints of sporting subjects.
P.2016.45.1 gift of Dr. Richard Dunn & Dr. Mary Maples Dunn.
Digital image depicted is P.9710.3.
RVCDC
Description revised 2022.
Access points revised 2022.
Subject African Americans -- Caricatures and cartoons -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
African American men -- Caricatures and cartoons -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
African American women -- Caricatures and cartoons -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
African Americans -- Clothing & dress -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
African American men -- Clothing & dress -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
African American women -- Clothing & dress -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
Boots.
Clerks (Retail trade) -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
Middle class -- Clothing & dress -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
Racism in popular culture.
Shoe makers -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
Shoe shining -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
Shoe stores -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
Shoes -- Pennsylvania
Genre Caricatures -- 1830-1840.
Aquatints -- Hand-colored -- 1830-1840.
Printer Tregear, G.S., publisher.
Location Library Company of Philadelphia| Print Department| Life in Philadelphia (London Set) [P.9710.3 & P.2016.45.1]
Accession number P.9710.3
P.2016.45.1