Details
Creator Sinclair, Thomas S., approximately 1805-1881, lithographer.
Contributor Poulson, Charles A. 1789-1866, collector.
Title Wootten's excelsior stove lustre or pure black lead [graphic] : Prepared by John Wootten, Jr. No. 94 Spruce St. Wholesale Depot, no. 13 North Third Street Phila. / T. Sinclair's lith., Phila.
Publisher Philadelphia : [publisher not identified]
Publisher PA. Philadelphia. 1859
Date [March 28, 1859]
Physical Description 1 print : lithograph ; sheet 33 x 38 cm (12.75 x 14.75 in.)
Description Racist advertisement promoting Wootten’s Excelsior Stove Lustre and depicting an African American man, portrayed in caricature, polishing a stove. Shows the African American man servant, barefoot and attired in a plaid, collared shirt and pants, kneeling before a stove with a brush in his left hand. On the floor in front of him is a glass of water, an open can of polish, and a box labeled, Wootten’s Excelsior Stove Lustre or Pure Black Lead. In the right, a white woman stands wearing her brown hair in a bun and attired in an off-the-shoulder dress with a bow at the chest and lace sleeves. She looks toward the man and asks, “Uncle Tom whose blacking is that you are useing [sic].” He replies in the vernacular, “La Missey don’t you know dat -- dat is Wooten's Lustre." To the left of the woman, a black cat stands on a wooden chair with its back raised and looks at the man. Also visible in the image are plates, bowls, and cups on shelves, another wooden chair, and an open window that has a potted plant on the ledge. John Wootten Jr. (1820-1872) is listed in the 1861 Philadelphia city directory as a blacking maker.
Notes Title from item.
Date from Poulson inscription on recto: Mar. 28 -59; S. 4 (old no.) Spruce Street.
Not in Wainwright.
Text printed on recto: For polishing and beautifying stoves, this Lustre stands unrivalled. It may with perfect justice be called The Housekeeper’s Choice; it gives a more brilliant appearance, retains it gloss longer, and requires Fifty per cent less labor than any other preparation in existence, when moistened with a little water, and applied vigorously to iron work of any kind, the effect is truly magical; housekeepers and others are well aware what great labor is requisite, and time expended in the attempt to give a fine polish with many of the lustres sold at the present day – here however both these evils are remedied; a beautiful gloss is obtained in a few minutes, and without scarcely any exertion whatever. Another advantage which this article possesses over all others, is, that it tends to preserve the iron from the deleterious effects of damp and rust, which so often render a stove entirely useless in the course of a few seasons. This Lustre is prepared with great care from the very best lead that can be found in the market, and is entirely free from all those foreign substances which so greatly destroy the efficacy of other articles."
Philadelphia on Stone
POSP 279
Accessioned 1982.
RVCDC
Description revised 2021.
Access points revised 2021.
Subject Wootten, John, Jr., 1820-1872.
African American household employees -- Caricatures and cartoons.
African American men -- Caricatures and cartoons.
African Americans in advertising.
Cats.
Polishes.
Polishes industry -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
Racism in popular culture.
Stoves.
Servants -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
Women -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia.
Genre Advertisements -- 1850-1860.
Lithographs -- 1850-1860.
Provenance Poulson, Charles A. (Charles Augustus), 1789-1866, collector.
Location Library Company of Philadelphia| Print Department| *BW - Advertisements [P.8729.21]
Accession number P.8729.21