Search results

Title: [Portrait of an unidentified African American woman]
Description: Three-quarter length, forward facing portrait of a seated, African American woman. Sitter has dark hair that is parted in the middle and combed close to and tied back behind her head. She is attired in a long-sleeved, button down, plaid dress with ruffles at the cuffs and wears a matching, round, brooch necklace and earrings. She rests her right forearm on a table and her hands, forming slight fists, rest in her lap. Her cheeks and lips are tinted pink. Sitter is probably a member or acquaintance of the Dickerson Family of Philadelphia., Title supplied by cataloger., Pad: Faded red velvet. Fleur de lis in center surrounded by scrolls., Mat: Nonpareil., Case: Leather. Geometric design featuring a six-pointed star within a shield flanked by banners. Same design on verso., Gift of Mary P. Dunn, 1993., Lib. Company. Annual report, 1993, p. 17-24., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021.
Date: [ca. 1855-ca. 1860]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Cased photos - Dickerson Family Collection [P.9427.7]

Title: [Portrait of an unidentified African American woman]
Description: Half-length, forward facing portrait of an African American woman seated on a chair. Sitter has long, dark hair, parted in the middle, and tied behind her head. She is attired in a dark-colored, diagonally striped, long-sleeved dress with a lace collar, a brooch, and a long necklace. She rests her left arm on a table covered with a patterned tablecloth, and her right hand rests on her lap. Sitter is probably a member or acquaintance of the Dickerson Family of Philadelphia., Title supplied by cataloger., Date inferred from sitter's attire., Pad: Cinnamon colored velvet with one large leaf., Mat: Octogonal., Case: Leather. Design is curved octagon within scroll and is Plate 219 in Floyd and Marion Rinhart's American miniature case art (Cranbury, NJ: A. S. Barnes and Co., Inc., 1969). Case made by William Shew who was active in Boston in the 1840s. Same design on verso., Gift of Mary P. Dunn, 1993., Lib. Company. Annual report, 1993 p. 17-24., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021.
Date: [Philadelphia]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Cased photos - Dickerson Family Collection [P.9427.10]

Title: [Portrait of an unidentified African American woman]
Description: Three-quarter length, forward facing portrait of a seated, African American woman. Sitter has long, dark hair, parted in the middle, and looped behind her ears. She is attired in a dark-colored, long-sleeved, silk dress with a white lace collar, and black lace fingerless gloves. A broach adorns her collar. She rests her left forearm on a table covered in a patterned cloth. A book lies on the table. The sitter’s left hand rests on her lap. Her lips are tinted pink. Sitter is probably a member or acquaintance of the Dickerson Family of Philadelphia., Title supplied by cataloger., Date inferred by sitter's attire., Pink tinting on lips., Pad: Deep purple velvet without a design., Mat: Oval., Case: Leather. Small vase of flowers in the center surrounded by ornate decorations. The"Flower Vase" design is reproduced as Plate 146 in Floyd and Marion Rinhart's American miniature case art (Cranbury, New Jersey: A. S. Barnes and Co., Inc., 1969.) Geometric design on verso., The die-engraver's name is below the design in reverse, and properly reads A[nthony] C. Paquet., Gift of Mary P. Dunn, 1993., Lib. Company. Annual report, 1993, p. 17-24., Reproduced on page 45 of Julie Winch's The Elite of our people (University Park: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2000), Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021.
Date: [ca. 1850]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Cased photos - Dickerson Family Collection [P.9427.11]

Title: [Portrait of an unidentified African American woman]
Description: Bust-length, forward facing portrait of a seated, African American woman whose eyes look to the right. Sitter has long, dark hair, parted in the middle, crimped, and looped behind her ears. She wears hoop earrings and a dark-colored, long-sleeved, silk dress with a white collar and cravat. A small, decorative button or brooch is pinned in the center of the collar. Sitter is probably a member or acquaintance of the Dickerson Family of Philadelphia., Title supplied by cataloger., Pad: Faded red velvet with a single swirled feather design., Mat: Oval., Leather. Geometric design with a crosshatched oval surrounded by ovals, each of which has a flower in the center. Same design on verso., Gift of Mary P. Dunn, 1993., Lib. Company. Annual report, 1993, p. 17-24., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021.
Date: [ca. 1855-ca. 1860]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Cased photos - Dickerson Family Collection [P.9427.8]

Title: [Portrait of an unidentified African American girl]
Description: Three-quarter length, forward facing portrait of an African American girl seated on a chair with an ornate, wooden back. Sitter has long, dark hair, parted in the middle, crimped, and tied in pig tails. She is attired in a dark-colored, short-sleeved dress with white lace decorating the cuffs. She clasps her hands together slightly and rests them at her waist. Her cheeks are tinted pink. Sitter is probably a member or acquaintance of the Dickerson Family of Philadelphia., Title supplied by cataloger., Pad: Faded red velvet with fleur de lis in center surrounded by scrolls., Mat: Oval., Case: Leather. Geometric design with a six pointed star within a shield flanked by banners. Same design on verso., Lib. Company. Annual report, 1993, p. 17-24., Reproduced on cover and on page 44 of Julie Winch's The Elite of our people (University Park: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2000)., Gift of Mary P. Dunn, 1993., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021.
Date: [ca. 1855-ca. 1860]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Cased photos - Dickerson Family Collection [P.9427.9]

Title: [Portrait of an unidentified African American woman]
Description: Three-quarter length, forward facing portrait of an African American woman. Sitter has long, dark hair, parted in the middle, crimped, and looped behind the ears. She is attired in a striped, long-sleeved dress with a wide lace collar, a brooch, black laced fingerless gloves, and a ribbon around her neck attached to a pair of spectacles. She rests her left arm on a table covered with a patterned tablecloth on which a book sits. Her right hand rests at her side below her waist. Sitter is probably a member or acquaintance of the Dickerson Family of Philadelphia., Title supplied by cataloger., Date inferred from sitter's attire., Pad: Faded golden colored velvet. Geometric design in center surrounded by swirls., Mat: Double elliptical., Case: Leather. Geometric design: striated lines in the center within interlocking circles. Shell-like designs at the four corners. Same design on verso., Gift of Mary P. Dunn, 1993., Lib. Company. Annual report, 1993, p. 17-24., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021.
Date: [Philadelphia]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Cased photos - Dickerson Family Collection [P.9427.5]

Title: [Portrait of unidentified African American man attired in masonic regalia ]
Description: Full-length studio portrait of an African American man, likely a Prince Hall Freemason, wearing a masonic sash and apron. He stands and rests his right hand on the corner of a wooden chair. Sitter has a mustache and is attired in a white collared shirt, cravat-like bowtie, vest, and loose fitting jacket and pants. A gilt-colored ring adorns his hand that rests on the chair. The base of of a posing standing is also visible behind the mason's feet. Prince Hall Freemasonry is the oldest African American masonic organization in the United States. A branch of North American Freemasonry, it was founded by Prince Hall in 1784. Prince Hall Masons not only practiced the secret rituals and moral teachings of Freemasons worldwide, but also a commitment to racial uplift, mutual aid, and social justice., Title supplied by cataloger., Date inferred from photographic medium and attire of the sitter., Pad: Red velvet with scrollwork design in center within ornamented rectangle border., Mat: Oval., Case: Leather. Center medallion within nonpareil-like border surrounded by curving scrolls. Same design on verso., RVCDC
Date: [ca. 1870]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Cased photos - – unid photo – unid sitter – tintype [P.2025.5]

Title: [East Calvary Methodist Episcopal Church Marching Band, Brown & Stevens Bank, 427 South Broad Street, Philadelphia]
Description: Full-length group portrait depicting the eighteen African American men members of the band, including the Marching Captain, standing as a group, in front of the African American owned bank, possibly during the Fifty-Third Annual Session of the Delaware Annual Conference, Methodist Episcopal Church held at the East Calvary Methodist Episcopal Church in March 1916. The men wear uniforms, including caps with insignias and jackets with braiding details. Most are posed with their instruments in hand. The band drums, one marked "East Calvary Phila, Pa.," rest at the feet of the men in the center of the group. The Captain, in the left, wears white shoes and holds a marching baton to the ground. The Brown & Stevens bank building adorned with awnings is visible in the background. Brown & Stevens, founded by partners E.C. Brown and Andrew Stevens, Jr. was the leading Black bank in Philadelphia in the the early 1900s before ceasing operations in 1925.The Delaware Annual conference was established in 1864 for African Amerian Methodists in Delaware and the Mid-Atlantic Region. East Calvary Methodist Episcopal Church was under the pastorship of Charles Albert Tindley in 1916., Title supplied by cataloger., Attributed to William T. Robbins. Robbins was a Black Philadelphia photographer who photographed the members and events of the East Cavalry Methodist Church between at least circa 1916 and circa 1928. Robbins also worked as a shipping clerk between about 1920 and about 1950 as cited in U.S. Census records and city directories., Date inferred from attributed photographer and content., RVCDC
Creator: Robbins, William T., approximately 1898-, photographer
Date: [1916?]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department photo - Robbins [P.2025.14.5]

Title: [Portrait of an unidentified African American woman]
Description: Half-length, forward facing portrait of a seated African American woman posed behind a prop window frame. Sitter rests her left elbow and right hand on the bottom edge of the frame. Her left hand rests on her shoulder, near the side of her face. She has dark, crimped hair, parted in the middle and that is pulled back into a braided crown at the back of her head. She is attired in a dark-colored, satiny dress with a plunging V-neck and that is adorned with a frilled ribbon and long sleeves with ruching below the shoulder. She also wears a white V-neck collar adorned with a broach, frilled white cuffs, hoop earrings, and a ring on her right hand. Her cheeks and lips are tinted pink. Image also includes a creeping grape vine in the right of the image. Sitter probably from or related to the Dickerson Family of Philadelphia., Title supplied by cataloger., Date inferred from photographic format and attire of sitter., Sitter's cheeks tinted pink., Name of daguerreotypist inferred from studio prop (window and trailing vine) visible in image., Pad: Bright red velvet with a scroll design., Mat: Oval., Case: Leather. A large floral spray with a lily and leaves, surrounded by an ornate scrolled border. Geometric design on verso., Gift of Mary P. Dunn, 1993., Library Company. Annual Report, 1993, p. 17-24., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021.
Creator: Broadbent, Samuel, 1810-1880, photographer
Date: [ca. 1850]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department cased photos - Dickerson Collection [P.9427.13]

Title: [Portrait of an unidentified African American woman]
Description: Half-length, forward facing portrait of an African American woman seated on a chair. Sitter has long, dark hair, parted in the middle, and looped behind her ears. She is attired in a dark-colored, long-sleeved dress with a white chemisette with a collar and under sleeves, a brooch, and a ring. She rests her left arm on a table covered with a patterned tablecloth, and her right hand rests on her lap. Sitter is probably a member or acquaintance of the Dickerson Family of Philadelphia., Title supplied by cataloger., Date inferred from sitter's attire., Pad: Faded red velvet with small floral spray in center surrounded by scrolls., Mat: Nonpareil., Case: Leather. Case design of a bouquet of flowers in an urn within a nonpareil border is called "The Romanesque Urn" and is Plate 141 in Floyd and Marion Rinhart's American miniature case art (Cranbury, New Jersey: A. S. Barnes and Co., Inc., 1969.) Same design on verso., Gift of Mary P. Dunn, 1993., Lib. Company. Annual report, 1993 p. 17-24., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021.
Date: [ca. 1850]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Cased photos - Dickerson Family Collection [P.9427.14]

Title: [Portrait of an unidentified African American woman]
Description: Three-quarter length, forward facing portrait of a seated, African American woman. Sitter has long, dark hair, parted in the middle, and looped behind her ears. She is attired in a dark-colored, long-sleeved, silk dress with a white lace collar, and black lace, fingerless gloves. A broach adorns her collar. She rests her left forearm on a table covered in a patterned cloth. A book lies on the table. The sitter’s left hand rests on her lap. Her lips are tinted pink. Sitter is probably a member or acquaintance of the Dickerson Family of Philadelphia., Title supplied by cataloger., Pad: Dark purple velvet with a scroll design in the center., Mat: Oval., Case: Square thermoplastic. On recto is a leaf design surrounded by scrolls. This design is #3-128 reproduced in Paul K. Berg's nineteenth century photographic cases and wall frames (Huntington Beach, Ca. 92647: Huntington Valley Press, 1995.) The design on the verso is a bunch of grapes, #2-25 in Berg's book., Gift of Mary P. Dunn, 1993., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021., Lib. Company. Annual report, 1993, p. 17-24.
Date: [ca. 1850-ca. 1860]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Cased photos -Dickerson Family Collection [P.9427.16]

Title: [The scourged back]
Description: Three-quarter length portrait showing the severely scarred back of the former enslaved and Union soldier, Peter, also known as Gordon, taken during a medical examination in Louisiana and sent to the Surgeon General of Massachusetts. Peter is seated, and with his back to the camera. His head is turned left and he holds his left hand on his lef hip. He wears a goatee and his hair is in tight curls., Image reproduced as wood engraving with accompanying article in Harper's weekly, July 4, 1863, p. 429. (LCP **Per H, 1863.) Name of photographer supplied by article., Title and publication information supplied by William Darrah's Cartes-de-visite in nineteenth century photography (Gettysburg: William C. Darrah, 1981), p. 148., One of three variant photographs depicting Peter posed with his back to the camera., Manuscript note in modern hand on verso of P.8925.4 attributes copy to publisher C. Seaver, Jr.: "Gordon" by C. Seaver, Jr. Seaver, Jr., a Boston photographer, published the carte-de-visite in support of the abolitionist movement., 5786.F.157c originally part of a McAllister scrapbook of Civil War Miscellanies. McAllister Collection, gift, 1886., P.8925.4 accessioned 1982, found in collection., Recent scholarship has shown the identity of the man photographed in "The Scourged Back" to be a man named Peter, not Gordon. See David Silkenat, "'A Typical Negro': Gordon, Peter, Vincent Colyer, and the the story behind slavery's most famous photograph," American Nineteenth Century History 15, no. 2 (2014): 169-186. Copy in LCP Graphic Arts Department Research file - Peter., Description revised 2025., Access points revised 2025., 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.
Creator: M'Pherson and Oliver, photographer
Date: [ca. 1863]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department cdv portraits - sitter - Peter [5786.F.157c; P.8925.4]

Title: Dickerson Family miscellaneous photograph collection
Description: Collection of studio portraits of the multiracial descendants of the Philadelphia middle-class African American family, the Dickersons. Contains portraits of six women and girls, two boys, and a baby. Identified sitters are predominately children, including Catherine and Thomas Brown (P.9427.23), Emma R. Newlin (P.9427.17), and Wilson Newlin (P.9427.19). Also identified is Anna M. Newlin (P.9427.18)., Title supplied by cataloger., Dates inferred from presented age and attire of sitters., Accessioned 1993., Description revised 2024., Access points revised 2021., Housed in phase box with albums., 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., Various Philadelphia and Baltimore photographers, including Philadelphia photographers William Curtis Taylor, Frank W. Street, and O.M. Olsen Studio.
Date: [ca. 1885 -ca. 1910]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department *albums (flat) - Dickerson Family Collection [P.9427.17-24]

Title: Intelligent contraband. 2d ed
Description: Racist photograph showing a seated African American man, attired in a gorilla mask, a coat, striped, patterned pants, socks, and shoes, facing right. Also included in the image is a patterned, tile floor., Title from manuscript note on mount., Date inferred from content., During the Civil War, the U.S government declared African American freedom seekers as "contraband of war.", Originally part of a McAllister scrapbook of humorous caricatures and photographs. McAllister Collection, gift, 1886., RVCDC, Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021., Created postfreeze., 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.
Date: [ca. 1863]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department cdv - miscellaneous - Civil War - Caricatures & cartoons [5780.F.51j]

Title: [Portrait of an unidentified man]
Description: Portrait probably photographed by African American photographer Glenalvin J. Goodridge and placed in a Langenheim case. Shows a seated man resting his arm on a book on a table covered in a Firebird tablecloth. In his other hand he holds what appears to be a closed daguerreotype case. He wears a jacket, vest, high-collared shirt and large necktie., Cheeks are hand painted pink., Pad: Dark red velvet. Embossed: W. & F. Langenheim Philada., Mat: Nonpareil., Case: Leather. Mixed bouquet of flowers within nonpareil border. Geometric design on verso., Probably photographed by Glenalvin J. Goodridge. Attributed to photographer based on use of Firebird tablecloth in image and pose of sitter. See Glenalvin J. Goodridge research file., Gift of Harvey S. Shipley Miller and J. Randall Plummer.
Date: [ca. 1853]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Cased photos - photo - Goodridge [P.2010.38.15]

Title: [Portrait of an unidentified African American woman]
Description: Half-length, forward facing portrait of an African American woman seated on a chair. Sitter has long, dark hair, parted in the middle, and looped behind her ears. She is attired in a dark-colored, long-sleeved, silk dress with a high lace collar, a brooch, hoop earrings, a ring, and a long necklace. She rests her right arm on a table covered with a patterned tablecloth, and her left hand rests on her lap. Sitter is probably a member or acquaintance of the Dickerson Family of Philadelphia., Title supplied by cataloger., Date inferred from sitter's attire., Pad: Red velvet embossed Van Loan & Co's Gallery 118 Chesnut St. Philada. Geometric border., Mat: Nonpareil., Case: Leather. Spray of flowers in a nonpareil like border. Scroll work all around. A different floral spray within a modified double elliptical border is on the back. Design called "Lily and Rose" and is Plate 114 in Floyd and Marion Rinhart's American miniature case art (Cranbury, New Jersey: A. S. Barnes and Co., Inc., 1969.), Gift of Mary P. Dunn, 1993., Lib. Company. Annual report, 1993 p. 17-24., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021., Van Loan operated from 118 Chestnut Street circa 1849-circa 1851.
Creator: Van Loan & Co., photographer
Date: [ca. 1850]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Cased photos - Dickerson Family Collection [P.9427.3]

Title: [Portrait of an unidentified African American woman]
Description: Bust-length, forward facing portrait of an African American woman. Sitter has long, dark hair, parted in the middle, and looped behind the ears. She is attired in hoop earrings, a white collared chemisette, a dress with polka dots, and a dark-colored shawl. Sitter is probably a member or acquaintance of the Dickerson Family of Philadelphia., Title supplied by cataloger., Date inferred from sitter's attire., Pad: Dark purple velvet. No design., Mat: Oval., Case: Leather. Surrounded by scrolls, a spray of lillies is in the center. Geometric design on verso., Gift of Mary P. Dunn, 1993., Lib. Company. Annual report, 1993, p. 17-24., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021.
Date: [ca. 1850]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Cased photos - Dickerson Family Collection [P.9427.4]

Title: [Portrait of an unidentified African American man]
Description: Bust-length, forward facing portrait of an African American man. Sitter is attired in a white collared shirt, a black bowtie, and a black jacket. Sitter is probably a member or acquaintance of the Dickerson Family of Philadelphia., Title supplied by cataloger., Date inferred from photographic medium and attire of the sitter., Pad: Red/brown velvet with geometric design in center surrounded by scrolls., Mat: Oval., Case: Leather. Spray of flowers in a nonpareil like border. Scroll work all around. Plain verso. Design called "Lily and Rose" and is Plate 114 in Floyd and Marion Rinhart's American miniature case art (Cranbury, New Jersey: A. S. Barnes and Co., Inc., 1969.), Gift of Mary P. Dunn, 1993., Reproduced on cover and on page 42 of Julie Winch's The Elite of our people (University Park: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2000)., Lib. Company. Annual report, 1993, p. 17-24., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021.
Date: [ca. 1850]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Cased photos - Dickerson Family Collection [P.9427.2]

Title: [Portrait of an unidentified African American man]
Description: Bust-length, portrait of an African American man facing slightly right. Sitter is attired in a white collared shirt and a dark-colored necktie and jacket. Sitter is probably a member or acquaintance of the Dickerson Family of Philadelphia., Title supplied by cataloger., Date inferred from photographic medium and sitter's attire., Pad: Red velvet with geometric design in center surrounded by scrolls., Mat: Oval., Case: Leather. A small floral spray is within a curlicued border within a modified oval. Scroll work all around. Same design on verso., Gift of Mary P. Dunn, 1993., Lib. Company. Annual report, 1993, p. 17-24., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021.
Date: [ca. 1850]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Cased photos - Dickerson Family Collection [P.9427.1]

Title: [African American residents at Jamesburg School for Boys, Jamesburg, N.J.]
Description: Real photo postcards depicting group portraits of African American boy residents at the parole institution also known as the New Jersey State Home for Boys that was established in 1867 and included residental "cottages," a chapel, and farm by 1910. Shows the boy residents attired in military-like uniforms, some posed with rifles, standing and seated, in rows by age and height, next to and on a set of exterior stairs to the porch of a campus dormitory building (probably Fort Cottage). A white man attendant, possibly postcard sender Charles G. Bohnenberger, manager of Fort Cottage and the teacher of primary school at the home stands behind the boys, most who do not smile, or next to the stairs. By 1911, 82 of the 511 residents of the institution, between the ages of six and over fifteen years old, were African American. The daily routine of the home included work details, school, two recesses of 15 minutes, and devotions. The Sunday exercises included Sunday School, reading, singing, and devotion., Title supplied by cataloger., Date inferred from postmarks on versos: Jamesburg, N.J. Nov. 21, 1910, 5PM., Contain cancelled green one-cent stamps depicting left profile portrait of Benjamin Franklin on versos., P.2023.68.1 addressed to Mrs. E.B. Young, 316 First Ave., Elizabeth, N.J. and contains manuscript note on verso: Add this to your collection. Chas. G. Bohnenberger., P.2023.68.2 addressed to Mrs. E.B. Young, 316 First Ave., Elizabeth, N.J. and contains manuscript note on verso: And this. Chas. G. Bohnenberger., RVCDC, See DSpace Home, New Jersey State Publications Digital Library, State Agencies, Commissions, Authorities etc., New Jersey State Reform School for Boys (Jamesburg), New Jersey State Reform School for Boys (Jamesburg) for copies of Jamesburg School annual reports. Link below.
Date: [ca. 1910]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department LCP postcards - Education - J [P.2023.68.1-2], https://dspace.njstatelib.org/10929/108086

Title: Testimonial banquet to Ms. Eugenia M. Neal. Daughter Ruler Keystone Temple, No. 448 I.B.P.O.E.W., Dec. 8, 1930. O. V. Catto Elks Home, Philadelphia
Description: Panoramic group portrait photograph depicting over one hundred African American men and women, of all ages, at a testimonial banquet of the Improved Benevolent Protective Order of Elks of the World for Eugenia Neal (1873-1949). The attendees, attired in evening wear, sit at rows of tables and a few booths in the right of the room. Attendees wear suits, tuxedos, and evening and cocktail dresses. Most of the sitters do not smile and face the camera. Some are turned away or eating. Some of the men wear their I.B.P.O.E.W. fezzes. In the right background, one woman has an arch of flowers over her. The tables are covered in white tablecloths and lined with plates of food, serving platters, and silver pitchers. In the background, at the back of the room, a small band of men musicians is seated next to a woman at a piano. Streamers and a paper bell adorn the ceiling. The O.V. Catto Elks Lodge began in 1903 as a chapter of the Improved Benevolent Protective Order of Elks of the World established in 1897 with a mission to "practice charity by providing and performing charitable services in our communities throughout the world and by promoting harmony, friendship, and unity among our esteemed members." By 1926, the Lodge had over 3000 members, and in 1929, it relocated to a new building that included a boxing ring, basketball court, and rooftop garden, at 16th and Fitzwater. Eugenia Neal, born Eugenia Brisby in Virginia, worked as a typesetter in Philadelphia by 1920. Married to Moses Neal in 1896, the couple resided in Atlantic City before relocating to Philadelphia by 1910. As a Daughter Ruler, Neal lead the Keystone Temple with her male counterpart, Exalted Ruler, and "under their leadership, all Elks shall show[ed] truth in activities and live[d] to help others, while promoting Brotherly and Sisterly Love to all.", Title and date from item.
Date: [1930]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department framed graphics [P.2023.5]

Title: Amy Smith, April 17, 1876
Description: Half-length portrait of Smith, a young African American woman, posed to the left. She looks forward toward the viewer. She wears a plaid-patterned garment, a white, upturned collar, and a bowtie-like ribbon at her neck. Her hair is pulled back and she wears a hair band. Smith, born in Virginia resided in Philadelphia by 1870. Smith was buried at the Harmony Burial Ground, the burial ground of the African Friends to Harmony at 41st and Chestnut Street in West Philadephia. African Friends, founded in 1826, sought to provide a cemetery for low-income African Americans to be interred with dignity and respect. Several of those buried in the cemetery were associated with the Monument Baptist Church or the Mount Pisgah A.M.E. Church. The property was sold in 1910. In 2020, the remains of over 160 burials were transferred to Eden Cemetery., Title from manuscript note on mount., Photographer's imprint printed on verso., Printed on verso: No. [57860]. Duplicated any time if orderd by the original, or by a responsible person., Manuscript note on verso: died March 23d 1878., Partially purchased with funds for the Visual Culture Program., RVCDC
Creator: Reimer, Benjamin F., approximately 1826-1899, photographer
Date: [1876]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department cdv portraits - sitter - Smith, Amy [P.2023.17.1]

Title: I sell the shadow to support the substance. Sojourner Truth
Description: Three-quarter length portrait of the African American itinerant preacher, abolitionist, and women's rights advocate born into slavery and originally known as Isabella Baumfree. Shows Truth, seated, and attired in a dark-colored, long sleeved dress with white collar, white shawl with fringe, and a white cap. She wears wire-rimmed glasses and faces front and is turned slightly to her left. She holds knitting in her left hand which rests on a small table that has a decorative table cloth. A notebook and vase of flowers adorn the table. A string of yarn runs across her lap. Truth escaped to freedom in 1826. During the period of the Civil War, Truth captioned, marketed, placed under copyright, and sold at least eleven different carte-de-visite portraits of herself at her lectures and through the mail to earn personal funds and advocate for the abolition of slavery. Her knitting probably alludes to her promotion of the handcraft as an industry for advancement for former enslaved persons., Title from item., Publication information from copyright statement on verso: Entered according to act of Congress in the year 1864, by Sojourner Truth, in the Clerk's Office, of the U. S. District Court, for the Eastern District of Mich., Lib. Company. Annual report, 2017, p. 66-67., Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022.
Date: 1864
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department cdv portraits - sitter - Truth [P.2017.27]

Title: [Unidentified African American man in militia uniform]
Description: Full-length portrait photograph by African American photographer Gallo W. Cheston depicting an African American man in a light-colored militia uniform. The man stands, turned slightly toward the right. He holds a long rifle in front of himself with his gloved hands. His left foot is slightly in front of his right. His uniform includes a Shako cap; jacket with epaulettes, buttons, and service stripes; shoulder strap marked "4"; belt; and pants with a dark vertical stripe down the leg. The tip of a rifle and holster is seen below his back. Portrait also includes, to the man's left, a pulled-back drape propped up on a pedestal. Following the Civil War and during Reconstruction (1865-1877), several African American militia units formed, particularly in the South., Title supplied by cataloger., Name of photographer from photographer's label pasted on verso: Cheston's 227 Lombard St., between 2d and 3d, Philadelphia. All the various styles of pictures known to the art, made in a manner as near perfection as possible; and all Improvements or additions introduced as soon as made and perfected. Your patronage is solicited. N. B. Old pictures copied to any size, in an artistic manner., Date inferred from tenancy of the photographer at the address listed on his label pasted on verso., Photograph mounted on board, rounded at the corners, and with a printed oval-shaped, frame-like border surrounding the image. Border adorned with ornaments and filigree., Photograph altered with ink and watercolor details highlighting parts of the sitter's uniform, including his cap, epaulettes, service stripes, shoulder strap, belt, and buttons, as well as his eyes, eyebrows, and sideburns. The pull of a drape included in the studio setting is also hand colored., Purchased in part with the Davida T. Deutsch African American History Fund., Description reviewed 2022., Access points revised 2022., Gallo W. Cheston (ca. 1846-1882) served as a private of the Pennsylvania National Guard 1871-1873.
Creator: Cheston, Gallo W., approximately 1846-1882, photographer
Date: [ca. 1870]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department portrait photographs - photographer - Cheston [P.2018.3]

Title: Marriage certificate. This certifies that [Washington C. Young/of Philadelphia/state of Pennsylvania] [Amanda L. West/of Goshen/state of New Jersey] were by me united in marriage according to the ordinance of God and the laws of the state of [Pennsylvania] at [Philadelphia] on the 24 day of [May] 188[3]. [Philip L. Sanborn?]/ [Sarah A. Ross]/ [Rev. W.H. Ross officiating minister]
Description: Marriage certificate with gold touches and containing the bust-length, carte-de-visite studio portrait photographs of Washington C. Young and Amanda L. West, who are African American, surrounded by text, pictorial details, and an ornate border. Young's portrait depicts the young man, looking to the left, and attired in a jacket with a notch lapel, a dark-colored tie, and white, straight shirt collar. He also has a mustache and wears his hair short and with a side part. West's portrait depicts the young woman, looking to the right, and attired in a garment with small puffs at the shoulder and a high-collar neckline adorned with a fabric flower. She wears her wavy hair pulled back, parted in the middle and with side bangs. She also wears earrings. Between the portraits are ornaments with text reading, "It Is Not Good That Man Should Be Alone, Gen 2.18" and "I Will Make Him An Help Meet For Him Gen 2.18." The certificate also contains pictorial details of flowers and vinery, a bell, doves, and a banner. The border is composed of scrollwork, floral shapes, and cornice ornaments. At the time of their marriage, Washington C. Young was a clerk. He would continue in this profession throughout his life. Amanda (West) Young worked as a dressmaker by 1910 and was later listed as a housekeeper in census records. The couple had four children, including a daughter who worked as a dressmaker., Title from item., Date of printing inferred from printed and manuscript date., Completed in manuscript to Washington C. Young and Amanda L. West on May 24, 1883. Signed Philip L. [Sanborn?], Sarah A. Ross, and Rev. W.H. Ross, Officiating Minister., RVCDC
Date: [completed 1883, printed ca. 1880]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Philadelphia Certificates - Marriage [P.2023.59]

Title: [Studio group portrait depicting African American women wearing modish attire and posed side by side]
Description: Real photo postcard depicting the five women, standing, lined in a row, and many with their hand on the shoulder of the woman next to them. Two of the sitters hold cigars. Four of the women wear similar attire of lightweight fabric, short-sleeve, knee-length dresses, including one with a drop waist; high crowned, crushable, fedora-like hats; stockings; and short-heeled shoes. Two of the women also wear puffy bows in their hair. The woman at the end of the row in the right of the image holds her left hand over her heart. She is attired in an ankle-length work dress with buttons down the skirt. The sitters stand before a drapery backdrop and folding panel., Title supplied by cataloger., Divided back., Contains Cyko stamp box printed on verso., Purchased with funds for the Visual Culture Program., See related postcard: LCP postcards - Portraits - African American [P.2024.48.2]
Date: [ca. 1915]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department LCP postcards - Portraits - African American [P.2024.48.1]

Title: [Studio group portrait depicting African American men wearing modish attire and in a posed scene]
Description: Real photo postcard depicting three men, one seated and two standing in an interior setting. The seated man is in the center of the scene. He looks to a man standing in the left of the image. He slightly points up with his right hand and holds his light-colored hat on his right leg. His left leg is crossed over his right knee. The man in the left, slightly hunches over and writes in a small notebook held in his hand. In the right, another man stands and watches the interaction posed as a conversation. All the men wear suits and the two men standing also wear hats, a light-colored fedora (man in left) and a dark-colored derby (man in right)., Title supplied by cataloger., Divided back., Contains Cyko stamp box printed on verso., Purchased with funds for the Visual Culture Program., See related postcard: LCP postcards - Portraits - African American [P.2024.48.1]
Date: [ca. 1915]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department LCP postcards - Portraits - African American [P.2024.48.2]

Title: [Full-length studio portrait of an unidentified African American clergyman]
Description: Full-length portrait of an African American clergyman, standing, looking slightly right. He wears slicked back hair and a mustache. He is attired in a clergyman's robe and laced shoes. He holds a small book, possibly a Bible, up to his side with his right hand. He stands next to an armless chair with padded seat and draped in a patterned afghan. Potrait also includes a backdrop depicting a palatial window setting., Title supplied by cataloger., Date inferred from dates of operation of photographer at addressed listed in imprint., Photographer's imprint stamped on mount., William C. Withers operated from 814 Chestnut Street 1896-1900.
Creator: Withers, William C., photographer
Date: [ca. 1898]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department cabinet card portraits - photographer - Withers [P.2024.68]

Title: [Caricature of the capture of Jefferson Davis May 10, 1865]
Description: Photographic reproduction of a caricature satirizing the unusual circumstances of the capture of the Confederate president, detained by Union cavalry troops on May 10, 1865, while wearing his wife's overcoat and shawl as a disguise. Depicts Davis being inspected by Union soldiers as he emerges from a tent, holding a basket, while attired in a hood and skirt. His wife, Varina Davis, stands next to him and an African American servant, portrayed in racist caricature with grotesque features, peers from behind the tent flap. Bottles and a case marked "Silver Spoons, C.S.A." (an allusion to Jefferson's safeguarding of the remaining Confederate treasury) lay on the ground in front of the tent. Also shows a saddle hanging in a tree to the right of the tent., Title supplied by cataloger., Date from copyright statement: Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1865, by Francis Hacker, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Rhode Island., Originally part of a McAllister scrapbook of Jefferson Davis and Confederate material. McAllister Collection, gift, 1886., RVCDC, Description revised 2021., Access points revised 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 Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014., See related carte de visite: cdv - miscellaneous - Civil War - Caricatures & cartoons - [P.2016.63].
Creator: Hacker, Francis
Date: 1865
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department photo - Hacker [5795.F.15a]

Title: A distinguished arrival Negro soldier - "Hi dar! Show dis ole lady a room - one wid a closet to put dis yar skelle in tum in!"
Description: Cartoon satirizing the imprisonment at Fort Monroe, Va. of Confederate president Jefferson Davis, detained by Union cavalry troops on May 10, 1865, while wearing his wife's overcoat and shawl as a disguise. Shows an African American soldier escorting Davis to a cell door at the "Hotel De Monroe." In front of the door a noose hangs. Davis, attired in a bonnet, shawl, and overcoat, holds a money bag labeled "JD. CSA" (an allusion to Davis's confiscation of the remaining Confederate treasury). The soldier holds a bayonet to which a skirt hoop is attached and speaks in the vernacular "Hi dar! Show dis ole lady a room..." In the background, a smiling sun, an African American soldier, and a ship sailing the bay are visible. Davis was imprisoned at Fort Monroe between 1865 and 1867., Title from item., Date from copyright statement: Ent'd according to act of Congress, in the year 1865, by J. Chapman in the Clerk's Office of the District Court, for the Southern District of New York., Purchase 2004., RVCDC, Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021., Digitized by Alexander Street Press for Images of the American Civil War., 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.
Date: 1865
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department cdv - misc. - Civil War - Caricatures and cartoons [P.2004.6.2]

Title: [Caricature of capture of Jefferson Davis May 10, 1865]
Description: Carte-de-visite caricature satirizing the unusual circumstances of the capture of the Confederate president, detained by Union cavalry troops on May 10, 1865, while wearing his wife's overcoat and shawl as a disguise. Depicts Davis being inspected by Union soldiers as he emerges from a tent, holding a basket, while attired in a hood and skirt. His wife, Varina Davis, stands next to him. An African American enslaved servant depicted with oversize and exagerrated features peers from behind the tent flap. Bottles and a case marked "Silver Spoons, C.S.A." (an allusion to Jefferson's safeguarding of the remaining Confederate treasury) lay on the ground in front of the tent. Also shows a saddle hanging in a tree to the right of the tent., Title supplied by cataloguer., Publication information from copyright statement: Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1865 by Francis Hacker, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Rhode Island., See photo - Hacker [5795.F.15a]., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022.
Creator: Hacker, Francis
Date: 1865
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department cdv - miscellaneous - Civil War - Caricatures & cartoons - [P.2016.63]

Title: [Olive Cemetery chapel, Girard Avenue between Merion and Belmont Avenues, Philadelphia.]
Description: View showing the chapel at the African American cemetery, Olive Cemetery. African American children sit in the doorway of the chapel, which stands behind a dilapidated stone and wrought iron gate. The cemetery, established in February 1849, was one of the city's largest African American administered business enterprises, which by the late 19th century had gone to ruination due to mismanagement. The Home for Aged and Infirm Colored Persons is visible in the background., Photographer's manuscript note on verso: 47 Street no. of Lancaster Ave., Gift of Margaret Odewalt Sweeney, 1979, 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.
Creator: Wilson, G. Mark (George Mark), 1879-1925, photographer
Date: [ca. 1923]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Wilson [P.8513.240], http://www.lcpimages.org/wilson/wilson240.htm

Title: [Forrest Theatre prior to demolition for the construction of the Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Company building at the northeast corner of Broad and Sansom streets, Philadelphia ]
Description: View of the old Forrest Theatre on Broad Street at night shortly before being razed to be replaced by the Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Company building. Spectators watch as laborers, mainly African American men, dismantle and remove building materials through a large hole in the side of the theatre. Signs for "Removal Sale" and "Drugs" are visible on the front of the building. Signage on the upper story window advertises "U.T.A United Tourist Agencies Travel Bureau." The Forrest Theatre, built in 1907, was Philadelphia's leading musical theater until its demolition in 1927., Title supplied by cataloger., Date inferred from content., Inscribed in negative: 1501, Gift of Philadelphia Savings Fund Society (PSFS), 1989., 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.
Creator: Jennings, William Nicholson, 1860-1946, photographer
Date: 1927
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department photo - Jennings - Fidelity series [P.9264.1]

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