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Title: [Public Ledger Building, south west corner of Sixth and Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia]
Description: Exterior view from the north east of the offices of the Philadelphia newspaper, the Public Ledger. Building constructed 1866-67 based on designs by John McArthur, Jr. View includes sculptures by Bailly of Benjamin Franklin (electrified with light bulbs in his hand and around the base) and the Pennsylvania state seal; fire escapes; and signage for tenants including John C. Clark & Sons stationers and a tobacconist. An African American man shoe shiner, attired in a bowler hat, a jacket, and pants, sits on his knees on the sidewalk with his case visual. Four white men pedestrians, stand, lean, or sit beside the building., Title supplied by cataloger., Borders masked with purple paints and marked for publication., Retrospective conversion record: original entry, edited., Purchase 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.
Date: [ca. 1895]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department photo - unidentified - businesses [P.9260.476]

Title: Mason's challenge blacking Philadelphia
Description: Photographic reproduction of a racist and whimsically absurd advertisement, including an African American shoe shiner, to promote the premier manufactory of blacking established in 1832 by James S. Mason. Depicts the shoe-shiner "blacking" a boot near a white shoe-shine boy with a puppet and a dog. The shoe-shiner, portrayed with grotesque features, holds a brush overhead in his right hand and a boot over the hand of his other arm. He wears a button-down shirt with an open collar, suspenders, and breeches. To his right, is an oversize boot on which the boy has a propped a puppet. The puppet is an African American dandy-like character. The puppet attired in a jacket and high collar shirt holds an umbrella above his head. A dog, as he looks behind, flees from the puppet. The dog's face is reflected in the foot of the boot. The young shoe-shiner, attired in a cap, jacket, and breeches, smiles and points toward the dog. Scene also includes an oversize opened tin of blacking in the foreground. Following the death of Mason in 1888, his son Richard assumed the business which was in operation into the 20th century., Date inferred from address of engraving firm., Advertising text printed on verso: July 15th, Reduced prices Mason's Challenge Blacking. Net prices, ornamental cases, adapted for display in retail stores, or shipping, without re-packing, holding three dozen each. No. 1, or Small Size, per doz. 25 cts. " 2, or N. Medium Size, " 30 ." " 4, or Large Size, "50." To obtain this Blacking in the original Show Cases, not less than three dozen of a kind should be ordered. The American News Company, New York.
Date: [ca. 1877]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department cdv - unid. photo. - Advertisements - M [P.2016.65]

Title: [Automatic Electric Shoe Shining Company of Philadelphia]
Description: Shows men getting their shoes shined at the Automatic Electric Shoe Shining Company of Philadelphia at the 1300 block of Market Street, Philadelphia. The shoe shining booths line the perimeter. Men, attired in boater hats and suits, stand with one foot on the ground and one foot in the electric shoe shiner. In the right, a man, attired in a suit and tie, sits at the ticket booth under a sign, “Get your tickets here. 8 shines for 25c. One ticket good for both shoes.” Standing in the center is African American man, attired in a uniform and cap, holding a rag., Title supplied by cataloger., Gift of Matthew Schultz, 1998., Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022., One of the images [P.9645.203] reproduced in The Print and Photograph Department of the Library Company of Philadelphia's Center City Philadelphia in the 19th century (Portsmouth, N.H.: Arcadia Publishing, 2006), p. 59., Arcadia caption text: At the turn of the century the Automatic Electric Shoe Shining Company of Philadelphia opened its first parlor on the north side of the 1300 block of Market Street. For a nickel, customers could enjoy the latest technological wonder, a machine designed to shine either black or tan shoes. The African American attendant standing in the center of this c. 1900 photograph holding a rag probably buffed the customers’ shoes. According to the large advertisement above the door, the company planned to open 15 parlors in Philadelphia., 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.
Creator: Levis, Seth Pancoast, photographer
Date: 1900
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department glass negatives - Levis [P.9645.203 & 584]

Title: East front of Main Building
Description: Oblique view of the east front of the Main Building on the grounds of the Centennial Exhibition of 1876 designed by Henry Pettit and Joseph M. Wilson. In the foreground, a white man rests his right foot on a box as he has his shoes polished by an African American man, who kneels on the ground. Two white men browse through a box of goods that an African American man peddler, attired in a white hat and apron, carries on a strap around his shoulders. Two other white men stand to the right and look at the viewer. The fair celebrated the centennial of the United States through an international exhibition of industry, agriculture, and art., Title and photographer's imprint on mount., Orange mount with rounded corners., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021., Cataloging funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012., Gift of Robert M. Vogel, 1984., 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., George Barker was a prolific New York stereographer in the 1860s whose gallery catered to the tourist trade in Niagara Falls.
Creator: Barker, George, 1844-1894
Date: [ca. 1876]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department stereo - Barker - Centennial [P.9047.69]

Title: East front of Main Building
Description: Oblique view of the east front of the Main Building on the grounds of the Centennial Exhibition of 1876 designed by Henry Pettit and Joseph M. Wilson. In the foreground, a white man rests his right foot on a box as he has his shoes polished by an African American man, who kneels on the ground. Two white men browse through a box of goods that an African American man peddler, attired in a white hat and apron, carries on a strap around his shoulders. Two other white men stand to the right and look at the viewer. The fair celebrated the centennial of the United States through an international exhibition of industry, agriculture, and art., Title and photographer's imprint on mount., Orange mount with rounded corners., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021., Cataloging funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012., Gift of Robert M. Vogel, 1984., 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., George Barker was a prolific New York stereographer in the 1860s whose gallery catered to the tourist trade in Niagara Falls.
Creator: Barker, George, 1844-1894
Date: [ca. 1876]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department stereo - Barker - Centennial [P.9047.69]

Title: Go way white trash, dis chile dance yer blind
Description: Reproduction of a sketch by G. W. Leonard depicting an African American shoeshine boy dancing to the musical accompaniment of a white boy and girl, while a white boy mocks him in the background. The smiling African American boy, portrayed in racist caricature with exaggerated features, is in the center of the image. He is attired in a white, long-sleeved open neck shirt, baggy striped pants with suspenders, and a hat with turned up brims, his hands at his side, and mid step. To his right, stand a white boy playing a concertina and a white girl playing the violin. The boy is attired in a newsboy's cap, a jacket, and pants with patches at the knees. The girl is attired in a short-sleeved, calf-length, light-colored dress, with a sash draped over her right shoulder (the one on which she plays the violin). A shoeshine box marked (with the letter s's backwards), "t. Smith. Boss Shine, 5 cts.," rests near the feet of the trio of children. In the background, a white boy, attired in torn and worn clothes and with mop-like hair, appears in a clomping stance with his arms raised to his shoulders, his back leg bent at the knee, and his other leg kicked out. His hat lays on the ground near him., Date from copyright statement: Copyright 1877, by J. P. Soule., John P. Soule was a Boston photographer who also published stereographs and cartes de visite. He served in the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts at the end of the Civil War., Purchased with the Davida T. Deutsch African American History Fund and funds for the Visual Culture Program., RVCDC, Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021.
Date: [1877]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department cdv - misc. - caricatures and cartoons - G [P.2015.63]

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