Block numbered in two places: 8958., Image of a white woman sitting in front of a black boy who stands in front of her, speaking or singing; two other boy sit behind him on a bench in what appears to be a church or school; the woman raises her hand slightly; in the background another woman holds a book and faces three seated boys; a white man sits behind a table or counter beneath a sign., “V. Grottenthaler [?] Phila.” – Back of block. Vincent Grottenthaler is listed (as a dealer in boxwood) in Philadelphia city directories from 1867 to 1876.
In The liberty bell (Boston, 1844), frontispiece., Facsimile signature: Lucretia Mott., Mott wrote, "Duty bids to do all that in us lies, to overcome prejudice, and improve the condition of the nominally free, but our object should be, to break up a system which has thus degraded our fellow-beings. While we aid, to the extent of our power, the fugitive from injustice and oppression, let us not yield to solicitations for money to purchase his freedom from his claimants; thus acknowledging a right of property in man, and giving an indirect support to slavery. Rather let our main and most vigorous exertions be directed to the overthrow of the outrageous system of American Slavery."--P.177-178., Waist-length portrait of Mott, seated in a chair, wearing a bonnet and shawl., Another portrait appears in: American phrenological journal, v. 17 (Apr., 1853), p. 76.
In Wheatley, P. Poems on various subjects, religious and moral (London, 1773), frontispiece., Possibly based on a drawing by Scipio Moorhead., Three-quarter length portrait of writer, seated at a table, with pen in hand; inkwell and book nearby.
In Green, F. H. Memoirs of Elleanor Eldridge (Providence, 1840), frontispiece., Eldridge, of mixed African and Native American heritage, established herself as a successful businesswoman who worked in numerous trades, successfully defended her brother in a lawsuit against him, and became a landowner and homeowner., "Elleanor now, with her sister, entered into a miscellaneous business, of weaving, spinning, going out as nurse, washer, &c.--in all of which departments she gave entire satisfaction: and in no single instance, I believe, has failed to make her employers friends. She also, with her sister, entered considerably into the soap boiling business. Of this article they every year made large quantities, which they brought to the Providence market, together with such other articles as they wished to dispose of, or as were, with suitable commissions, supplied by their neighbors. By this time the earnings of Elleanor had amounted to a sum sufficient to purchase a lot and build a small house, which she rented for forty dollars a year."--P.63., Waist-length portrait of Eldridge, holding a broom.
In Educational laws of Virginia / The personal narrative of Mrs. Margaret Douglass, a southern woman, who was imprisoned for one month in the common jail of Norfolk, under the laws of Virginia, for the crime of teaching free colored children to read (Boston, 1854), frontispiece., Facsimile signature: Margaret Douglass., Douglass established a small school for free black children, teaching them to read and write in her home. For this offense, she spent a month imprisoned in jail in Norfolk, Virginia., Waist-length portrait of Douglass.
In Andrews, C.W. Memoir of Mrs. Anne R. Page (Philadelphia, 1844), frontispiece., Anne Page was an active proponent of emancipation. Although she was not able to free the slaves on her Virginia estate, she devoted time to their education and care., Waist-length portrait of Mrs. Page, wearing a bonnet, with eyeglasses propped on top of her head.
In Lee, J. Religious experience and journal of Mrs. Jarena Lee (Philadelphia, 1849), frontispiece., Waist-length portrait of black preacher, seated at table with pen in hand; inkwell, books, and other papers also on table.
In Narrative and confessions of Lucretia P. Cannon (New York, 1841), t.p. vignette., "[Page 16.]", Full-length portrait of the murderer and slaver Patty Cannon (here Lucretia P. Cannon), holding a black child in the flames of a fireplace.
Bust-length portrait of Alice, wearing a bonnet., In Thomas, Isaiah. Eccentric biography; or, Memoirs of remarkable female characters, ancient and modern (Worcester, 1804), plate preceding p. vii., Alice, known variously as Black Alice and Alice of Dunk’s Ferry, was a native of Philadelphia and a slave, born to parents who had come from Barbados. She is said to have been 116 at the time of her death in 1802. In extreme old age Alice received many visitors who enjoyed hearing stories about early Philadelphia and its famous first settlers, including William Penn and Thomas Logan. Alice was also a lifelong worshiper at Christ Church in Philadelphia., “Being a sensible intelligent woman, and having a good memory, which she retained to the last, she would often make judicious remarks on the population and improvements of the city and country; hence her conversation became peculiarly interesting, especially to the immediate descendents of the first settlers, of whose ancestors she often related acceptable anecdotes.”--P. 9.
In Aunt Sally; or, the cross the way of freedom. / A narrative of the slave-life and purchase of the mother of Rev. Isaac Williams, of Detroit, Michigan (Cincinnati, 1858), frontispiece., Sally Williams's son Isaac purchased her freedom. The publishers envisioned the narrative of her life, in which the portrait appears, as a text that would inspire readers "to labor for that oppressed and unhappy race which "Aunt Sally" represents, so, at length, this unfortunate people shall be slaves no longer, but shall find that, to them all, the Cross has been the Way of Freedom."--P.v., "And this is the mother and this is the son, who, through such peril and labor, have escaped from bondage into freedom. The facts need no comments. They are eloquent enough of themselves. But when we remember that these are not isolated cases, but that every day there is this suffering and strife for liberty, with only now and then one fortunate enough to obtain it, they become "trumpet-tongued," and plead with us to rest not till all over the land liberty shall no longer be a name only, but the right and blessing of every creature."--P.213., Another illustration picturing Williams appears in: Aunt Sally; or, the cross the way of freedom, plate opposite p. 214., Waist-length portrait of Williams, wearing a bonnet and eyeglasses.
In The Ladies' Repository (November, 1859), plate preceding p. 641. "Engraved expressly for the Ladies Repository.", Waist-length portrait of Mrs. Wilkins seated in front of a window with a Liberian village visible in the background.
In Morris, M. Memoir of Miss Margaret Mercer (Philadelphia, 1848), frontispiece., Mercer, who was born into an affluent family, became an educator and director of several schools. She was an abolitionist and a colonization advocate; after emancipating her own slaves, she provided for their passage to Liberia., "Educated in the midst of slavery, and familiar with it under circumstances in which it displayed its least exceptionable features, Miss Mercer was fully convinced of the evil necessarily inherent in the system, and of the malign influence it exerts as well upon the master as the slave. She had, however, also, at the same time, full opportunity to observe the great difficulties with which the effort to get rid of the evil is environed, and was able to appreciate the obstacles which oppose the full development of the negro character in a country in which he has so long been kept in a state of degradation, and where he is compelled to contend with habits and prejudices, not only inveterate from long continuance, but continually excited into renewed vigour by the struggle ever maintained between distinct races of men dwelling on the same soil. She was convinced that circumstances over which the friends of the negro have no control, would keep him here in a state of thraldom and servitude, even though liberated from the galling chain of hopeless bondage. Yet none ever felt more deeply the evil of slavery; none ever more anxiously desired the coming of the time when the stain of it should be wiped from the scutcheon of our country; none ever made more disinterested, self-sacrificing efforts than she to be delivered from its guilt. It was with such views and feelings she had hailed with delight the establishment of the American Colonization Society, an institution which she regarded as peculiarly adapted to the relief of both master and slave."--P.113-114., Figurehead and text below portrait: Non nobis solum ("Not for ourselves alone")., Another portrait appears in: Hale, S. J. Woman's record (Philadelphia, 1855), p. 424., Three-quarter-length, seated portrait of the educator, wearing a bonnet and rings, with a table at right.
In Memoir of Mrs. Chloe Spear (Boston, 1832), frontispiece., Full-length portrait of Chloe and other black girls being pursued by white men and a dog; a ship is visible in the background.
Block numbered in three places: 7796., Image of interior of Independence Hall, Philadelphia; male and female visitors include one black woman. Two decorative rondelles in corners depict a statue of George Washington and the Liberty Bell, flanking an eagle., Signed: Lauderbach, sc.; S [i.e., Seymour?]., Illustration appears in Child's world, v. 33, no. 3 (Feb., 1876?), p. 1.
In Twelve years a slave (Auburn, N.Y., 1853), plate opposite p. 88., Same image appears in Twelve years a slave (Auburn, N.Y., 1854)., Full-length portrait of the enslaved women, possibly a fictitious character, kneeling next to her daughter Emily; two white men stand above her.
Bust-length portrait of Sarah Margru Kinson Green., Sarah Margru Kinson Green, a child captive onboard the Amistad slave ship, returned to the United States to study at Oberlin College., “This girl, one of the Amistad captives, called in her native language Margru, meaning black snake, called at our office for an examination, while a stranger to us. She was described as possessing strong friendship, independence, perseverance, energy, and unusual intellectual powers ; remarkable memory, and the faculty of acquiring education. We afterward learned that she had been educated at the Oberlin Institute, in Ohio, and excelled in all branches of study, and was one of the first scholars in the institution in mathematics and superior sciences ; remarkable for memory and native intelligence. She has gone to her native land as a missionary. The forehead is broad and high, and particularly prominent in the center, in the region of eventuality, and the whole head is large, sustained by a vigorous constitution. She is far superior to Africans generally. The same is true of the majority of the Amistad captives, particularly so of Cinquez, the leader. Dignity, independence, and scope of mind were such as to do honor to individuals of any nation.”--P. 231., In the American phrenological journal, vol. 12 (1850), p. 231., Another portrait appears in The illustrated phrenological almanac for 1851 (1850), p. 30.
In Twelve years a slave (Auburn, N.Y., 1853), plate opposite p. 320., Same image appears in Twelve years a slave (Auburn, N.Y., 1854)., Full-length portrait of Mrs. Solomon Northup embracing her husband; their daughters Elizabeth and Margaret stand nearby.
Group portrait showing a line of eight men, including an African American employee and possibly co-owner Balthazar Stahl (third from right), standing in front of the flower store with large display windows marked "LaRoche & Stahl." Bouquets of flowers, floral wreathes, and other floral arrangements are displayed. A retracted awning with the name if the business adorns the building. A large garland of flowers is weaved across the awning frame. Potted plants line the base of the building and entryway near where the men stand. In the far left, the back of a horse traveling in the street near men patronizing a vendor's stand at the side of the flower store is visible. In the far right, signage for the adjacent business is partially visible. Florist Maximilian F. La Roche partnered with his brother-in-law Batlhazar Stahl in 1878. The partnership also managed several large greenhouses in Collingdale, Pa., which specialized in chrysanthemums and roses. Previously, La Roche had operated his own floral business in Philadelphia beginning circa 1876 when he purchased Brooker & Co. at 1319 Chestnut Street. La Roche removed his store to 1237 Chestnut in 1881. Stahl, who was in charge of the retail business, left the partnership circa 1898 when he started his own business at 27 South Eleventh Street., Title supplied by cataloguer., Date inferred from the attire of the men included in image.
Date
[ca. 1890]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department photo - unidentified - Business - L [P.2008.11.6]
In Summary of the transactions of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, vol. 3 (1850), plate opposite p. 93., “Ruth Tucker, a large and healthy negro woman, aged twenty-four, was admitted into the Pennsylvania Hospital in January last, on account of tumours developed in the lobe of each ear. She stated that between five and six years before, she had her ears pierced, and that soon afterwards brass rings were inserted into them…. Some swelling had already shown itself around the punctures before they were taken out … and gave origin to the tumours, which had continued since slowly to enlarge.”—P. 93., Waist-length portrait of Ruth Tucker, a patient whom Dr. George W. Norris treated for tumors on her ears.
Bust-length portrait of the criminal., In Sampson, M. B. Rationale of crime and its appropriate treatment; being a treatise on criminal jurisprudence considered in relation to cerebral organization. Edited by Eliza W. Farnham (Philadelphia, 1846), p. 158., “My acknowledgements are due to the officers of the Penitentiary on Blackwell’s Island for their politeness in furnishing me with facilities for taking the daguerreotypes, and to Mr. L. N. Fowler for aiding me in the selection of cases; nor must I omit to name Mr. Edward Serrell, who was obliging enough to take the outline drawings for me; or Mr. Brady, to whose indefatigable patience with a class of the most difficult of all sitters, is due the advantage of a very accurate set of daguerreotypes.” -- Introductory preface by Mrs. Farnham, p. xx., "C.P., a half-breed Indian and negro woman, under confinement for the fourth time. She has been twice imprisoned for petit, and once for grand larceny, and once for assault and battery with a knife. During one of her terms of confinement she attacked her keeper with a carving-knife, and he was compelled to fell her with a loaded cane. When excited she exhibits the most uncontrollable fury, and is always disposed to be offensive, aggressive, and more or less violent. In her head destructiveness is enormously developed, with large secretiveness and caution, and very defective benevolence and moral organs generally.”--P. 158.
LCP exhibit catalogue: Negro History, p. 140., Edwin Wolf's Philadelphia: Portrait of an American City. (Philadelphia: Camino Books, 1990), p. 217., Recruitment print depicting members of an African American regiment posed with their white commander at Camp William Penn, Cheltenham Township. The troop members, including the drummer boy, wear their military best and are gathered on an open green near a tent. One soldier proudly displays the American flag. Begun in 1863 with the support of the Union League, eleven regiments were formed at Camp William Penn, the first Pennsylvania camp for volunteer African American regiments. William Penn was the largest Civil War camp for the training of officers to lead African American troops.
Creator
P.S. Duval & Son,lithographer., creator
Date
[1863]
Location
*GC - Civil War - Military Camps - Penn [P.9177.17]
Trade card employing an African American Oscar Wilde caricature. Wilde toured the United States in 1882. The Wilde figure, wearing long hair and attired in blue knee breeches with red bows, a red jacket with tails, black socks, and gold slippers lectures to an audience of well-attired African American men and women. He stands at a table adorned with a piece of paper, a candle in a bottle, and a water glass containing a sunflower. To his left, an older frowning man sits with an umbrella between his knees on the stage, while in the first row, two women (one wearing a sunflower on her hat) swoon in front of a lanky man, standing, and looking moonfaced. Clarence Brooks established his varnish business in 1859 as Brooks and Fitzgerald, later Clarence Brooks & Co. In 1881 the firm issued a calendar illustrated with African American caricatures in genre scenes., Publication date inferred from image content., Purchased with the Davida T. Deutsch African American History Fund.
Date
[ca. 1882]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department trade card - Brooks [P.2014.35]
