[Road to Philadelphy]
Title
[Road to Philadelphy]
Description
Racist caricature simultaneously mocking and condoning the pretentiousness and bigotry of early 19th century Philadelphia Quakers toward their "social inferiors." Shows a Philadelphia road in front of a small home with an open picket fence and a visitor arriving on horseback. In front of the fence, a dark skinned traveler, possibly an Irishman or African American, with buck teeth and carrying a knapsack and a walking stick, asks a rotund white Quaker man and his attractive prim and proper daughter, "I say, this isn't the road to Philadelphy, honey, is it?" The father responds indignantly to the "Friend," that he is not only asking a question, but also telling a lie, and of course it is the road., Attributed to E.W. Clay., Title and publication information supplied by Wainwright., Philadelphia on Stone, POS 652, Clay, born in Philadelphia, was the most prolific caricaturist of the Jacksonian era. He became well known for his racist popular series, "Life in Philadelphia," published from 1828 until 1832, which mocked upwardly mobile African American Philadelphians as ineptly attempting to imitate the white middle class., Nancy Reynolds Davison's E.W. Clay: American political caricaturist of the Jacksonian era (PhD. diss., The University of Michigan, 1980), p. 76, 358. (LCP Print Room Uz, A423.O)., LCP holds duplicate trimmed print: W315., Gift of William Helfand, 1998., RVCDC, Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021.
Creator
Clay, Edward Williams, 1799-1857, artist
Date
[1830 or 1831]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department *W315 [P.9576]
[Road to Philadelphy]
Title
[Road to Philadelphy]
Description
Racist caricature simultaneously mocking and condoning the pretentiousness and bigotry of early 19th century Philadelphia Quakers toward their "social inferiors." Shows a Philadelphia road in front of a small home with an open picket fence and a visitor arriving on horseback. In front of the fence, a dark skinned traveler, possibly an Irishman or African American, with buck teeth and carrying a knapsack and a walking stick, asks a rotund white Quaker man and his attractive prim and proper daughter, "I say, this isn't the road to Philadelphy, honey, is it?" The father responds indignantly to the "Friend," that he is not only asking a question, but also telling a lie, and of course it is the road., Attributed to E.W. Clay., Title and publication information supplied by Wainwright., Philadelphia on Stone, Clay, born in Philadelphia, was the most prolific caricaturist of the Jacksonian era. He became well known for his popular racist series, "Life in Philadelphia," published from 1828 until around 1830, which mocked upwardly mobile African American Philadelphians as ineptly attempting to imitate the white middle class., Nancy Reynolds Davison's E.W. Clay: American political caricaturist of the Jacksonian era. (PhD. diss., The University of Michigan, 1980), p. 76, 358. (LCP Print Room, Uz A423.O), LCP holds duplicate untrimmed print: *Wainwright 315., Accessioned 1982., RVCDC, Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021.
Creator
Clay, Edward Williams, 1799-1857, artist
Date
[1830 or 1831]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department W315 [P.2179]
The International Exposition 1876 at Philadelphia, PA. U.S.A.
Title
The International Exposition 1876 at Philadelphia, PA. U.S.A View from George's Hill
Description
Allegorical commemorative print celebrating the internationalism and historic significance of the Centennial Exhibition. Depicts a bird's-eye view of the active exhibition grounds including the Agricultural Building, Horticultural Building, Main Building, and Machinery Hall. In the foreground, figures representing various races, ethnicities, and cultures convene and interact with one another. An African American woman and man sit on a bench. An African American man, attired in a black suit, tips his top hat and greets a white woman sitting on a bench. Groups of people stand in clusters to converse and walk including Native Americans, attired in feather headdresses, and Chinese women and men. Middle Eastern and Russian men ride on horseback. Contains ghost-like imagery visible in the sky depicting significant historic American moments, figures, and buildings, including William Penn's Treaty with the Indians, George Washington, and the White House. Contains the names of the prominent exhibition halls below the image., Copyrighted by George H. Ellsbury & J. Hayward., Philadelphia on Stone, POS 390, Accessioned 1983., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021.
Creator
Ellsbury, George H., lithographer
Date
1876
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department **BW - Centennial [P.8966]