[Ralston family cased photograph collection] [graphic].
Title
[Ralston family cased photograph collection]
Description
Collection of daguerreotype and ambrotype portraits, several by Norristown daguerreotypist William Stroud, portraying clergyman and founder of Oakland Female Institute James Grier Ralston, his wife Mary Anderson Larimore Ralston, their daughters, and his and his wife’s female siblings, and women teachers at the Institute. Contains bust-, half-, three-quarter, and full-length portraits of individual and pairs of sitters. Sitters are often seated, but a number of the portrait depicts sitters in a standing pose. The women’s and girl’s attire includes bonnets; off-the-shoulder bateau neckline dresses; high-neck, long-sleeved dresses with lace collars and cuffs; brooch and belt chatelaines; and earrings. Dresses worn by the female sitters are often a solid dark color, but occasionally are of a pattern design or light color. James Grier Ralston’s attire included broad bow ties, vests, jackets, and suits. Many of the images also contain props, including covered side tables, chairs, flowers, possibly an ambrotype, and a crumpled piece of cloth., Sitters in addition to James Grier Ralston and Mary Anderson Larimore Ralston include their daughters Anna Larimore Ralston, Ella Grier Ralston, Lilly Grier Ralston (who died at 11 months old), and Cora (Cara) Ralston; Institute music teacher Mrs. John Hunsicker, i.e., Fannie Henry Hunsicker (married by James G. Ralston); Mary’s sister and Institute graduate, Hetty Clark Larimore; and Institute teacher and sister of James, Agnes Caldwell Ralston; Institute graduate Martha (Mattie) Divine (Mrs. Fleming); and an unidentified woman., Posed portrait pairs include images of Mary Anderson Larimore Ralston and daughter Anna Larimore Ralston (P.2012.5.6) in which Anna sits in Mary’s lap with her mother’s hand on her head; and Anna Larimore Ralston and Ella Grier Ralston (P.2012.5.8) which Anna stands next to Ella who sits on a chair, while she rests her arm on a covered side table adorned with a basket of flowers; Anna Larimore Ralston and Fanny Hunsicker (P.2012.5.16) in which Fanny, seated, has her one hand at her hip and her other hand and arm around the waist of Anna who stands; and Hetty Clark Larimore and Mary Larimore Ralston (p.2012.5.17) in which the women are seated, side by side, and Hetty holds a bound object, possibly an ambrotype and Mary holds a crumpled white cloth., Title supplied by cataloger., Date inferred from photographic medium and age and attire of sitters., Photographers include William Stroud (Norristown, Pa.) and Theodore L. Chase (Philadelphia, Pa.)., Various-shaped mats, including oval, elliptical, double elliptical, and non pareil., Various colored pads, including blue, red, and maroon velvet or silk, several with embossing. Embossings include photographer’s imprints and/or imagery. Imagery includes floral and geometric designs, scroll work, and eagles., Primarily leather cases, and one thermoplastic case. Case designs vary, but are predominantly rose and mixed flower designs, in addition to geometric, scroll, and quatrefoil designs. Designs also include Pressed Flower, plate 154; The Delicate Roses, variant, plate 123; A Spray of Roses, plate 131; Mixed Garden Flowers, plate 133; Two Lilies, variant, see plate 112 and 113 in American miniature case art by Floyd and Marion Rinhart (Cranbury, New Jersey: A.S. Barnes and Co., Inc., 1969)., Majority of sitters identified by accompanying slips of paper with manuscript notes., Several of the images contain pink tinting on the cheeks of the sitters., P.2012.5.4, P.2012.5.8, P.2012.5.11-15, P.2012.5.21 contains daguerrean's imprint on pad or inside rim of case. Various imprints include: William Stroud, Norristown; William Stroud's Skylight Gallery, Norristown, Pa.; Stroud’s Ambrotypes Norristown, Pa., P.2012.5.6 contains dagurrean's imprint on pad: Theodore L. Chase, N.E. cor. Chestnut & Fifth Sts., Fannie Henry Hunsicker was a woman of Chinese descent. Official records are conflicting as to whether she was born in China, at sea, or in Connecticut., Several of the images contain weeping glass deterioration, tarnished plates, or other damage., Inventory of collection available at repository., See Sarah Weatherwax, "Revealing the Ralston Family," The Daguerreian Society Quarterly (July-September 2021), p. 3-6., Clergyman James Grier Ralston (1815-1880) founded Oakland Female Institute in 1845 in Norristown, Pa. Ralston studied at the Theological Seminary at Princeton and headed the Female Seminary at Oxford, Chester Country, PA before establishing Oakland. He married Mary A. Larimore (1822-1891) in 1842 and they had four children Anna L. (1848-1902), Ella M.(1847-1924), Lillie G. (1852-1853) and Cara G. (1856-1928), with Lillie dying in infancy. Ralston’s children were educated and/or taught at Oakland, as did his sister Agnes C. Ralston. The Institute operated until 1880 and the death of Ralston
Date
[ca. 1845-ca. 1855]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department cased photos - Ralston Family [P.2012.5.1-22]
A five points exclusive taking the first steps towards the Last Polish [graphic].
Title
A five points exclusive taking the first steps towards the Last Polish
Description
Racist caricature depicting a group of middle-class African American women receiving a dance lesson at the "Bon Enfantfile Cross St. Saloon." Shows the four women in a semi-circle, looking at the white dance instructor, “Mr. Boeyfong,” in the right and one woman, in the center, looking at the viewer. Two of the women slightly pull up their skirts, one has her heels together and the other points her right foot. The women wear their hair in top knots, and all but one also wear hair adornments. Three are attired in off the shoulder puffed-sleeved dresses and one woman wears a blue dress with a collar. They all wear jewelry, including earrings and necklaces, as well as ankle-laced shoes and a red ribbon on one leg and a blue ribbon on the other, the latter to aid in the lesson. In the right, “Mr. Boeyfong” stands with his left foot pointed out and holding a violin in one hand and the corresponding bow down toward the foot of the woman across from him. He instructs the pupil to "hold in ze stomach and stick out behind!" He has sideburns and wears his dark hair styled out to the sides. He is attired in a white ruffled shirt, a vest with a floral pattern, a cravat with a floral pattern, a black waistcoat, blue pantaloons, white stockings, and slip on shoes adorned with ribbons. Behind them is a sign with the "Regulations" of the "Saloon" which state that the women must wear the ribbons to distinguish their right foot from their left; they must not come undressed; and they may not have more than ten partners at one time. The women figures are portrayed with oversized features and their skin tone is depicted in brown hand coloring. The man figure is portrayed with muscular physical features and small feet., Title from item., Date inferred from content and name of publisher., Contains several lines of dialogue in dialect and the vernacular above the image: Allons Mademoiselle raise ze leg wis ze red ribbon so bring him to ze ozer leg wis de blue ribbon, hold up ze head, elevate ze bosom, hold in ze stomach and stick out behind! tres bien ver well-/Now Mr. Boeyfong is dat ‘ere step right?, Contains a caption below the image, a quote from Shakespeare's "Hamlet":” A station like the herald Mercury. New lighted on a heaven kissing hill. -Shakespeare., 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., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022.
Date
[ca. 1833]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Life in New York (New York Set) [P.9187]

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