Racist trade card illustration depicting six well-dressed children sitting in chairs arranged on a stage in a semi-circle. Four of the children are white and two of them are African American. At the center of the image is a white boy who attired in a green suit jacket and cropped pants with a pink bowtie pointing and asking the children to his right,"Why do we all wear Sollers & Co's shoes?" The African American boy in the left of the image responds, "Cause dey save de soles ob de children!" The African American boy in the right of the image is depicted saying, "Gib it up!" The two African American boys are attired in blonde wigs, blue coats, yellow pants, and boots. The three white girls are attired in ruffled dresses and hold fans. The white boy is attired in a green jacket, white collared shirt, pink bowtie, green pants, and boots. Two medals earned by Sollers & Co. at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition and the 1878 Exposition Universelle (or World's Fair) in Paris are printed on the trade card's verso. S.D. Sollers & Co. was a Philadelphia manufacturer of women and children's clothing and shoes that operated during the 19th century., Title from item., Text printed on recto: Why do we all wear Soller's & Co's shoes? Cause dey save de soles ob de chil'ren! Gib it up!, Advertising text printed on verso: Sollers & Co's celebrated shoes & slippers for ladies, misses and children. Hand-made and Machine Sewed. Retailed only at our store, 636 Arch Street, Philadelphia. Buy our Protection Toe and Box Toe Tip Shoes for your Children. They are the Best to wear., Gift of David Doret.
Date
1877
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection - Sollers [P.2017.95.162]
