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Title: Telephone for the Alden fruit vinegar
Description: Trade card promoting Alden Fruit Vinegar and depicting a satiric, racist caricature of an older African American man misunderstanding an operator to whom he speaks on a wall-mounted telephone. He faces the viewer, leans against the wall, and remarks in vernacular speech "dis chile's rich..dis man... gib me de city hall." The man is balding and has tufts of hair on the sides of his head. He has a white beard and is attired in a beige coat, an undersized, green vest with buttons, and blue plaid pants rolled up at the bottom exposing his socks and black shoes. On the ground beside his feet is a banjo and brimmed hat. Brothers John Tolman and Walter Alden founded Alden and Bro., later Alden Vinegar Company in St. Louis in 1878. The business expanded to Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York. By 1907, the business collapsed., Title from item., Publication information from copyright statement: Copyright 1883 by J [H. Bufford's] Sons., Distributor's name on verso: O. H. Wilcox, dealer in simple & fancy groceries, Winfield, N.Y., Text printed on recto: Golly! I guess dis chile's rich--dis man him say wait a minute and him gib me de city hall., Advertising text printed on verso: The highest scientific authorities having analyzed, say "it is a pure wholesome vinegar produced by natural fermentations from fruits." The Alden Fruit Vinegar A Specialty., Stamped on recto: O.H. Wilcox, Merchant, Winfield., Gift of David Doret.
Date: 1883
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection - Alden [P.2017.95.4]

Title: Go to Edelman's for your kid gloves, zephyrs, ribbons and hosiery, 335 Northampton St., Easton, PA
Description: Trade card promoting Edelman's store and depicting a satiric, racist caricature of an older African American man misunderstanding an operator to whom he speaks on a wall-mounted telephone. He faces the viewer, leans against the wall, and remarks in vernacular speech "dis chile's rich...dis man... gib me de city hall." The man is balding and has tufts of hair on the sides of his head. He has a white beard and is attired in a beige coat, an undersized, green vest with buttons, and blue plaid pants rolled up at the bottom exposing his socks and black shoes. On the ground beside his feet is a banjo and brimmed hat. M.A. Edelman had a shoe store on 146 Northampton Street, Easton, PA circa 1871. Circa 1880s, he opened a store selling women's accessories on 335 Northampton Street., Title from item., Publication information from copyright statement: Copyright 1883 by J H. Bufford's Sons., Text printed on recto: Golly! I guess dis chile's rich- dis man him say wait a minute and him gib me de city hall., Gift of David Doret.
Date: 1883
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection - Edelman [P.2017.95.54]

Title: [African American woman on a balcony talking on a tin can telephone to an African American man minstrel]
Description: Die-cut trade card specimen shaped like a top hat and depicting racist caricatures of an African American woman on a balcony talking on a tin can telephone to an African American man minstrel. Shows the African American woman, attired in a yellow dress, leaning over the balcony of a palatial building, while holding a tin can telephone on a string to her right ear. On the ground, the African American man minstrel is portrayed with exaggerated features and attired in a white top hat with a black band, a white collared shirt, a black bowtie, a white waistcoat, a black jacket with tails, red and white striped pants, and black shoes. He stands holding the other end of the tin can telephone to his right ear. A banjo lies at his feet., Title supplied by cataloger., Date deduced from the visual content., Gift of David Doret.
Date: [ca. 1880]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection - Misc. 29 [P.2017.95.239x]

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