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Title: Scent to the legislature
Description: Racist cartoon expressing disdain for African Americans who were elected to office as a result of Reconstruction. Depicts a bust-length portrait of an African American man legislator, portrayed in racist caricature with grotesque features, attired in a white collared shirt, a plaid bowtie, a waistcoat, and a jacket, smiling. He is flanked by two white men legislators who hold their noses as though he had a bad "scent." Many African American legislators were targeted as the source of corruption in politics during the era., Title from item., Date of publication of 1868 is used as the content suggests that the passage of the Fourteenth Amendment has occurred. Weitenkampf suggests an earlier date of 1865 arguing that African Americans were elected to office during the early era of Reconstruction, Originally part of American political caricatures, likely a scrapbook, accessioned 1899. Collection primarily comprised of gifts from Samuel Breck, John A. McAllister, and James Rush., RVCDC, Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021., 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.
Date: [1868?]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Political Cartoons - 1868 Sce [5760.F.117]

Title: Fixing a block-head to the Constitution or putting a wart on the nose of old ironsides
Description: Satire of President Andrew Jackson who is represented as a figurehead that is being placed on "Old Ironsides" (i.e. the ship "Constitution") by African American sailors. The white commander, attired in uniform with his back to the viewer, stands beside a bucket of grog and offers the sailors a "double allowance of grog." To the right, eight African American sailors, portrayed in racist caricature and speaking in the vernacular, hoist the figurehead up with ropes. In the left, two African American sailors steady the base of the figurehead with rope and one remarks, "...dey'd better run him up to the yard arm like dey do de pirate." The figurehead of Jackson, who was often criticized for his broad interpretation of the constitutional powers of the executive branch, holds a paper inscribed "My interpretation of the Constitution." In the right, a white man military fifer and a white man drummer play the "rogue's march" instead of "Hail Columbia." Cartoon references the event in July 2, 1834, when mariner Samuel W. Dewey decapitated the figurehead in the middle of the night. The figurehead of Andrew Jackson was added to the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) in March/April 1834., Title from item., Incorrect publication date of 1832 supplied by Weitenkampf., Originally part of American political caricatures, likely a scrapbook, accessioned 1899. Collection primarily comprised of gifts from Samuel Breck, John A. McAllister, and James Rush., RVCDC, Description revised 2023., Access points revised 2021., 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 the Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014., Imbert, a pioneer of lithography in New York City, printed city views and also painted marinescapes.
Creator: Imbert, Anthony, 1794 or 5-1834, lithographer
Date: [1834]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Political Cartoons - 1834 Fix [5760.F.73]

Title: The Fifteenth Amendment. Celebrated May 19th 1870
Description: Commemorative print celebrating the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment depicting a large central scene of the May 19, 1870 Baltimore parade surrounded by several portraits and vignettes. A float of young African American girls leads the parade in view of the city's Washington Monument. The parade consists of African American Zouave drummers, men in top hats on horseback, and ranks of troops. The portraits of African American civil rights supporters framing this scene include President Grant; Martin Robison Delany, the first African American Major; Frederick Douglass; Mississippi Senator Hiram Revels; Vice-President Schuyler Colfax; Abraham Lincoln; and abolitionist John Brown. The numerous vignettes, all captioned, include scenes of an African American classroom, an African American congregation, an African American wedding, an African American officer, an African American man reading to his family, African American masons, and an African American man voting., Title from item., Date from copyright statement: Entered according to Act of Congress in the year of 1870 by Thomas Kelly in the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington., LCP exhibition catalogue: Negro history, p. 78., Purchase 1968., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021., 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., Beard was a respected illustrator most well known for his nature illustrations.
Creator: Beard, James C., designer
Date: 1870
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department *political cartoons - 1870-4 [7765.F]

Title: The result of the Fifteenth Amendment, and the rise and progress of the African race in America and its final accomplishment, and celebration on May 19th A.D. 1870
Description: Print commemorating the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment containing a large central scene of the celebratory parade held in Baltimore in May surrounded by several bust portraits and vignettes. Parade is led by several African American Zoaves down Monument Street, which is lined with African American and white men, women, and children spectators. Bust-length portraits of African American civil rights supporters above and to the sides of this scene include Abraham Lincoln; Baltimore jurist Hugh Lennox Bond; abolitionist John Brown; Vice-President Schuyler Colfax; President Grant; Pennsylvania representative Thaddeus Stevens; Maryland representative Henry Davis; Massachusetts senator Charles Sumner; Martin Robinson Delaney; Frederick Douglass; and Mississippi Senator Hiram Revels. Vignettes include a plantation scene depicting enslaved African American men and women working in a cotton field while a white man stands looking on titled, "we are in bondage, deliver us!; a Civil War battle with African American troops; a classroom with an African American man teacher and African American students titled, "Education will be our pride"; an African American congregation; and a parade of African American Masons holding banners., Title from item., Date from copyright statement: Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1870 by Metcalf & Clark, in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington., Purchase 1968., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021., 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.
Date: 1870
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department *political cartoons - 1870-2 [7764.F]

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