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Title: Frank Miller's crown dressing Yes missus dat am de Crown of Dressing shua!
Description: Racist trade card depicting an African American maid shining a white woman's boots. The African American woman is depicted in profile and holds a bottle of Frank Miller's Crown Dressing in her left hand. The white woman holds up the skirt of her dress to reveal her left boot. The maid is attired in a head wrap, a dress with the sleeves rolled, an apron, and flat shoes. The white woman is attired in a ruffled, dark-colored dress, flowers in her hair, and leather boots. A bottle of Frank Miller's Crown Dressing sits atop an ornamented table. A bottle of Frank Miller's Crown dressing is also printed on the verso. A tassel is visible above the bottle and a curtain is visible behind it. Frank Miller & Co. was a New York manufacturer of shoe polish based in Manhattan. The company was founded in the 1860s and continued operating throughout the late 19th century., Title from item., Printed in red ink., Distributor's imprint printed on recto: John Cottrill, boots, shoes, trunks, &c, Wallingford, Conn., Advertising text printed on verso: Frank Miller's Crown Dressing in 4-oz. bottles, with wire, sponge, and cork. Gives a rich gloss, with a deep and durable color. While most dressings crack the leather, the Crown does not injure it in the least, and for ladies' and children's boots and shoes is rapidly displacing all others., Gift of David Doret.
Date: [ca. 1870]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection - Miller [P.2017.95.130]

Title: Frank Miller's crown dressing Yes missus dat am de Crown of Dressing shua!
Description: Racist trade card depicting an African American maid shining a white woman's boots. The African American woman is depicted in profile and holds a bottle of Frank Miller's Crown Dressing in her left hand. The white woman holds up the skirt of her dress to reveal her left boot. The maid is attired in a head wrap, a dress with the sleeves rolled, an apron, and flat shoes. The white woman is attired in a ruffled, dark-colored dress, flowers in her hair, and leather boots. A bottle of Frank Miller's Crown Dressing sits atop an ornamented table. A tassel is visible above the bottle and a curtain is visible behind it. Frank Miller & Co. was a New York manufacturer of shoe polish based in Manhattan. The company was founded in the 1860s and continued operating throughout the late 19th century., Title from item., Several lines of advertising text printed on verso; text is not visible., Gift of David Doret.
Date: [ca. 1870]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection - Miller [P.2017.95.128]

Title: Frank Miller's crown dressing Yes missus dat am de Crown of Dressing shua!
Description: Racist trade card depicting an African American maid shining a white woman's boots. The African American woman is depicted in profile and holds a bottle of Frank Miller's Crown Dressing in her left hand. The white woman holds up the skirt of her dress to reveal her left boot. The maid is attired in a head wrap, a dress with the sleeves rolled, an apron, and flat shoes. The white woman is attired in a ruffled, dark-colored dress, flowers in her hair, and leather boots. A bottle of Frank Miller's Crown Dressing sits atop an ornamented table. A bottle of Frank Miller's Crown dressing is also printed on the verso. A tassel is visible above the bottle and a curtain is visible behind it. Frank Miller & Co. was a New York manufacturer of shoe polish based in Manhattan. The company was founded in the 1860s and continued operating throughout the late 19th century., Title from item., Printed in red ink., Advertising text printed on verso: Frank Miller's Crown Dressing in 4-oz. bottles, with wire, sponge, and cork. Gives a rich gloss, with a deep and durable color. While most dressings crack the leather, the Crown does not injure it in the least, and for ladies' and children's boots and shoes is rapidly displacing all others., Gift of David Doret.
Date: [ca. 1870]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection - Miller [P.2017.95.127]

Title: Excelsior metal polish, for polishing and cleaning cutlery, brass, copper, tin ware and all bright steel and metal work
Description: Trade card promoting metal polish manufacturer Walpole Emery Mills and depicting a racist caricature of an African American woman domestic polishing cookware. Shows an African American woman portrayed with exaggerated features and attired in a red and yellow striped head kerchief; a blue short-sleeved shirt; a red and yellow shawl; a red skirt; and a white apron with red polka dots, smiling and looking at the viewer. She holds a brush in her right hand and a pot in her left hand. In the left, a brown-haired white woman, attired in a yellow dress with white ruffles at the neck and sleeves and a red bow, bends over a table with a plate in her hands as she looks at the African American woman. In the foreground, two white children look at the reflection of their cat in a polished pan. A boy, attired in a blue Fauntleroy outfit, smiles with his arms apart as he looks down at the pan. A white girl, attired in a white dress decorated with orange bows at the shoulders, sits on the floor and holds the pan up with her right hand. She holds an orange cat with black stripes up to the pan with her left hand. The cat arcs its back with its fur standing up and has its mouth wide open. In the left is an oversized can labeled, "Trademark Excelsior Metal Polish Manufactured by the Walpole Emery Mills 114 Milk Street Boston." On top of the can is another orange cat with black stripes that is arching its back with its mouth open in alarm. In the background is a cupboard with plates and bowls on the shelves. In the right is a table with a large stock pot and lid and a can of metal polish with a skillet hanging from a hook at the front of the table. Walpole Emery Mills, manufacturers of Excelsior metal polish, was founded in 1877 in South Walpole, Massachusetts. The company operated into the 20th century., Title from item., Distributor’s imprint printed on verso: Holway, Wright & Miner, Manufacturers' agents, New York: 167 Chambers Street. Boston: 135 State Street., Advertising text printed on verso: Excelsior metal polish. Acknowledged the cheapest and best article known for cleaning and polishing cutlery, brass, tin ware, and all kitchen utensils, sewing machine plates, nickel plate, bath tubs, copper boilers, bicycles, needles, scissors, carpenter's tools, and all bright metal and steel work. A single trial will prove it to be a household and mechanical necessity. It is neatly put up in tin cans, containing one pound, half-pound and quarter-pound each, with directions for using. Price list. 1/4 lb. cans...10 cents each. 1/2 lb"....15"". 1 lb"...25"". For sale by grocers, druggists, hardware stove and tinware dealers. Illustration of a can of Excelsior metal polish., Gift of David Doret.
Date: [ca. 1890]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection - Excelsior [P.2017.95.61]

Title: Muzzy's sun gloss starch. Elkhart Starch Co
Description: Racist trade card promoting Elkhart Starch Company and depicting a domestic, genre scene of a white family and an African American woman domestic on wash day. The woman is portrayed as a caricaturized figure. Shows in the right, the women domestic, attired in a red and yellow head kerchief; gold earrings; and a blue and white dress with gold buttons and the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, standing behind a wooden table with an iron on it. She holds up a stiffly starched and unwrinkled white collared shirt in front of the well-dressed mother and her three children. The reflection of the mother is seen on the shirt. In front of the mother, her brown-haired older son , attired in a white collared shirt and a yellow jacket, points his finger at the shirt. To his right, his younger, brown-haired sister, attired in a yellow dress with white ruffles at the neck and sleeves, reaches both arms toward the shirt. Beside her, a cat sits up at the table and looks at the shirt. Between her and her brother, the older blond- haired sister, attired in a blue dress with white ruffles at the neck and sleeves, a yellow bowtie, and a red sash tied around her waist, hands a box labeled "sun gloss starch" to her mother. In the left, the young mother with long brown hair and attired in earrings; a necklace with a red pendant; and a red dress with white ruffles down the middle and at the sleeves; reaches her right hand out to the box of starch. She cluthches an ornate fan to her chest in her left hand. In the far left, through a doorway, the young father attired in a black jacket with tails; a white collared shirt; and white pants with blue stripes, holds a top hat, stands in a hallway, and looks into the room. A.L. Muzzy built the Muzzy & Sage Mill in Elkhart, Indiana in 1870. Albert R. Beardsley (1847-1924) purchased the mill in 1878 and founded the Elkhart Starch Company. The Company was bought by the National Starch in 1893., Title from item., Advertising text printed on verso: "Elkhart Starch Co. Elkhart, Ind. Manufacture Muzzy's Sun Gloss refined & corn starch. Of superior quality, by a new process. A thorough test makes it a household necessity. Muzzys corn starch is the purest & best made. Capacity ten tons of starch per day." Includes an illustration of a train running past the Elkhart starch works manufactory., Gift of David Doret.
Date: [ca. 1890]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection - Elkhart [P.2017.95.56]

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