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Title: The Universal clothes wringer
Description: Metamorphic trade card promoting the American Wringer Company's Universal Wringer. Depicts a racist "before and after" scene with and without the product. The before scene shows an African American laundress "Dinah" wringing clothes by hand over a tub. She states in vernacular speech that "de wringing am awful." A white woman chastises her to "look at these torn clothes." She holds up a square shaped cloth with tears. A clock is visible in the background. The women are shown as bust-length. Dinah wears a kerchief, an open collared shirt, and her sleeves are rolled up. The after scene shows a smiling "Dinah," wringing laundry with a "Universal" clothes wringer under the happy gaze of her employer. The women reach a hand out to one another. Dinah wears a high ruffled collar shirtwaist with a bow at her neck, long sleeves, an apron, and kerchief. A clock rests on a sideboard in the background. The American Wringer Company was established about 1861 and operated until at least the early 20th century. The company often provided a clock as a premium to purchase their laundry equipment., Title from item., Date inferred from attire of figures depicted., Text printed on recto: Oh mistis de wringing am awful, always tear de clothes 'spect dat I neber get through. What Dinah, six o'clock and not done yet! And look at these torn clothes. "What Dinah! Finished washing so soon! Why it's only three o'clock." "Hi golly! Mistis, been done dese two hours dis chile hab no more trouble, since you done got dis wringer. Neber tear de clothes neder., Advertising text on verso: The Universal Wringer Has the Following Points of Superiority. 1. Rolls of Solid White Rubber. 2. Rowell's Double Cog-wheels. 3. Two Independent Pressure Screws. 4. Double cogs at both ends of each Roll. 5. Folding Apron or Clothes Guide. 6. Rocking Springs of wood and rubber. N. P. Baker, Dealer in General Merchandise, Sunapee, N. H., Purchased with funds from the Albert M. Greenfield Foundation., 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 the Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014.
Date: [ca. 1885]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department trade card - American [113420.D]

Title: Granite floor paint. Manf'd only by Acme white lead & color works, Detroit, Mich
Description: Trade card containing two panels and depicting a contrived, racist scene of two African American women domestics talking to each other from the kitchens of the respective, separate homes in which they work. The women are portrayed with caricaturized features and speak in the vernacular. They are attired in head coverings, sheath dresses with rolled-up sleeves, aprons, stockings, and slipper shoes. The depicted kitchens contain a sink, pans stored on hooks or a shelf, and a stove. In the left panel, the woman frowns and holds a kettle in one hand and the side of her skirt in the other. She stands "like a monument" on a floor "painted tree days now" and marked with her footprints. In the background, a white man, his mouth open in a shocked expression, and attired in a suit opens the door to the kitchen. In the right panel, the woman dances with one leg raised and her hands on her hips on a floor with "hard 'nuf" Granite Paint. In the background, a smiling white man attired in a suit looks on behind an open door to the kitchen. Separating the panels is a column of red cans labeled "Granite Floor Paint." Acme White Lead and Color Works was incorporated in Detroit in December 1884, by H. Kirke White, A.E.F. White, and W.L. Davies. In March 1920, Sherwin-Williams of Cleveland purchased the company and renamed the brand Acme Quality Paints. The firm continued under that name into the 21st century., Title from item., Text printed on recto: G'way chile! Dis floor been painted tree days an now I'se stuck fas' like a monument, why dont you use de Granite Paint? Law sakes only painted las' night and dat Granite Paint am hard 'nuf dis mawnin fur a breakdown., Advertising text printed on verso: Granite Floor Paint. You have undoubtedly in your experience, had an occasion to paint a floor, steps or a piazza. If such is the case, the chances are that you realize that the same paint used for painting the exterior of houses will not answer to paint floors, yet up to the time we invented the Granite Floor Paint that was what must be used. There are three great faults with the paints heretofore used, namely: First, they require a long time to dry, which causes great inconvenience; second, they never dry perfectly hard, and consequently will not wear; third, cold water will stain, hot water blister, and soap will to a certain extent remove them. After many long and costly experiments we succeeded in perfecting the Granite Floor Paint, and present it to the public with the assurance that it has none of the above faults. It is sure to become as great a favorite as our other popular specialty, "Neal's Carriage Paint," which is prepared ready for use in eight beautiful colors, and renders the re-painting of a buggy possible at a cost of not to exceed one dollar. Acme White Lead and Color Works, Sole Manufacturers, Detroit, Michigan., Distributor’s name on verso: For sale by Thorne & Rogers, Troy, N.Y., Gift of David Doret.
Date: [ca. 1890]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection - Acme [P.2017.95.1]

Title: The Universal clothes wringer
Description: Metamorphic trade card promoting the American Wringer Company's Universal Wringer. Depicts a racist "before and after" scene with and without the product. The before scene shows an African American laundress "Dinah" wringing clothes by hand over a tub. She states in vernacular speech that "de wringing am awful." A white woman chastises her to "look at these torn clothes." She holds up a square shaped cloth with tears. A clock is visible in the background. The women are shown as bust-length. Dinah wears a kerchief, an open collared shirt, and her sleeves are rolled up. The after scene shows a smiling "Dinah," wringing laundry with a "Universal" clothes wringer under the happy gaze of her employer. The women reach a hand out to one another. Dinah wears a high ruffled collar shirtwaist with a bow at her neck, long sleeves, an apron, and kerchief. A clock rests on a sideboard in the background. The American Wringer Company was established about 1861 and operated until at least the early 20th century. The company often provided a clock as a premium to purchase their laundry equipment., Title from item., Date inferred from attire of figures depicted., Text printed on recto: Oh mistis de wringing am awful, always tear de clothes 'spect dat I neber get through. What Dinah, six o'clock and not done yet! And look at these torn clothes. "What Dinah! Finished washing so soon! Why it's only three o'clock." "Hi golly! Mistis, been done dese two hours dis chile hab no more trouble, since you done got dis wringer. Neber tear de clothes neder., Advertising text printed on verso: The Universal Wringer has the following points of superiority. 1. Rolls of solid white rubber. 2. Rowell's double cog-wheels. 3. Two independent pressure screws. 4. Double cogs at both ends of each roll. 5. Folding apron or clothes guide. 6. Rocking springs of wood and rubber., Distributor's name on verso: J. Russell & Co., Dealers in hardware, carpenters' and machinists' tools, 23 Dwight and 23 Race Streets, Holyoke, Mass., Gift of David Doret., Library Company holds a duplicate copy with a variant distributor [113420.D].
Date: [ca. 1885]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection -American [P.2017.95.6]

Title: Granite floor paint. Manf'd only by Acme white lead & color works, Detroit, Mich
Description: Trade card containing two panels and depicting a contrived, racist scene of two African American women domestics talking to each other from the kitchens of the respective, separate homes in which they work. The women are portrayed with caricaturized features and speak in the vernacular. They are attired in head coverings, sheath dresses with rolled-up sleeves, aprons, stockings, and slipper shoes. The depicted kitchens contain a sink, pans stored on hooks or a shelf, and a stove. In the left panel, the woman frowns and holds a kettle in one hand and the side of her skirt in the other. She stands "like a monument" on a floor "painted tree days now" and marked with her footprints. In the background, a white man, his mouth open in a shocked expression, and attired in a suit opens the door to the kitchen. In the right panel, the woman dances with one leg raised and her hands on her hips on a floor with "hard 'nuf" Granite Paint. In the background, a smiling white man attired in a suit looks on behind an open door to the kitchen. Separating the panels is a column of red cans labeled "Granite Floor Paint." Acme White Lead and Color Works was incorporated in Detroit in December 1884, by H. Kirke White, A.E.F. White, and W.L. Davies. In March 1920, Sherwin-Williams of Cleveland purchased the company and renamed the brand Acme Quality Paints. The firm continued under that name into the 21st century., Title from item., Text printed on recto: G'way chile! Dis floor been painted tree days an now I'se stuck fas' like a monument, why dont you use de Granite Paint? Law sakes only painted las' night and dat Granite Paint am hard 'nuf dis mawnin fur a breakdown., Advertising text printed on verso: Granite Floor Paint. You have undoubtedly in your experience, had an occasion to paint a floor, steps or a piazza. If such is the case, the chances are that you realize that the same paint used for painting the exterior of houses will not answer to paint floors, yet up to the time we invented the Granite Floor Paint that was what must be used. There are three great faults with the paints heretofore used, namely: First, they require a long time to dry, which causes great inconvenience; second, they never dry perfectly hard, and consequently will not wear; third, cold water will stain, hot water blister, and soap will to a certain extent remove them. After many long and costly experiments we succeeded in perfecting the Granite Floor Paint, and present it to the public with the assurance that it has none of the above faults. It is sure to become as great a favorite as our other popular specialty, "Neal's Carriage Paint," which is prepared ready for use in eight beautiful colors, and renders the re-painting of a buggy possible at a cost of not to exceed one dollar. Acme White Lead and Color Works, Sole Manufacturers, Detroit, Michigan., Distributor’s name on verso: For sale by Thorne & Rogers, Troy, N.Y., Gift of David Doret.
Date: [ca. 1890]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection - Acme [P.2017.95.1]

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