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Title: [Higgins' German laundry soap trade cards]
Description: Series of illustrated trade cards with the captions, "come buy your buttercup, dear little buttercup, Higgins' German laundry soap" and "What, never? No, never! What, never? Hardly ever! Without Higgins' German laundry soap." Illustrations depict a sailor and a woman holding hands and two sailors flirting with a woman, both scenes on the deck of a boat. Both women carry baskets., Advertising text promoting J. Sheldon Barber's cider establishment at 920 Market Street printed on versos: "The healthiest drink in the world." "Invalids can use it with entire safety." "Pure sweet cider made fresh every day from carefully selected apples, for sale by the glass, gallon or barrel. Pure cider vinegar, cider jellies, boiled cider and choice apples always on hand. J. Sheldon Barber, 920 Market Street, Philadelphia. All styles of boomer & boschert presses for sale.", Cataloging funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012., Digitized.
Date: [ca. 1880]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department trade card - Higgins [1975.F.28 & 1975.F.76]

Title: Monday. Monday is de wash day, an I neber sulk or mope, becase de close am nice and clean, by using Higgins' soap
Description: Racist trade card promoting Higgins' soap and depicting a caricature of an African American woman domestic carrying a bar of soap and a wash tub. The woman is portrayed with exaggerated features and speaks in the vernacular. Shows the African American woman with her hair in pigtail braids tied at the ends in white bows, attired in an orange and yellow striped head kerchief, a red and white shawl, a blue dress with black stripes, a white apron with red stripes, orange and white striped stockings, and black shoes. She carries a large, wooden wash tub in her right hand and a yellow bar of soap labeled “Higgin” in her left hand. The woman smiles and walks toward the viewer and says, “Monday is de wash day, an I neber sulk or mope, becase de close am nice and clean, by using Higgins' soap.” In the right, a white shirt hangs on a clothes line pinned with wooden clothespins. The Charles S. Higgins Company, established by Higgins’s father W. B. Higgins in Brooklyn in 1846, manufactured "German Laundry soap" beginning around 1860, when Charles assumed the business. The laundry soap was packaged in a wrapper illustrated with an African American woman washing in a tub. By the early 1890s, Charles S. Higgins left the firm still operated under his name and formed Higgins Soap Company. Court proceedings over trademarks and tradenames ensued and Higgins Soap Company became insolvent by the mid 1890s., Title from item., Date deduced from history of the advertised business., Gift of David Doret.
Date: [ca. 1880]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection - Higgins' [P.2017.95.82]

Title: Tuesday. Yes my heart is light, for de close iron white, and dat is jist what tickles me, for without Higgins' soap, you have'nt any hope, so please to take pattern by me
Description: Racist trade card promoting Higgins’ soap and depicting a caricature of an African American woman domestic ironing a white sheet. The woman is portrayed with exaggerated features and speaks in the vernacular. Shows the African American woman with her hair in pigtail braids tied at the ends in white bows, attired in an orange and yellow striped head kerchief, a red and white shawl, a blue dress with black stripes, a white apron with red stripes, orange and white striped stockings, and black shoes. She stands behind an ironing board and holds a white sheet in her left hand and an iron in her right hand. The ironing board sits on top of a wooden stool and a red and yellow box labeled “Higgins’ German Laundry Soap.” The woman smiles at the viewer and says, “Yes my heart is light, for de close iron white, and dat is jist what tickles me, for without Higgins' soap, you have'nt any hope, so please to take pattern by me.” In the background is a white sheet hanging over a wooden board. The Charles S. Higgins Company, established by Higgins’s father W. B. Higgins in Brooklyn in 1846, manufactured "German Laundry soap" beginning around 1860, when Charles assumed the business. The laundry soap was packaged in a wrapper illustrated with an African American woman washing in a tub. By the early 1890s, Charles S. Higgins left the firm still operated under his name and formed Higgins Soap Company. Court proceedings over trademarks and tradenames ensued and Higgins Soap Company became insolvent by the mid 1890s., Title from item., Date deduced from history of the advertised business., Gift of David Doret.
Date: [ca. 1880]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection - Higgins' [P.2017.95.83]

Title: Friday. Use Higgins' soap in de mornin, a washin of de winder, for wif good soap and a merry heart, dar's nothin for to hinder
Description: Racist trade card promoting Higgins' soap and depicting a caricature of an African American woman domestic washing a window. The woman is portrayed with exaggerated features and speaks in the vernacular. Shows the African American woman with her hair in pigtail braids tied at the ends in white bows, attired in an orange and yellow striped head kerchief; a red and white shawl; a blue, short-sleeved shirt with black stripes; an orange and yellow checked skirt; yellow, red, and white striped stockings; and black shoes. The woman sits on the window ledge with her legs crossed at the ankles. Her upper body is outside of the house as she washes the exterior of the window with a white cloth. The woman smiles at the viewer and says, “Use Higgins' soap in de mornin, a washin of de winder, for wif good soap and a merry heart, dar's nothin for to hinder.” In the right is a wooden bucket with a bar of soap labeled, “Higgins Soap,” on top of a wooden stool. The Charles S. Higgins Company, established by Higgins’s father W. B. Higgins in Brooklyn in 1846, manufactured "German Laundry soap" beginning around 1860, when Charles assumed the business. The laundry soap was packaged in a wrapper illustrated with an African American woman washing in a tub. By the early 1890s, Charles S. Higgins left the firm still operated under his name and formed Higgins Soap Company. Court proceedings over trademarks and tradenames ensued and Higgins Soap Company became insolvent by the mid 1890s., Title from item., Date deduced from history of the advertised business., Gift of David Doret.
Date: [ca. 1880]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection - Higgins' [P.2017.95.84]

Title: Sunday. Yer looks lubly Ephraim, and it all comes using dat Higgins soap
Description: Racist trade card promoting Higgins' soap and depicting a caricature of an African American family getting ready for church. The family is portrayed with exaggerated features and speak in the vernacular. In the center, the husband/father stands smiling attired in a white ruffled shirt, a red and white bow tie, a yellow waistcoat, a long black jacket, red and white checked pants, black shoes, and white gloves. The wife/mother, attired in a bonnet decorated with a blue bow and flowers, a red shawl, a blue dress with black stripes, a yellow bow tie, and black shoes, smiles as she adjusts the bowtie on her husband and says, “yer looks lubly Ephraim, and it all comes using dat Higgins soap.” Their son, attired in a yellow hat with a black band, a red shirt with a white lace collar, green pants, red socks, and black shoes, looks up at the couple carrying a red book in his left hand. In the left, behind the couple, are two more children. The girl in the left is attired in a white head kerchief, a yellow shirt with orange stripes, a white skirt, red stockings, and black shoes. The boy in the right is attired in a blue cap, a blue shirt with a white collar, blue pants, red and white striped socks, and black shoes. A print depicting a red building and two people is pasted on the wall in the right background. The Charles S. Higgins Company, established by Higgins’s father W. B. Higgins in Brooklyn in 1846, manufactured "German Laundry soap" beginning around 1860, when Charles assumed the business. The laundry soap was packaged in a wrapper illustrated with an African American woman washing in a tub. By the early 1890s, Charles S. Higgins left the firm still operated under his name and formed Higgins Soap Company. Court proceedings over trademarks and tradenames ensued and Higgins Soap Company became insolvent by the mid 1890s., Title from item., Place of publication inferred from place of operation of advertised business., Date deduced from history of the advertised business., Gift of David Doret.
Date: [ca. 1880]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection - Higgins' [P.2017.95.81]

Title: Saturday. Whoa! Dar Sambo! What do yer mean, what makes yer jump and shout? I will wash yer clean with Higgins' soap, and then yer may jump out
Description: Racist trade card promoting Higgins' soap and depicting a caricature of an African American woman bathing her child in a wash tub. Shows the African American woman portrayed with exaggerated features with her hair in pigtail braids tied at the ends in white bows, attired in an orange and yellow striped head kerchief; a red and white shawl; and a blue, short-sleeved dress. The mother kneels on the floor as she bathes her young son in a washtub. She smiles, rubbing a wash cloth on the boy with her right hand. The naked boy stands in the tub with his left leg raised. She says in the vernacular, “Whoa! Dar Sambo! What do yer mean, what makes yer jump and shout? I will wash yer clean with Higgins' soap, and then yer may jump out.” Behind the tub, in the left, a girl, attired in a black-striped, red nightgown, and a boy, attired in an orange nightgown, watch the scene. In the right, another boy in an orange nightgown looks on. A white towel with two red stripes and decorative fringe is draped over the side of the wash tub. In the right background, a white sheet hangs on a clothesline. Charles S. Higgins Company, established by Higgins’s father W. B. Higgins in Brooklyn in 1846, manufactured "German Laundry soap" beginning around 1860, when Charles assumed the business. The laundry soap was packaged in a wrapper illustrated with an African American woman washing in a tub. By the early 1890s, Charles S. Higgins left the firm still operated under his name and formed Higgins Soap Company. Court proceedings over trademarks and tradenames ensued and Higgins Soap Company became insolvent by the mid 1890s., Title from item., Date deduced from history of the advertised business., Gift of David Doret.
Date: [ca. 1880]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection - Higgins' [P.2017.95.85]

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