Racist, trade card specimen depicting a caricature of an African American man minstrel playing the flute. Shows the African American man minstrel portrayed with exaggerated features and attired in a hat; a ruffled, white shirt with an oversized collar; a plaid jacket with tails; pants with a black stripe, and black shoes. He sits on a wooden stool and blows on the flute, which he holds up to his mouth in both hands. In front of him is a music stand with sheet music on it., Title devised by cataloger., Date deduced from the visual content., Printed in red ink., Text stamped on recto: No. 478, 4 designs, price $1.55 per 1000., Gift of David Doret.
Date
[ca. 1880]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection - Misc. 12 [P.2017.95.223]
Die-cut scrap depicting a racist caricature of an African American man minstrel playing the flute. Shows the full-length portrait of the man attired in a brown hat, a white collared shirt with red polka dots, a blue jacket with green plaid cuffs, green plaid pants, and red and black shoes. He smiles at the viewer as he holds a flute in both of his hands., Title supplied by cataloger., Date deduced from the visual content., Gift of David Doret.
Date
[ca. 1890]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection - Scraps - Scrap 36 [P.2017.95.288]
Photographic reproduction of a caricature depicting a half-length, cameo portrait of an African American man playing a fife. Shows the man, posed to the right, looking up with his eyes, and holding up with both his hands, a fife to his pursed lips. He leans slightly forward, is portrayed with a furrowed brow, and is attired in a wide-brimmed hat adorned with a ribbon, white shirt with long sleeves, and a dark-colored vest. While commander of Fort Monroe, Virginia, General Benjamin Butler declared freedom seekers as "contraband of war," providing the impetus for Congress to enact the Confiscation Act of 1861. During the war, several visual materials, often satires, depicting Black persons as "contraband" were published., Title from manuscript note on verso., Date inferred from active dates of publisher., RVCDC, Philadelphia Photographic Company operated from 730 Chestnut Street circa 1864-1865 before relocating to 24 N. 8th Street. Active until about circa 1869, the firm, per advertisements, issued a catalog, sold "specialties" for albums, including "from original drawings by artists of high quality," and published "[Thomas H.] Johnson's Photographic Views of the Whole Oil Regions," as well as sold election campaign cards and badges.
Creator
Philadelphia Photographic Company
Date
[ca. 1865]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department cdv - non-portrait -Philadelphia Photographic Company - Happy [P.2022.50]
Racist trade card depicting an African American man minstrel musician to promote laundry soap. Shows the man, in profile, sitting on a stool, his left foot wrapped around its leg, and playing the flute. A music stand with pages of sheet music is visible to the man's left. The man is attired in a minstrel costume, including a white and blue cone-shaped hat, an orange and white plaid jacket with long tails, a white shirt with ruffles, and yellow pants with a blue stripe. Lautz Bros. & Co. was originally founded in 1853 in Buffalo, New York as the Lautz Company by German immigrant Wilhelm Lautz Sr. After his death in 1866, his wife, sons, and grandsons continued to run the firm from Buffalo, New York through the early 20th century., Title from item., Gift of David Doret.
Date
[ca. 1885]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection - Lautz [P.2017.95.104]
