The fop wears a large, triangular frock coat, top hat, gloves, and thin trousers. His hair is curled, and he carries a switch cane., Text: A shining black hat, and glossy shirt collar, / A coat, pants and vest of cut most divine, / A little switch cane, you really would make for / Your tailor, a beautiful traveling sign., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
The old maid wears a yellow and red ball gown with lace gloves. She holds up her skirt to dance. She has numerous wrinkles., Text: Of all the olds maids that ever I knew, / There never was one half so jolly as you; / A mistake there has been, I am much afraid, / You ne'er were intended to be an old maid., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
The valentine shows a man in a top hat and tails standing at a counter marked "Tailor." The valentine suggests that the dandy should amend his behavior in order to attract women., Text: Little dandy, don't suppose, / Any girl will favor / You, just for your suit of clothes, / Try--suitable behavior., "501", Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
In Ballou's pictorial drawing-room companion, vol. 10, no. 2 (Jan 12, 1856), p. 28., Adelaide Phillipps won popularity as a child star with her singing, acting, and dance routines. She later trained as an opera singer in Europe, under the legendary Manuel Garcia, and toured the United States and Europe with numerous opera companies., Other portraits appear in: Gleason's pictorial drawing-room companion, vol. 1, no. 2 (May 10, 1851), p. 32; Gleason's pictorial drawing-room companion, vol. 1, no. 6 (June 7, 1851), p. 84; Appleton's encyclopaedia of American biography, vol. 4 (New York, 1888), p. 758., Full-length portrait of Phillipps, wearing a man's costume of boots, tights, a tunic and belt purse, holding a picture; she is depicted while acting a scene with two other male figures at left, with a rural landscape including a cottage and arbor in the background.
A man with disheveled hair sits at a table with his chin resting on one hand. In the other hand, he holds a handkerchief., Text: O! you sigh for a wife-- how funny / No a girl must be flat indeed, / Unless you had mints of money, / To take up such a broken reed., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A seated man sews a sock by candelight., Text: This picture I send, to show you your end, / The end of not only a few-- / Old Nick I intend as your intimate friend, / For the devil serves thus such fellows as you. / Alas, you poor fool! 'tis plain to be seen / That one thus to live, indeed, 'tis a sin: / There's plenty to have you, if you only knew it, / 'Tis certain, indeed, you never would rue it., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
The bachelor walks holding a large umbrella under his arm. His nose and chin point towards a statue of a naked woman., Text: Your buttonless shirt, and ragged coat sleeves, / Proclaim you to be an old Bach; / Pray hunt up some young maid, I really believe / If you tried, you would soon make a match., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A woman stands with her eyes half open. The sender mocks the recipient's desire for marriage., Text: It is not good for a man to be alone, / Nor woman either-- so you're always sighing; / So you will strive to be the rib of one / Good man, if you should even die in trying., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
The "Old Bachelor" sits on a stool in front of a fireplace. He holds a toasting fork, and a kettle sits near the fire. His appearance is generally ragged, with an overgrown beard, disheveled hair, and holes in his socks., Text: O! poor old Bach; you must be lonely, / Your stake in life is small; / I look at you, and wonder only / How you exist at all., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
In The People’s journal, vol. 2, no. 29 (July 18, 1846), p. 29., At head of image: Public exhibitions. No. 2., Full-length portraits of the actresses Charlotte and Susan Cushman.
A woman runs and wears breeches underneath her dress. A man runs away from her., Text: That a woman's rule is ofttimes good, / This, firm experience teaches, / But it really seems to reach extremes, / When she tries to wear the breeches., Cf. Valentine 12.36., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A woman sits with her eyes closed and head down. The shape of her clothing resembles a religious cassock, perhaps suggesting celibacy., Text: That you can't get a lover, well I know / To you must be a bitter pill; / That at your feet you never had a Beau, / And what is more, I fear you never will., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A woman in a low-cut gown looks in the mirror. Her cheeks have rouge on them, and she holds a pot. Another woman stands behind her., Text: THE glass grows hateful to your sight, / For it tells you truly you're a perfect fright; / All the arts that ever you can make or try, / Will fail to add lustre to your eye. / In vain you may try with pastes and cream, / To smooth your skin or hide its seams; / Old maid, with all the art of borrowed charms, / You cannot catch a young man in your arms., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A woman runs and wears breeches underneath her dress. A man runs away from her., Text: That a woman's rule is ofttimes good, / This, firm experience teaches, / But it really seems to reach extremes, / When she tries to wear the breeches., Cf. Valentine 12.37., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A woman holds a leash around her husband's neck, and he holds a baby. The valentine criticizes advocates of women's rights for degrading men., Text: She who be-littles her husband's name, / Knows not what to woman's grace belongs; / The Rights some silly women claim, / Are nothing less than a husband's wrongs., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
In Chapin, J.R. The historical picture gallery (Boston, 1856), p. 155., Full-length portrait of the wilderness woman astride a galloping horse; she looks over her left shoulder, with a whip held high in her right hand; her clothing does not identify her as male or female.
In The afflicted and deserted wife, or, Singular and surprising adventures of Mrs. Ellen Stephens (New York, 1842), frontispiece., Mrs. Ellen Stephens is probably a fictitious character., Three-quarter length portrait of the woman wearing a dress with leg-of-mutton sleeves, with her head down-turned, in tears.
A woman wears plaid breeches, smokes a cigarette, and looks in the mirror., Text: Wearing the breeches, wearing the breeches! / Know that all our experience teaches, / A woman, forgetting what's due her sex, is / Ready for vice and all it annexes., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
The valentine shows a large woman sitting in a chair. She holds a cup near a pitcher. Her dress is hiked up to reveal her boots. The valentine condemns swearing women., Text: Horror of horrors, a foul mouth'd woman, / Shows the depth of degradation; / She should be struck from the race call'd human / And rank'd with the brute creation., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
Full-length portrait of Mrs. Elizabeth M’Dougald in a natural setting. She is depicted “in the guise of a Scottish Highlander,” wearing a highland dress and a Scottish bonnet with feathers, and holding two shotguns. --P. 18., In M’Dougald, Elizabeth. The Life, travels, and extraordinary adventures of Elizabeth M’Dougald (Providence, 1834), [1]., "Thus attired I commenced my pursuit after the destroyer of my happiness, -- once the idol that I worshiped”., Elizabeth M’Dougald was a Scottish woman who was abandoned by her husband for another woman. With murderous intentions she pursued him by crossing the Atlantic, traveling throughout Canada and the United States, and enlisting in the Army.
In Gleason’s pictorial drawing-room companion, vol. 1, no. 28 (Nov. 8, 1851), p. 440., Full-length portraits of the child actresses Kate and Ellen Bateman in costume for their appearance in Bombastes furioso, Kate in the role of King Artaxaminous (?).
The valentine shows the Devil holding a pitchfork with a woman on the top over a fire. The devil has hairy legs, cloven feet, and four points on his head. The valentine suggests that the "old maid" is damned for failing to marry and procreate., Text: Oh! what a very sorry sight it is, / To see an aged lady still a Miss, / To know that single she must live and work, / And in the end be toasted on a fork., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A woman wears a crinoline structure, bonnet, and fur cap and muff. "Bombazine" was a fabric used for mourning clothing. The border shows cupids and hearts; one cupid shoots a heart out of a thimble cannon labeled "Love"; another cupid travels with a heart in a hot-air balloon; and another cupid hammers at a cracked heart below a heart on a fishhook labeled "Caught.", Text: Oh! it's well they become you, ma'am, / And it's well they become, ma'am; / You know what I mean, / (It isn't the crinoline, ) / Are they made of bombazine? -- / It's well they become you, ma'am!, Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
The valentine shows an old man wearing sleeping clothes and a headscarf. A bowl marked "gruel" is on the table behind him, and he stands near a pile of bedding. The term "granny" mocks the recipient for being both old and effeminate, and the sender ridicules the recipient for thinking he can find a young wife., Text: Gouty and toothless, one foot in the grave, / You would like a young wife to make her a slave; / If you've luck you may get one, and if so, so be it -- / But for me, my dear granny, I can not see it., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A wrinkled woman holds a parasol and tilts her head up. The sender criticizes the recipient's fear of marriage and threatens that she will be damned., Text: My wrinkled old maid, who to wed is afraid, / And therefore, unmarried will stick; / At the end of your days if you don't mend your ways, / You're sure to be caught by Old Nick., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A woman wears many flowers in her hair and a skirt with furbelows. She rests her chin in her hand. The valentine cautions the recipient against holding sentimental beliefs about marriage, suggesting that she will not receive marriage proposals because she is neither sensible nor wealthy., Text: Waiting for an offer, few indeed the chances; / These are not the times we read of in romances; / Men want wives with good sense, or with flowing coffers, / And are very careful to whom they're making offers., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A woman stands at a podium with her hand raised. A smaller man and woman sit in the audience., Text: Peace! brainless babbler -- what's the use / Of proving to mankind that you're a goose, / By asking husbands -- so runs your speeches -- / To put on frocks, while you wear their breeches., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A woman smokes a cigarette and and plays billiards., Text: For a "high old time, " and a jolly spree, / A man might spend an hour with thee; / But he never would choose to make a wife, / Of a woman with such ideas of life., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
In Chapin, J.R. The historical picture gallery (Boston, 1856), p. 407., Full-length recumbent portrait of the American woman from South Carolina who disguised herself as a man and joined the Continental Army; her sex was not discovered until after she died in battle (either in 1782 or 1778).
Waist-length portrait of the writer, an amputee, holding a book in her left hand., In Johnson, Sophia. The friendless orphan, an affecting narrative of the trials and afflictions of Sophia Johnson, the early victim of a cruel step-mother (Pittsburgh, 1842), title vignette., Sophia Johnson dressed as a man to serve with her brother in the War of 1812., Portrait re-engraved after the original engravings by Huestis in the 1841 New York printing of The friendless orphan.
In The female review: or, memoirs of an American young lady; whose life and character are peculiarly distinguished-- being a Continental soldier, for nearly three years, in the late American war (Dedham, 1797), frontispiece., Gannett dressed as a man in order to serve in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War., "I shall here notice a heroic deed of this gallantress; which, while it deserves the applause of every patriot and veteran, must chill the blood of the tender and sensible female. Two bastion redoubts of the enemy having advanced two hundred yards on the left, which checked the progress of the combined forces, it was proposed to reduce them by storm. To inspire emulation in the troops, the reduction of one was committed to the Americans, and the other to the French. A select corps was chosen. The commander of the infantry was given to Fayette, with permission to manage as he pleased. He therefore ordered them to remember Cherry-Valley and New London Quarters, and to retaliate accordingly, by putting them to the sword, after having carried the redoubts. Our Heroine was one of these! At dark, they marched to the assault with unloaded arms, but with fixed bayonets; and with unexampled bravery, attacking on all sides at once, after some time of violent resistance, were complete victors of the redoubts."--P. 151-152., Bust-length portrait of Gannett, encircled by ornamental oval frame with decorative elements including eagle, flags, and foliage., Another portrait appears in Chapin, J.R. The historical picture gallery (Boston, 1856), p. 27., Another copy of portrait held in Graphic Arts [Portrait Prints - S [5750.F.29a]]. Copy reproduced in "In Disguise" online exhibition.
In The life and sufferings of Miss Emma Cole (Boston, 1844), p. [19]., Emma Cole [later Mrs. Hanson] is probably a fictitious character., Full-length of the woman wearing a sailor suit, lying on her back on the deck of a ship, while a man binds her hands. Four other armed men stand nearby.
In A Sketch of the life of Elizabeth Emmons, or, The female sailor. 2nd ed. (Boston, 1841), frontispiece., Elizabeth Emmons is probably a fictitious character., Waist-length portrait of the partially-sighted woman on board ship, wearing a sailor uniform.
Genre scene satirizing the "new woman" and the role reversal of men and women in the home. Depicts a woman attired in bloomers and gloves (bicycle garb), with one foot propped on a chair as she smokes. Her husband bends over the wash tub and wrings an article of clothing as he does her laundry, some of which dries above their heads on a line. The woman's bicycle is propped near the door., Additional places of publication printed on mount include: London; Toronto-Canada; Ottawa-Kansas., Printed on mount: Works and studios. Arlington, N.J.; Littleton, N.H.; and Washington, D.C., Sun sculpture trademark printed on mount., Title printed on mount., Publisher's imprint printed on mount., Title also printed on verso in five additional languages., Buff curved mount with rounded corners., Cataloging funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012., Gift of Erika Piola.
Date
c1901
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department stereo - Underwood & Underwood - Portraits & genre [P.9998]
Series of titled comic genre photographs include "Mr. & Mrs. Turtledove's new French cook," "You sweet thing, when did you arrive?" "Now don't be so shy!" "Oh my, but you are lovely," "Sh! Sh! I hear my wife coming," "Heavens, what does she mean," "Well, I am caught sure enough," "She must leave this house at once," "Mr. Turtledove trying to get out of the difficulty," "Mr. Turtledove making promises to be good," "Darling, I love you more than ever," and " Mr. & Mrs. Turtledove's next "French" cook." Images depict a straying husband's relationship with the pretty French cook, his wife's discovery of the relationship, and his attempts and success at reconciling with his wife. The pretty female cook is eventually replaced by an unattractive "French" cook, represented by a man dressed as a woman., Series copyrighted 1902 by William H. Rau., Title supplied by cataloger., Publisher's imprint printed on mounts., Gray curved mounts with rounded corners., Cataloging funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012.
Creator
Rau, William Herman, 1855-1920, photographer
Date
c1902
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department stereo - Rau - Portraits & genre [P.9872.1-12]
A man smokes and wears both men's and women's clothing, including a skirt, a top hat, breeches, and a coat and jacket. His has mutton chops. The border features a woman embracing a man; the pair resemble Commedia dell'arte characters. At the bottom is a pack of matches marked "Lucifer's matches." "Guv," or govenor is slang for "boss.", Text: Some chaps are seen / For crinoline / By Nature's hand adapted; / No woman's love / To such is "guv," / Their hearts are never tapped at., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
The cavalry dandy has his face turned upward. His facial hair consists of sideburns and a moustache. He wears large star-shaped spurs and carries a large sword., Text: When mounded [sic] on your blooded steed, / You look both bold and fine indeed; / But when your foremost in the fray, / Be sure you do not run away., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A man in a green and red uniform looks into a tube, possibly a gun or cannon. He holds a monocle over his eye, carries a walking stick, and has long hair, suggesting that he is a dandy. The sender criticizes the recipient for posing as a soldier and suggests that he is effeminate., Text: Your swashing gate and vacant stare, / Pleased fools in times of peace, / But since afraid to go to war, / Put off the duds and cease., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A woman with the face of an ape hunches forward to use snuff. She has a monkey on her back. The text references the adage that a woman who does not marry leads apes into hell., Text: Snuffy, soiled, a slouchy slattern, / You've become a complete pattern; / Old and ugly, but with care, / And taking apes to ---- you know where., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A man has very long mutton chops and a moustache., Text: You think your style is just the thing / To raise a great commotion; / Get the ladies on a string, / And use them to your notion; / But ladies cannot stomach now, / Such senseless-headed noodles, / They all with one accord avow, / They find more sense in poodles., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
Depicts the entire cast of men gesturing toward center stage where the show's "female" star is hoisted on the shoulders of two cast members. In the left, a supporting player, wearing Black face and costumed as a messenger in a cap and white gloves, kneels and points with his right hand. The front row of actors kneel, many of whom are attired as women in large brimmed hats and dresses with tulle skirts. The back row of actors stand, attired in white collared shirts, ties, dark-colored jackets, and white pants. The backdrop depicts a small town street including "Bernies Antique Shop," a drug store, and a post office. "Blackface minstrelsy is a popular entertainment form, originating in the United States in the mid-19th century and remaining in American life through the 20th century. The form is based around stereotypical and racist portrayals of African Americans, including mocking dialect, parodic lyrics, and the application of Black face paint; all designed to portray African Americans as othered subjects of humor and disrespect. Blackface was a dominant form for theatrical and musical performances for decades, both on stage and in private homes.", Title supplied by cataloger., Photographer's imprint ink stamped on verso., Description of Blackface minstrelsy from Dorothy Berry, Descriptive Equity and Clarity around Blackface Minstrelsy in H(arvard) T(heater) C(ollection) Collections, 2021., Gift of Joseph Kelly, 1982., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022., 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., 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.
Creator
Photo Illustrators (Firm), photographer
Date
[ca. 1925]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Photo-Illustrators-11x14 [P.8882.20]
Racist caricature reminiscent of the plate "Have you any flesh coloured silk stockings...?" from E.W. Clay's racist satiric series, Life in Philadelphia, originally published in the late 1820s and early 1830s. Depicts an African American man dressed as a woman attired in a brimmed hat, a long-sleeved dress tied with a bow at the back, a fur shawl, shoes, and with a closed umbrella and a basket at her feet. She sits in front of the counter of a dry goods store and inquires in the vernacular about a pair of dark stockings which she holds. A young white woman sales clerk smiles with her elbows on the counter and displays to the customer a second pair of dark-colored stockings. Bolts of fabric rest on shelves behind the clerk, and socks and hosiery hang above. A white woman customer shops at the other end of the counter, in the right., Title from item., Date from copyright statement: Copyright 1902 by Underwood & Underwood., Printed on mount: Works and Studios. Arlington, N.J. Westwood, N.J. Washington, D.C., Sun sculpture trademark printed on mount., Title printed on verso in six different languages, including French, German, and Spanish., Grey mount with rounded corners., See Life in Philadelphia. "Have you any flesh coloured silk stockings...?" [LCP Life in Philadelphia (Philadelphia) P.9701.9], Purchase 2002., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022., Digitization funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012.
Creator
Underwood & Underwood
Date
1902
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department stereos - Underwood & Underwood - Genre [P.2002.31]
Sheet music cover showing the minstrel group, the Harmoneons, in Blackface as a musical group playing in a tropical setting. The four men and one man dressed as a woman are seated and play instruments, including a triangle, fiddle, banjo, tambourine, and clappers. The men are attired in button-down, yellow striped shirts and white pants, and the woman in a short-sleeved, red and white dress. Palm trees, a mountain side, and ocean are visible in the background. The entertainers' and their characters' names are printed below the image: Js. Power as Toney; M. S. Pike as Fanny; L. V. N. Crosby as Pomp; F. Lynch as Gumbo; and Jno. Power as Sambo. The Harmoneons, founded by Crosby and originally managed by J. Simmons Davis, were one of the earliest minstrel troupes in the United States and were active into the 1860s., Blackface minstrelsy is a popular entertainment form, originating in the United States in the mid-19th century and remaining in American life through the 20th century. The form is based around stereotypical and racist portrayals of African Americans, including mocking dialect, parodic lyrics, and the application of Black face paint; all designed to portray African Americans as othered subjects of humor and disrespect. Blackface was a dominant form for theatrical and musical performances for decades, both on stage and in private homes., Title from item., Date from copyright statement: Entered according to act of Congress in the year 1845 by C. Bradlee & Co. in the clerk's office of the District Cou[rt]., Title list of scores printed on recto., Facsimile signature of minstrel L. V. N. Crosby printed on recto. LCP copy contains partial signature., Gift of Michael Zinman, 2009., Description of Blackface minstrelsy from Dorothy Berry, Descriptive Equity and Clarity around Blackface Minstrelsy in H(arvard) T(heater) C(ollection) Collections, 2021., Lower corners missing., 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.
Creator
Sharp, William, 1803-1875, artist
Date
1845
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department GC - Entertainment - H [P.2009.25]
Procession of the advertising and publishing club established in 1906 in honor of Benjamin Franklin past the Poor Richard Club and the nightclub, "Club Madrid," on the 1300 block of Locust Street. Depicts the members being led by a Franklin impersonator and a man, wearing makeup and a curly, white wig and attired in an embellished long-sleeved shirt with a cap, shorts, and white stockings, on horseback. They are followed by costumed and uncostumed members. All the costumed "young Franklins," except for a few who hold flags and a club banner, carry loaves of bread simulating Franklin's arrival to Philadelphia. Spectators watch from the sidewalk and the street, including an African American chauffeur leaning on a parked car. Parade may commemorate the relocation of the club to 1319 Locust Street from 239 Camac Street on November 30, 1925., Title supplied by cataloger., Photographer's blind stamp on recto., Gift of Joseph Kelly, 1982., Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2023., 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.
Creator
Photo Illustrators (Firm), photographer
Date
[ca. 1925]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Photo-Illustrators-11x14 [P.8876.3]
View of the float for Charles J. Webb Co., Philadelphia woolen and cotton yarn dealer. Bordered by a log fence and adorned with cotton plants and two small American flags, the float carries four live sheep and several costumed passengers including: three African American men attired as cotton pickers; a white man attired as a colonial lady near her spinning wheel; and a white boy attired as a colonial sheepherder holding his crook. Partial view of preceding float is visible with a white man attired in colonial garb. A large, stone building lines the street., Title supplied by cataloger., Date inferred from content., Purchase 1989., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022., 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. 1920]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department photos - unidentified - processions [P.9260.638]
Eccentrically-arranged scrapbook predominantly containing newspaper clippings, patent medicine almanac advertisements, and comic valentines. Also contains scraps, trade cards, and labels. Clippings, many published in the sensational periodicals “National Police Gazette” and “Days’ Doings” primarily depict illustrations of murders and violence, crimes and punishments, human curiosities, animal attacks, human peril, women in distress, gender non-conforming people, evocative theatrical performances, acts of daring, and comic scenes in silhouette. Illustrations include H. P. Peer's 1879 jump from the Niagara Falls bridge and a fight between the elephant "Bolivar" and a camel in Van Amburgh's menagerie. Patent medicine advertisements primarily promote the products of Barker’s Horse, Cattle, and Poultry Powder; C. I. Hood’s Sarsaparilla; Dr. Morse’s Indian Root Pill; and E. S. Well's Rough on Rats. Valentines satirize various professions and gender and ethnic stereotypes, including a cook, music teacher, machinist, hatter, seamstress, “French nurse –(from Ireland),” “novel reader,” “prudish young woman,” and “an old bore.”, Also contains some sentimental and genre imagery, including mothers and children, children playing, and pets; landscape and cityscape illustrations; racist caricatures of African Americans; Tobin trade cards depicting comical views of baseball players (p. 21); an advertisement for The Electric Era/ German Electric Belt Agency (Brooklyn, N.Y.); Dalziel Brother illustrations of scenes from popular Charles Dickens novels like “Nicholas Nickleby”; chromoxylograph illustration from Aunt Matilda series “The Little Deserter” (McLoughlin Bros., ca. 1869); illustrated children's book covers; and a finely-designed chromolithographic advertisement depicting allegorical figures, flowers, and produce to promote gardens (Lowell, Mass.)., Title supplied by cataloger., Small number of pages contain hand-coloring., Also originally included tucked-in partial editions of N.Y. newspapers issued in 1890. Issues housed in mylar and with scrapbook., Scrap depicting two racing horses and their jockeys pasted on back cover., Housed in phase box., Purchase 2012., RVCDC, Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021.
Date
[ca. 1869-ca. 1890, bulk 1880-1890]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department *albums (flat) [P.2012.42]
