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Title: [African American man with a basket of produce and carrying a dead duck]
Description: Racist, trade card specimen depicting a caricature of an older African American man, possibly a peddler, carrying a dead duck and a basket of produce. The man is balding and has tufts of white hair on the sides of his head and is attired in plaid pants, a collared shirt, a collared jacket, and a plaid scarf tied around his neck. He holds a dead duck by the legs in his left hand. Around his left shoulder, he carries a straw handled basket, which has the leaves of a vegetable sticking out of it. Behind him in the background is a shelf that has a bottle and a glass on it., Title supplied by cataloger., Date deduced from the visual content., Printed in red ink., Gift of David Doret.
Date: [ca. 1880]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection - Misc. 25 [P.2017.95.236]

Title: Mirth! music! originality! The success of the season! "Jollities"
Description: Racist trade card promoting “The Electrical Doll” play at the Gaiety Theatre in Boston. Depicts a caricature of an older African American man, possibly a peddler, carrying a dead duck and a basket of produce. The man is balding and has tufts of white hair on the sides of his head and is attired in plaid pants, a collared shirt, a collared jacket, and a plaid scarf tied around his neck. He holds a dead duck by the legs in his left hand. Around his left shoulder, he carries a straw handled basket, which has the leaves of a vegetable sticking out of it. Behind him in the background is a shelf that has a bottle and a glass on it. The Gaiety Theatre in Boston was located on Washington Street between West and Avery Streets. The 800-seat theater operated from 1878 to 1882 when it became the Bijou Theatre. Charles Atkinson with his Jollities theatre troupe produced comedic plays, including “The Electrical Doll,” which was written by Clinton G. Parrefield with music by J. Adalim. It first appeared in December, 1879 and ran for a number of years in America and Europe., Title from item., Publication information and date inferred from the content., Text printed on the recto: (Over.), Advertising text printed on the verso: Boston Press Notes. [Boston Herald, Dec. 14.]“Standing room only.” and precious little of that, was what late comers at the Gaiety Theatre found last evening. One of the largest audiences ever gathered in this cosy little house extended to the ‘Jollities’ Combination such a welcome as to dispel all doubts, if, indeed, any existed, that the levees to be given during the present week by “The Electrical Doll” will be little short of a perfect ovation.” [Boston Post, Dec. 14.] “The ‘Jollities’ presented the ‘Electrical Doll,” the funniest of all musical absurdities, before an over-flowing house last evening at the Gaiety, and gave universal satisfaction.” [Boston Globe, Dec. 14.] The Jollities. “There was not a vacant seat at the cosy Gaiety last evening. Why? Simply from the fact that Manager Gouge, who knows just what a Boston audience requires, gave one of the best performances that has graced this theatre this season. If good acting, splendid singing, bright and witty dialogue, with a capital orchestra—whose sparkling music was rendered under the baton of J.A. Norris in such an acceptable manner that encores were demanded—deserve to be called first-class, then a faint idea may be conceived of the excellencies of the Jollities Combination entertainment.”, [Boston Journal, Dec. 14.] Gaiety Theatre—“The Jollities Combination is well named, for jollier lot of performers could scarcely be brought together. At the Gaiety Theatre, last night, they appeared before a large audience in a two-act musical piece entitled ‘The Electrical Doll.” On the bills the piece is called an ‘absurdity,’ and it is deliciously absurd, yet marked by a consistency that places it as a composition for the stage very far ahead of the majority of similar productions. The Jollities deserve full houses during their stay of a week, and all who attend their clever entertainments are certain to be pleased.”, Printed with green ink., Gift of David Doret.
Date: [ca. 1880]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection - Gaiety [P.2017.95.67]

Title: Bloch. Bros. West Virgina mail pouch tobacco I tell you breddern, it pays you to read erbout W.V.A Mail Pouch terbacker on de oder side dis yer card
Description: Trade card promoting the Bloch Brothers' chewing tobacco. Depicts a racist caricature of an older African American man tobacco peddler portrayed with exaggerated features and selling his product in a clumsy manner on a stage. He looks flabbergasted, stands behind a small table with two leaves drawn open, and holds a green umbrella over his head with his right hand. He holds the top of the table with his other hand while a pitcher, cup of water, and a lit candle in a candlestick fall off of the table or fly in the air. An illustrated package of "Bloch Brothers' Mail Pouch Tobacco" falls toward the audience. On the stagefloor in front of the table is a brown bottle with a lit candle, a hurricane lantern, a candle in a candlestick, and a brimmed hat. Behind the salesman in the right is an open bag with a boot and clothes spilling out. A clock hangs on the back wall. In the foreground, the backs of four men’s heads in the audience are visible. The white-haired salesman is attired in a red, plaid suit; a red tie waving in the air; white collared shirt; black boots; and spectacles. Brothers Aaron and Samuel Bloch founded the Bloch Brothers Tobacco Company in Wheeling, West Virginia in 1879 by manufacturing cigars. They created Mail Pouch chewing tobacco by flavoring and packaging leftover cigar clippings. Bloch Brothers was sold in 1969 to the General Cigar and Tobacco Company, which became a division of Culbro in 1978. The Company was acquired by the Helme Tobacco Company in 1983 and later changed its name to Swisher International. Swisher continues to produce Mail Pouch tobacco into the 21st century., Title from item., Date inferred from the history of the advertised business and the attire of figures depicted., Distributor's imprint stamped on verso: Jacob G. Shirk, 886 N. Christian St., Lancaster, PA., Stamp partially visible on recto: Note: [?] Jacob Shirk, [308?] N. Christian Street., Advertising text printed on verso: To consumers of smoking and chewing tobacco: There has for years been a demand for a superior smoking tobacco, something cheap and meritorious, reverse from most brands, which are only manufactured for the profits derived by the manufacturer and the dealer, with no satisfaction to the consumer. It is a reform in Tobaccos, no stems to smoke nor mysterious compounds to chew. The qualities that recommend "Mail Pouch" Tobacco strongest as an article of merit, are:-- 1st. That it is a combination of Long Cut manipulated Virginia, Kentucky, Connecticut and Pennsylvania Leaf, by our own and original process, which makes it a cool smoke and a lasting chew. 2nd. In cheap tobaccos the smoker has been so long dosed with doctored, perfumed stuff, flattened stems mixed in with common Tobacco, to get something free from noxious flavorings and adulterations, is a result that must be appreciated. 3d. We claim that it is, without exception, the best and cheapest Tobacco ever offered to the consumer. The popularity of the W. Va. Mail Pouch Smoking and Chewing Tobacco is sufficient recommendation. It has attained its success and demand on its merits and sterling worth, it therefore has many imitators, but no equal. Bloch Bros., M'f'rs, Wheeling, W.Va., Gift of David Doret.
Date: [ca. 1880]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection - Bloch [P.2017.95.15]

Title: A strike! A strike!
Description: Anti-labor union cartoon satirizing the several New York workers' strikes for higher wages in early 1836 during a harsh winter; a period of severe inflation, including exorbitant market prices; and an era of property speculation. Depicts livestock on strike for a higher market value near fish peddlers attired in winter garb, including two African American shellfish vendors. Animals include a Tom turkey ordering a turkey hen not to sell her young ones because "gobblers will bring twenty shillings and hens fifteen"; hens refusing to lay eggs for "less than four pence a piece"; a pig holding a banner inscribed "Hams 15 cents per lb exclaiming "I shall Jew them out of a shilling a pound"; an indignant lamb and calf conferring about their deserved increased prices per pound; and a confident steer exhorting the range of high prices for ordinary beef, corn fed beef, and beef shins. In the foreground, two African American men vendors get advice from two African American marketers, portrayed in racist caricature and speaking in the vernacular, about oysters unable to "strike for de frost" and that "gemmen" will not buy open mouthed clams. A white man fish peddler hawks his bass at "whole for two shilling de pound" and cut at "tree shillin" to a white gentleman inquiring about fresh fish. In the right, a barking dog sits on his "House to let. Inquire No. 48 Courtlandt St." (address of publisher) and comments "I feel like a savage! this is all contrary to law," probably an allusion to the "Geneva ruling" of 1835 by the New York state supreme court, which proclaimed unions and strikes forbidden by law., Title from item., Artist's initial lower left corner., Publication information from Weitenkampf., Copyright statement printed on recto: Entered according to act of Congress in the Year 1836, by H.R. Robinson, in the clerk's office of the District Court of the United States of the Southern District of New York., Described in Nancy Reynolds Davison's "E.W. Clay: American political caricaturist of the Jacksonian era" (PhD diss., The University of Michigan, 1980), p. 164-165., Purchase 2003., 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: Clay, Edward Williams, 1799-1857, artist
Date: [March 1836]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department political cartoons - 1836 - 1w [P.2003.40.1]

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