United we stand. Divided we fall [graphic].
Title
United we stand. Divided we fall
Description
Racist, satiric trade card promoting the Great American Tea Company. Depicts in two panels an African American man knocking down two African American children eating a candy stick by opening the cellar doors they were sitting on. In the left panel, shows caricatures portrayed with exaggerated features of two barefooted African American children sitting on top of slanted cellar doors. In the left, the boy, attired in a hat, a long-sleeved shirt, and pants with suspenders, holds a striped candy stick in his mouth. In the right, the girl, attired in a bonnet and a dress, shares the same candy stick and sucks the opposite end in her mouth above the caption, “united we stand.” In the right panel, an African American man has come up from inside the cellar and stands holding both doors open in his hands. He is attired in a white shirt, a striped vest, striped pants, and a cap, and holds a pipe in his mouth. The boy has been thrown off of the door and lies in the left on the ground with the candy stick still in his mouth. The girl has also been flung from the top of the door and lies on the ground beside the cellar with only her feet and left hand visible, as the caption reads, “divided we fall.” George Gilman (1826-1901), a tea and coffee merchant, founded the Great American Tea Company in 1863. He opened a number of stores in New York City and started a national mail order business. The firm was renamed the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company in 1870, though the Great American Tea Company name was still used in the mail order business. George Huntington Hartford (1833-1917) took over management of the company from 1878 to 1917 and grew the business into the chain of grocery stores known as A&P., Title from item., Place of publication inferred from place of operation of the advertised business., Date deduced from history of the advertised business., Advertising text printed on verso: The most useful every day premium ever sent out, is our latest and newest design of dinner set, genuine imported English white granite, containing 126 pieces. No crazing—no cracking. Use it for breakfast, dinner and supper. This is just the set for every day use. We will give one of these imported white granite dinner sets, (126 pieces) AWAY with a $40.00 order. Every Lady likes to have a nice closet of dishes—your closet is not complete without this set. Don’t fail to get up an order for our celebrated new goods, --teas, coffees and baking powder. As a trial order we will send 3 ½ pounds, of our best teas, by mail, postage prepaid on receipt of list price. Only pure goods sold. The Great American Tea Company, N.B.—Get “The Lalla Rookh Dress Cutting System Chart.” The Greatest Boon to the Ladies., Gift of David Doret.
Date
[ca. 1870]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection - Great [P.2017.95.75]