Racist, trade card specimen depicting a caricature of an African American man minstrel playing the cello. Shows the African American man minstrel, attired in a white collared shirt, a striped jacket, polka-dotted pants, and shoes, sitting on a wooden stool and playing the cello. He smiles at the viewer as he picks the strings near the neck of the instrument with his left hand and runs a bow along the strings at the lower body of it with his right hand. In the background behind his head is an open book of sheet music., Title devised by cataloger., Date deduced from the visual content., Printed in blue 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. 2 [P.2017.95.213]
Racist trade card illustration depicting an African American man musician playing the cello. The man is seated in a crouched position on a green chair. He is attired in a yellow cap, a red and white striped shirt, a dotted blue jacket, yellow and red striped pants, and blue, yellow, and black boots. The man holds the neck of the cello in his left hand and the bow in his right. He is depicted with exaggerated features., Title from item., Title and business name printed on verso., Gift of David Doret.
Date
[ca. 1880]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Goldman Trade Card Collection - Stout [P.2017.95.172]
Racist trade card depicting an African American man minstrel musician to promote laundry soap. Shows the man, smiling, looking toward the viewer, sitting on a stool, bent over, and playing the cello. He picks the strings near the neck of the instrument with one hand and runs a bow along the strings at the lower body of it with the other. Sheet music is visible behind the man and above his head. The man is attired in a minstrel's costume, including a blue and white striped jacket with long tails, orange and white polka dot pants, and a white shirt with ruffles and the collar up. 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.2017.95.103]
