Search results

Title: High Street in 1799 at present Market Street Philadelphia, Pa
Description: Founder's Week postcards commemorating the 225th anniversary of the founding of Philadelphia. Copies of William Birch's engraved view of High (Market) Street from Ninth depicting a detachment of the First City Troop of Philadelphia drilling on horseback. The troop promenades up the busy street where several horse-drawn carts and a dray travel and several pedestrians, including an African American man and boy (in the right), watch the guard and/or stroll the tree-lined sidewalks. A market shed is seen in the distance. The First City Troop, one of the oldest continually mounted U.S. military units, was organized in 1774 to defend against British invasion. The troop used a variety of arenas to perform drills including circuses, riding schools, and various public grounds. Founder’s Week celebrated the 225th anniversary of the founding of Philadelphia, October 4-10, 1908. There were numerous parades and activities with each day having a special designation, including Religious, Military, Municipal, Industrial, Children’s and Naval, Historical, and Athletic and Knights Templar Day., Title from item., Date from copyright statement: Copyright 1908 by P. Sander, N.Y., Series no.: 254-1., Divided backs., Gift of Clarence Wolf, 1984., 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: 1908
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department LCP postcards - Streets - [P.9049.43 - 44]

Title: Happy Lil' Sal as the queen of the May
Description: Racist cartoon containing vignettes about a group of African American children, portrayed in caricature, at a May Day party where Happy Lil’ Sal and Por Lil' Mose are crowned as Queen and King. In the left, Mose, attired in a gold crown, a blue sailor suit, and blue shoes, stands holding the may pole. Sal, attired in a gold crown, red roses around her head and neck, a pink dress, yellow stockings, and white shoes, carries sunflowers. At the bottom, a group of African American children hold ribbons and dance around the may pole in exaggerated movements as a boy sits on a wooden fence playing the banjo. The center vignette depicts white men thieves, attired in torn and worn clothes, stealing baskets with the children’s lunch. In the right, a rain storm soaks Mose and Sal, and the wind blows the children off their feet while holding umbrellas. Along the top, shows the parade of children, led by Sal and Mose, followed by a boy playing the drum, children holding ribbons on the may pole, a dog pulling a wagon labeled, “the Prince of May” carrying a small boy, boys carrying the picnic baskets, and a boy playing the horn. Contains 25 lines of text written in the vernacular explicating the vignettes which end with the line "Por lil' Mose., Title from item., Date from copyright statement: Copyright 1901 by the New York Herald Co., The "Por lil Mose" series was published in the New York Herald from 1901 until 1902., Purchase 1978., 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., Richard Felton Outcault (1868-1928) is known as the creator of the first published full page comic. He is also the creator of "Buster Brown."
Creator: Outcault, Richard Felton, 1863-1928, artist
Date: 1901
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department political cartoons - 1901 Hap [P.8435]

Title: Pore lil' Mose sends his Pa a valentine
Description: Racist cartoon containing vignettes about an African American family, portrayed in racist caricature, with the boy prankster Pore Lil' Mose giving valentines to his gal Happy Lil' Sal and his Pa. In the left, shows Miss Sally Sunbeam, portrayed in caricature and wearing her hair in pigtails with yellow bows and attired in a pink dress with a white ruffled collar, yellow stockings, and boots, standing with her dog. She smiles and holds up the valentine while Mose looks on from behind a fence. Below is a vignette depicting Pa angrily holding and reading his “comic” valentine, “Moses Pryor shif’less coon quit his job de first of June never works again till fall hates to ever work at all.” Mose’s mother, attired in a red headkerchief with white polka dots, a yellow shawl, and a blue dress, smiles as she looks over Pa’s shoulder. A younger brother, attired in a red and white sailor shirt with a green bow and green pants, stands behind Pa and scowls with his hands in his pockets. The next vignette, shows Mose fleeing the kitchen with only his legs visible running out the door as a mule looks on. Pa, tripping over the cat, flies through the air head down and legs up and carrying a stick in his hand. Ma leans back with her hand on her head as the plates, cutlery, and coffee pot are thrown from the kitchen table. In the top right is a portrait of Uncle Jack, wearing white hair and attired in a black top hat, a white and red striped shirt, a yellow vest with red polka dots, blue pants, red socks, and brown shoes, standing with his hands in his pockets. The image of Pa’s valentine depicts a racist caricature of an African American man stealing a chicken at night under the moonlight. Contains 21 lines of text written in the vernacular explicating the scenes ending with the line "Pore Lil' Mose.", Title from item., The "Por Lil' Mose" series was published in the New York Herald from 1901 until 1902., Purchase 1978., 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., Richard Felton Outcault (1868-1928) is renowned as the creator of the first published full page comic. He is also the creator of "Buster Brown."
Creator: Outcault, Richard Felton, 1863-1928, artist
Date: [ca. 1901]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department political cartoons - 1901 Por [8391.F]

Title: Superstitious Chinese children covering their faces to avoid being photographed
Description: Photograph depicting a Chinese man and four Chinese children on a platform at the entrance of the Chinese Pavilion at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis. Shows a boy standing with his back to the viewer, wearing a queue hairstyle and attired in a red cap, a blue shirt and pants, and blue cloth slip-on shoes. In the left, the boy, attired in a blue cap, a pink shirt and pants, and blue cloth slip-on shoes, sits on a chair and looks to the left. Beside him, a seated young girl, wearing a pink bow in her hair and attired in a pink shirt and pants, and blue cloth slip-on shoes, covers her face with both of her hands. In the right, a child, attired in a dark blue shirt, blue pants, and blue cloth slip-on shoes, sits and raises their arm and hands to cover their face. In the left behind the children, a Chinese man, attired in a conical hat, a dark blue shirt and pants, and cloth slip-on shoes, stands and holds possibly a torch. A white man, wearing a mustache and attired in a white collared shirt and a gray suit, stands and faces the viewer. A green dragon with its mouth open decorates the platform. A decorative wooden railing is visible along the background. The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, also known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was held from April 30 to December 1, 1904 in commemoration of the centennial of the Purchase. More than 60 countries and 43 of the American states displayed exhibits at the fair, which was attended by 19.7 million people. The Chinese Pavilion included a theater, a temple, a tea house, a bazaar, and a reproduction of the summer home of Prince Pu Lun, the Imperial Commissioner. In the Chinese Village were Chinese merchants, mechanics, painters, waiters, silk weavers, musicians, performers, and children. The children were set at the entrance of the concession to attract visitors., Green mount with rounded corners., Title printed on mount., Date inferred from content and date of event., Text printed on verso: In the Chinese Village there were nine little Chinese children who were shrewdly employed at the entrance to the concession as a drawing feature and who attracted great crowds of people. The youngest child was but three years old. Both parents lived in the village as merchants. The favorite with the visitors was Fanny Moy, the seven-year old daughter of the village druggist. She possessed a sweet voice and spoke English almost without any foreign accent. The largest boy, nine years old, was an accomplished musician and took also a prominent part in the theatrical performances. The children were under government inspection, and physicians detailed from the army service looked after their physical welfare, while a returned missionary instructed them in English. Each child was under a bond of $500 to secure their safe return to China after the exposition., Gift of Linda Kimiko August.
Creator: Ingersoll, T. W. (Truman Ward), 1862-1922
Date: 1904
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department stereos – misc. – Ingersoll [P.2023.43.6]

Title: Marriage certificate. This certifies that [blank] of [blank] and [blank] of [blank] united in holy matrimony according to the ordinance of God and the laws of [blank] at [blank] on the [blank] day of [blank] A.D. [blank]. Witnesses [blank] [blank]
Description: Marriage certificate containing a scene with an African American bride, groom, and reverend, pictorial details, and an ornamented border. Scene depicts the bride, in the left, in right profile, standing, and attired in a long-sleeved white wedding dress and bridal cap with floor length veil draped down her back. She holds a large bouquet from which ribbons stream and she bows her head slightly forward. In the right, the groom, in left profile, stands, attired in a dark suit with morning jacket and a boutonniere adorning the lapel. His head is slightly bowed. Between them, facing the viewer, stands an older reverend, attired in a clerical waistcoat and pants. He is balding with tufts of grey hair by his ears. He holds a Bible at his midriff. Ferns adorn the background. Pictorial details, surround the scene and text of the certificate, and include two Black putti; a vignette depicting the clasped hands of a Black bride and groom; and tropical greenery. The ornamented border is composed of ribbons and a chain link., Title from item., Name of publisher inferred and date from copyright statement: copyrighted 1910 P.P. and F. Co. Chi., Description of print (No. 1900) included in 1911 trade catalog for the Consolidated Portrait and Frame Co., p. 135a. Description reads: Good Luck Marriage Certificate. This certificate was printed and designed especially for the negro race. There is no other certificate so far as we know, exclusively for them., RVCDC, Purchased with partial funds from the Davida Tenenbaum Deutsch Women's History Fund.
Date: 1910
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department *GC - Certificates - Marriage [P.2023.7]

Title: Arnold mansion postcards
Description: Depicts the front facade from the garden and a detailed view of the pediment over the front doorway. Includes interior views of the right and left sides of the entrance hall, the great chamber, the parlor, and a bedroom., Contains 1 postcard printed in color and 9 printed in black and white., Mount Pleasant Mansion was built 1761-1765 for Captain John Macpherson after the designs of Thomas Nevil in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pa. Macpherson, a privateer during the Seven Years’ War, purchased the estate with profits from these operations. Free white and Black laborers, indentured servants, and at least four enslaved people of African descent, whose names are unknown, worked on the plantation. In 1779, General Benedict Arnold purchased Mount Pleasant for his wife Peggy Shippen, but they never occupied the house. In 1792, General Jonathan Williams purchased the mansion. The City of Philadelphia purchased the property from the Williams family in 1869. On behalf of the city, the Philadelphia Museum of Art restored the house in 1926., Purchase 1984. Accessioned 2005., Accession numbers: P.2005.3.26 - 32, P.9048.5, P.9048.217 and P.9048.303., Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022.
Date: 1905-1926
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department LCP postcards - Residences A - M - [various]

Title: [Johnson Homestead postcards]
Description: Contains images of the Johnson Homestead, showing exterior views of front facade of the former residence of John Johnson built 1765-1768 by master builder Jacob Knor at 6306 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA. John Johnson resided in the house during the Battle of Germantown. The dwelling sustained damage including a hole in the parlor door caused by a cannon ball and a chipped corner. It served as a station on the Underground Railroad. The Johnson family owned the house until 1908. The Woman's Club of Germantown purchased the house in 1917, and in 1980, gifted the house and its contents to the Germantown Mennonite Historic Trust to operate as a house museum. In 2002, the deed of ownership was transferred to the Johnson House Historic Site, Inc., Title supplied by cataloger., Date inferred from content., Contains 3 postcards printed in color and 4 printed in black and white., Accession numbers: P.9048.219 - 220, P.9048.376, P.9048.387, P.9049.73 - 74 and P.9577.18., Purchase 1984, 1998., Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022.
Date: 1900-1910
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department LCP postcards - Residences - A - M - [various]

Title: [Abraham Lincoln miscellany]
Description: Collection of miscellaneous Lincoln prints and ephemera, including a circa 1880 right-profile, photo mechanical portrait print of the president; 1909 souvenirs from the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLUS) and the Philadelphia Electric Company in honor of the 100th Anniversary of the birth of Lincoln; and a series of ca. 1890 illustrations of medals commemorating and memorializing him. Imagery on souvenirs includes a portrait of Lincoln bordered by an American and MOLUS flag and the reproduced Jean Leon Gerome Ferris painting "Lincoln and the Contrabands" depicting Lincoln greeting an African American woman freedom seeker with her two children. Scene also shows African American men and women freedom seekers near a Union soldier, including a woman sitting with her head in her hands and an older man who takes his hat off., Title supplied by cataloger., Artists, printers, and publishers include Jean Leon Gerome Ferris and Wolf & Co., 5792.F.94c contains copyright statement: painting only copyrighted, Wolf & Co, Philada, 1908., During the Civil War, the U.S. government declared African American freedom seekers as "contraband of war.", RVCDC, Description revised 2021., Access points 2021., Originally part of a McAllister scrapbook of materials related to Abraham Lincoln. McAllister Collection, gift, 1886.
Date: 1880
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department GC - Lincoln [5792.F.88d; 5792.F.92a-d&93a&c; 5792.F.93d; and 5792.F.94c]

Main menu