NMAAHC Collections Search

Pendant for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority member's silver anniversary

Manufactured by: Unidentified
Subject of: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, founded 1908

Medium: metal
Dimensions: 1 1/8 x 1 x 3/16 in. (2.9 x 2.5 x 0.5 cm)

Type: pendants (jewelry)

Date: after 1933

Description: An Alpha Kappa Alpha metal lapel pendant with a stickpin back. The pendant is silver in color with the Alpha Kappa Alpha seal at center and a circular border.

Topic: African American; Education; Sororities; Women

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Historical Society of Washington, DC and the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Object number: 2013.133.2.6

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification: Memorabilia and Ephemera

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Charlene Hodges Byrd collection

creator: Byrd, Charlene Hodges, 1929-2009
name: Bearden, Romare, 1911-1988; Cummings, Ida R., (Ida Rebecca), 1868-1958; Douglass, Frederick, 1817?-1895; Grimke, Francis J., (Francis James), 1850-1937; Hodges, Joyce Ethel Cummings, 1903-1971; Morgan State College.; Shimm, Erminie F., (Erminie Florence), 1867-1936; Shimm, Sarah A., 1843-1885; Thomas, Elizabeth N., (Elizabeth Nelson), d. 1932; Washington, Booker T., 1856-1915

object type: Archival materials

place: Washington (D.C.)

inclusive dates: circa 1750-2009
bulk dates: bulk 1880-1960

Physical description: 43 linear feet (35 document boxes and 39 oversize boxes)
Abstract: The Charlene Hodges Byrd collection measures 43 linear feet, and dates from circa 1750-2009, with the bulk of the material dating from 1880-1960. The collection documents the personal life and professional career of Charlene Hodges Byrd, an African American teacher from Washington, D.C., along with material for several related families from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Family members prominently represented include Sarah A. Shimm, teacher and essayist under the name Faith Lichen; her daughters Erminie F. Shimm and Grace E. Shimm Cummings, both teachers; and Byrd's mother, Joyce Ethel Cummings Hodges, also a teacher. Correspondence and writings chiefly discuss family life, religion, race, education, and the relationship with Frederick Douglass and his family. The collection is arranged in 10 series: Biographical Material, Correspondence, Writings, Subject Files, Financial and Legal Records, Printed Material, Volumes, Memorabilia, Textiles, and Photographs.
Preferred Citation note: Charlene Hodges Byrd collection, circa 1750-2009. National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian Institution.
Scope and Contents note: Series 1. Papers related to biographical and family histories of the Byrd, Cummings, Davage, Dews, Hodges, Shimm, Spruill, and Thomas families. Material includes family trees; school diplomas and certificates; programs; awards; marriage and divorce papers; funeral documents; and obituaries.; Series 2: Chiefly letters from family and friends regarding family news, financial matters, school, work, neighborhood affairs, church events, travel and the weather. The majority of the letters are addressed to Charlene Hodges Byrd, Grace E. Shimm Cummings, Ida R. Cummings, Elizabeth Dews Hodges, Joyce Ethel Cummings Hodges, Erminie F. Shimm, Sarah A. Shimm, and Elizabeth N. Thomas. Other correspondence includes letters from Booker T. Washington, Bessye Beardon, Charlotte Davage, Amelia Douglass, and Harrell S. Spruill. There are also a number of greeting cards, postcards, and empty envelopes.; Series 3. Writings include essays, speeches, papers written for school, teacher's notebooks, and a diary of Erminie F. Shimm, 1903. Topics include education, Frederick Douglass, religion, race, Africa, and the temperance movement.; Series 4. Subject files on Charlene Hodges Byrd's involvement with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority; Book Lovers of Charleston, West Virginia, a women's book club organized in 1923; Church Women United radio program; and The Links, Inc., a volunteer service organization. The papers on Liberia relate to missionary work, and were probably gathered by Erminie F. Shimm; and the Shimm-Thomas Collection are papers related to the deposit and later return of family items housed as a collection at Morgan State College.; Series 5. The financial and legal records include invoices and receipts, bank books, real estate tax assessments, deeds, and wills. There is also material related to the estate of Erminie F. Shimm.; Series 6. Printed materials includes books, pamphlets, newspapers, newsletters, clippings, invitations and programs. The books and pamphlets are chiefly school yearbooks and newspapers and other texts related to religion, politics, music, and poetry. Also included is a copy of Frederick Douglass's autobiography and a printed copy of his speech "The Race Problem." The clippings include obituaries, articles about Charlene Hodges Byrd and her husband Charles R. Byrd, essays by Sarah A. Shimm under the name Faith Lichen, and articles on the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. The invitations and programs are primarily for school graduations, weddings, social events, and funerals. Other printed material includes newsletters; business cards; calling cards; postage stamps, chiefly from Liberia; and blank postcards. The binder on Frederick Douglass was prepared by Byrd and her goddaughter for the West Virginia School Studies Fair, and includes copies of Byrd family artifacts.; Series 7. Autograph books, guest books, and scrapbooks. The autograph book of Grace E. Shimm Cummings includes autographs from Amelia Douglass, Lewis B. Douglass, Charles R. Douglass, W. H. Clair, and Francis J. Grimke. The scrapbook of Grace E. Shimm Cummings and Erminie F. Shimm consists primarily of clippings, and was assembled from an old teacher's book with a student registration and punishment pages still intact at the back.; Series 8. Miscellaneous items in the collection including artwork, a coin purse, a piece of handwoven cloth belonging to Catherine Nelson's great grandmother, and leather hair curlers.; Series 9: The textiles are chiefly christening gowns, children's garments, and an apron. Several garments belonged to Joyce Ethel Cummings Hodges, Charlene Hodges Byrd, and Elizabeth N. Thomas. There is also a doll that belonged to Amelia Douglass's niece, Kitty Cromwell.; Series 10. Photographs include pictures of Charlene Hodges Byrd, Joyce Ethel Hodges Cummings, Frederick Douglass, Elizabeth Dews Hodges, Charles Gilmor Cummings, Grace E. Shimm Cummings, Erminie F. Shimm, and other friends and relatives of the Byrd, Hodges, Cummings, Douglass, and Shimm families. Subjects are primarily portraits and candids, along with some wedding, baby, and school pictures. While some of the photographs are annotated, many of the individuals are unidentified. Included are vintage photographs, cabinet cards, cartes-de-visites, tintypes, daguerreotypes, and negatives.
Biographical/Historical note: The Shimm, Thomas, Cummings, Hodges, Davage, and related African American families chiefly lived in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Numerous family members worked as teachers, barbers, or in the service industry. They were active in local churches and service organizations, and had established friendships with local church leaders as well as with Frederick Douglass and his family.; The Shimm and Thomas families were located in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. The Thomas family can be traced back to Philip Nelson, who owned property in Leesburg, Virginia and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Family genealogical papers list Nelson as a descendent of British Admiral Horatio Nelson. This lineage, however, is not supported in publically available family histories of Horatio Nelson. Philip Nelson and his wife Araminta had five children: Catherine (b. 1805?), William, Levi (b. 1820?), Henrietta, and Grayson.; Catherine Nelson married Elias E. Thomas (b. 1816?) of Virginia in 1840. They wed in Philadelphia and had five children: Levi Nelson (b. 1841), Sarah (1843-1885), Edward (b. 1844), Elizabeth (1848-1932), and Charles (b. 1851).; Sarah Thomas married William Y. Shimm (b. 1841), a barber in Reading, Pennsylvania, on July 26, 1863. They had 2 daughters, Erminie (1867-1936) and Grace (1865-1910). The Shimms lived in Pennsylvania and Ohio, but had moved to Washington, D.C., around 1871. Sarah was a teacher and a writer who published under the name "Faith Lichen." Her writings, primarily essays and commentaries about race and politics, were printed in several newspapers including The National Republican, The Celtic Weekly, The People's Advocate, and The Sunday Morning Gazette.; Sarah's sister Elizabeth was also a teacher in Maryland. Her brother Charles was a lawyer in Washington, D.C., and a graduate of the first class at Howard University's law school.; Erminie and Grace Shimm became teachers in the Washington, D.C., public school system. Erminie was active in her church and supportive of missionary work in Liberia. Grace married Charles Gilmor Cummings, a pastor in Alexandria, Virginia, on July 9, 1902. They had one daughter, Joyce Ethel (1903-1971), and second child in 1905 who died in infancy. Grace died in 1910 of heart failure. After her death, Grace's sister Erminie and Charles's family helped raise Joyce Ethel in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland.; Joyce Ethel Cummings Hodges graduated from Morgan College in 1924, and received her master's degree from Howard University in 1931. She taught at Douglass High School in Baltimore from 1924-1964. Joyce Ethel married Charles E. Hodges (1900--975) in 1927 and they divorced in 1953. The couple had one daughter, Charlene (1929-2009).; Charlene Hodges Byrd grew up in Washington, D.C., but attended the Northfield School for Girls in East Northfield, Massachusetts, for high school, graduating in 1946. She received her bachelor's degree from Connecticut College in 1950, and her master's degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Chicago in 1951. She married Charles R. Byrd (1919-2004) in 1952. They had one son in 1954, but he died four days after birth. Byrd soon began a career as a teacher and education administrator, eventually working for Kanawha County Schools in Charleston, West Virginia. She was also active in her local community as a member of the Book Lovers of Charleston, West Virginia; Church Women United; and The Links, Inc.; Charles E. Hodges was born Bridgewater, Virginia, where his father was a minister. He graduated from Morgan College in 1923 and received his master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1943. He was a teacher and served as principal of the North Street School in Hagerstown, Maryland. After he and Joyce Ethel divorced in 1953, he married Elizabeth Dews (1913-1999) in 1955.; Elizabeth Dews Hodges, born Elizabeth Virginia Waumbeeka, was adopted by James Edward (1889-1954) and Sarah Virginia Dews (1888?-1964) in Washington, D.C., in 1920. She graduated from Miner Teachers College in 1939, and worked as a teacher in Annapolis, Maryland, at Wiley H. Bates High School for 34 years. She was awarded a medal for her work there by the Freedom Foundation of Valley Forge in 1959. Elizabeth was active in local organizations in Maryland and Washington, D.C., including the SE/NE Friends of the Capitol View Branch Library; Eastern Star Chapter 4; Mount Ephraim Baptist Church; National Museum of Women in the Arts; National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples; and the Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind.; The Davage family is descended from Sidney Hall (b. 1818?) and Charles Davage (b. 1815?). Sidney was a former slave at the Perry Hall mansion in Baltimore, and was manumitted by 1840. She married Charles, a coachman, on April 12, 1842. They had five children: Eliza Jane (1843-1913), Sophia (b. 1847), Charlotte (b. 1849), Charles (b. 1854), and Hester (b. 1845). Their daughter Eliza Jane married Henry Cummings (b. 1830?). They had seven children: Harry Sythe (1866-1917), Charles Gilmor (1870-1924), William (b. 1882), Ida R. (1868-1958), Estelle (1874-1944), Carroll (b. 1875), Francis (b. 1872), and Aaron (1864?-1932).; Harry Sythe Cummings, a lawyer in Baltimore, became the city's first African American City Council member. He was first elected in 1890 and served intermittently until his death in 1917, often working on issues related to education. Cummings also delivered a speech at the Republican National Convention in 1904 seconding the presidential nomination of Theodore Roosevelt. He married Blanche Conklin in 1899, and they had three children: Harry S. Jr. (b. 1905), Lucille (d. 1906), and Louise.; Charles Gilmor Cummings graduated from Drew Theological Seminary in 1898, and was a pastor in Alexandria, Virginia and elsewhere. After the death of his wife Grace in 1910, he married Rosa Catherine Bearden, grandmother of artist Romare Bearden, in 1912.; Ida R. Cummings graduated from Morgan College in 1922, and was the first African American kindergarten teacher in Baltimore. She was also active in local organizations, and was president of the Colored Fresh Air and Empty Stocking Circle; chairman of the Woman's Section Council of Defense in Baltimore during the World War, 1914-1918; and president of the Woman's Campaign Bureau of the Colored Republican Voters' League of Maryland.
Conditions Governing Access note: Access to collection requires appointment.

topic: African American churches; African American educators; African American families; African American newspapers; African American women journalists; African American--Social life and customs; African Americans--Education; African Americans--Maryland; African Americans--Pennsylvania; African Americans--Photographs; African Americans--Washington (D.C.)

smithsonian online virtual archive: Record

Data source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Five figurines in the form of caricatured male musicians

Created by: Unidentified

Medium: ceramic
Dimensions: H x W x D (2007.7.141.1): 2 15/16 × 1 15/16 × 1 1/2 in. (7.5 × 4.9 × 3.8 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.141.2): 2 3/4 × 1 7/16 × 1 1/2 in. (7 × 3.7 × 3.8 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.141.3): 2 3/4 × 1 11/16 × 1 3/4 in. (7 × 4.3 × 4.4 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.141.4): 2 3/4 × 1 5/8 × 1 1/8 in. (7 × 4.1 × 2.9 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.141.5): 2 11/16 × 1 3/4 × 1 1/2 in. (6.8 × 4.4 × 3.8 cm)

Type: figurines

Date: ca. 1930-1940s

Description: 2007.7.141.1:; A ceramic figurine in the form of a caricatured male musician playing the clarinet while sitting on a red ottoman. The musician is wearing a black suit with a black tie over a white shirt. The man’s skin and hair are painted the same color black as the suit and his lips are painted red. The clarinet is painted gold. There is a hole on the bottom of figurine.; 2007.7.141.2:; A ceramic figurine in the form of a caricatured male musician playing the saxophone while sitting on a red ottoman. The musician is wearing a black suit with a black tie over a white shirt. The man’s skin and hair are painted the same color black as the suit and his lips are painted red. The saxophone is painted gold. There is a hole on the bottom of figurine.; 2007.7.141.3:; A ceramic figurine in the form of a caricatured male musician playing a drum while sitting on a red ottoman. The musician is wearing a black suit with a black tie over a white shirt. The man’s skin and hair are painted the same color black as the suit and his lips are painted red. The drum and drum mallets are painted gold. There is a hole on the bottom of figurine.; 2007.7.141.4:; A ceramic figurine in the form of a caricatured male musician playing the trumpet while sitting on a red ottoman. The musician is wearing a black suit with a black tie over a white shirt. The man’s skin and hair are painted the same color black as the suit and his lips are painted red. The trumpet is painted gold. There is a hole on the bottom of figurine.; 2007.7.141.5:; A ceramic figurine in the form of a caricatured male musician playing the banjo while sitting on a red ottoman. The musician is wearing a black suit with a black tie over a white shirt. The man’s skin and hair are painted the same color black as the suit, his lips are painted red and his teeth have been painted white. The banjo is painted gold. There is a hole on the bottom of figurine.

Topic: African American; Caricature and cartoons; Minstrel (Music); Stereotypes

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer

Object number: 2007.7.141.1-.5

Restrictions & Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
Classification: Furnishings, Housewares, and Décor
Exhibition: Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Jig doll in the form of a caricatured porter

Created by: Unidentified

Medium: wood , paint and metal
Dimensions: H x W x D (2007.7.204a-d): 14 1/8 × 9 7/8 × 3 13/16 in. (35.9 × 25.1 × 9.7 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.204a): 12 1/4 × 3 × 2 in. (31.1 × 7.6 × 5.1 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.204a & d): 12 7/8 × 3 × 2 in. (32.7 × 7.6 × 5.1 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.204b): 9 1/2 × 1/4 × 1/4 in. (24.1 × 0.6 × 0.6 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.204c): 1 7/8 × 9 7/8 × 3 13/16 in. (4.8 × 25.1 × 9.7 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.204d): 3/4 × 1 1/16 × 1 1/16 in. (1.9 × 2.7 × 2.7 cm)

Type: dolls

Date: ca. 1935

Description: A wooden jig doll in the form of a caricatured porter. The doll has jointed limbs and "dances" when a levered paddle on the base is manually activated. The doll consists of four (4) pieces: doll, dowel, base, and hat.; 2007.7.204a:; A wooden jig doll in the form of a "coon" porter. His face is painted black, with white eyes and a wide, white mouth. A cylindrical wooden hat (2007.7.204d) sits atop the PR side of his head. The hat fits on top of a small dowel and can be removed. The doll has been painted wearing porter’s uniform: a red jacket over a white shirt and red tie. A red and white boutonniere has been painted over his proper left breast. The doll's arms are jointed at the shoulder and his legs are jointed at the hip and knees. His legs and feet are unpainted wood. A dowel has been inserted into a round hole in the bottom of the torso, attaching the legs.; 2007.7.204b:; A wooden dowel. Fits into a hole in the base and stands up vertically. The top fits into the doll, allowing the doll to stand above the wooden paddle (2007.7.204c).; 2007.7.204c:; A rectangular wooden base for the doll, with levered paddle. The base is painted red with a yellow semi-circle design. A rectangular wood block is attached to the base and acts as a fulcrum for the paddle. The paddle has a round face, painted brown and white. It has a round hole in the center that is aligned over a round hole in the base, into which a wooden dowel (2007.7.204b) is inserted. The paddle acts as a base for the figure, which "dances" when the lever is pressed up and down.; 2007.7.204d:; A cylindrical hat for doll. The hat is brown wood, with a red band painted around the bottom. There is a round hole in the bottom, which allows the hat to be inserted onto a dowel on the doll's head.

Topic: African American; Caricature and cartoons; Stereotypes

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer

Object number: 2007.7.204a-d

Restrictions & Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
Classification: Toys and Games
Exhibition: Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Walking toy in the form of a caricatured porter

Created by: Unidentified

Medium: paint on wood , metal
Dimensions: 12 1/8 x 5 1/2 x 4 1/2 in. (30.8 x 14 x 11.4 cm)

Type: walking dolls

Date: ca. 1935

Description: A painted, wooden walking toy in the form of a caricatured porter. The porter has a cartoonish face with large, round eyes and a wide white mouth. He is painted wearing bellhop uniform: a gold jacket with four (4) black buttons and the word [SAMBO] under his proper left breast pocket. A hat is painted on top of his head, gold with a red front. His torso is hinged at the waist to his cylindrical, red legs. The porter has large platform feet with curved bottoms that allows the toy to walk. The shoes are painted black, the backs gold. There are circular grooves cut into the porter's lower back.

Topic: African American; Caricature and cartoons; Stereotypes

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer

Object number: 2007.7.206

Restrictions & Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
Classification: Toys and Games
Exhibition: Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Walking toy in the form of a caricatured porter

Created by: Unidentified

Medium: paint on wood
Dimensions: 13 7/8 x 5 1/4 x 5 1/2 in. (35.2 x 13.3 x 14 cm)

Type: walking dolls

Date: ca. 1935

Description: A painted, wooden walking toy in the form of a caricatured porter. The figure has a black cartoonish face with white eyes, a large, red mouth and white teeth. The top of his head is also black, with two orange stripes on the proper left. He is painted wearing a red jacket, white shirt and a black tie. His legs are cylindrical and painted orange. The figure's proper right foot is missing. The proper left foot has a flat top and curved bottom with the front of the foot painted orange, and the back painted black. The back of his head is painted orange at the top with a red body and orange legs. There is a broken orange wooden post coming out of the porter's lower back.

Topic: African American; Caricature and cartoons; Stereotypes

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer

Object number: 2007.7.207

Restrictions & Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
Classification: Toys and Games
Exhibition: Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Coin bank in the form of "Mammy"

Created by: Unidentified

Medium: cast iron
Dimensions: 7 1/2 x 5 x 3 1/4 in. (19.1 x 12.7 x 8.3 cm)

Type: banks (containers)

Date: ca. 1925

Description: A cast iron coin bank in the form of "Mammy." The bank is made of two (2) parts joined vertically at the center. The halves do not match up perfectly. The figure is standing, with her hands on her hips. She is wearing a red dress, white shawl, and white waist apron tied around her back. A red kerchief with white polka dots is tied around her head. Her face, hands, and shoes are painted black. Her eyes are two white dots. A rectangular hole for inserting coins is located at the center of her back, on the shawl.

Topic: African American; Caricature and cartoons; Domestic life; Stereotypes

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer

Object number: 2007.7.211

Restrictions & Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
Classification: Furnishings, Housewares, and Décor
Exhibition: Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Coin bank in the form of "Mammy"

Created by: Unidentified

Medium: cast iron
Dimensions: 12 x 7 1/2 x 5 in. (30.5 x 19.1 x 12.7 cm)

Type: banks (containers)

Date: ca. 1925

Description: Painted metal coin bank in the form of “Mammy." She is standing with her feet apart and her hands on her hips. She is wearing a blue dress with yellow cuffs, yellow shawl, white waist apron, and black shoes. A red kerchief with white polka dots covers her head. She has brown eyes and a smiling, pink mouth. A rectangular hole for inserting coins is located at the center of the figure's back, on the shawl.

Topic: African American; Caricature and cartoons; Domestic life; Stereotypes

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer

Object number: 2007.7.217

Restrictions & Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
Classification: Furnishings, Housewares, and Décor
Exhibition: Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Puppet with stand in the form of a caricatured man

Created by: Unidentified

Medium: Paint on wood with metal, plastic and felt
Dimensions: H x W x D (2007.7.233abc): 13 3/4 × 8 3/8 × 11 1/2 in. (34.9 × 21.3 × 29.2 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.233a): 13 1/4 × 4 × 11 1/4 in. (33.7 × 10.2 × 28.6 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.233b): 11 × 8 3/8 × 11 1/2 in. (27.9 × 21.3 × 29.2 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.233c): 2 3/4 × 3/16 × 3/16 in. (7 × 0.5 × 0.5 cm)

Type: puppets

Date: ca. 1935

Description: A wooden puppet with stand.; 2007.7.233a; A painted wood puppet with jointed limbs, spring-mounted head, and spring handle at the back. The puppet is in the form of a caricatured man sticking out his tongue. He is wearing a white shirt, blue bowtie, blue jacket with red lapels, and black and yellow striped pants. His feet are painted as if he is wearing white spats over black shoes. A metal spring with a green wood handle is attached to the center of the doll's back.; 2007.7.233b; A puppet stand with a round base, painted black and green. The underside of the base is covered in green felt. A spiral-cut, cylindrical wooden pole with a groove at the top is attached to the base behind a round hole.; 2007.7.233c; An off-white cylindrical plastic peg. The peg is inserted into doll stand on base, over metal spring, holding the doll in place.

Topic: African American; Caricature and cartoons; Stereotypes

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer

Object number: 2007.7.233abc

Restrictions & Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
Classification: Toys and Games
Exhibition: Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Bean bag toss board depicting a caricature of a clown

Created by: Unidentified

Medium: paint on wood with metal
Dimensions: 14 9/16 x 15 3/4 x 12 in. (37 x 40 x 30.5 cm)

Type: gameboards

Date: 1930-1950

Description: A wooden board for bean bag toss game depicting a caricature of a clown. The front board is rectangular in shape and is raised and is held in place by triangular side boards. The front and sides are painted maroon. A clown's face has been painted on the playing surface in black, yellow, maroon and black. The clown is wearing a yellow ruffled collar with maroon and black polka dots. The clown's face features pointed eyebrows, a round nose with a black center, and large red lips surrounding a round aperture. The back is open, with a wooden plank across the bottom, connecting the two side boards.

Topic: African American; Amusements; Caricature and cartoons; Play; Stereotypes

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer

Object number: 2007.7.264

Restrictions & Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
Classification: Toys and Games

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Jig doll in the form of a caricatured porter

Created by: Unidentified

Medium: paint on wood and metal
Dimensions: 13 5/8 x 3 1/8 x 2 3/4 in. (34.6 x 7.9 x 7 cm)

Type: dolls

Date: ca. 1935

Description: A wooden jig doll in the form of a caricatured porter. The doll's face is painted black, with white eyes and a wide, white mouth. The doll's arms are jointed at the shoulder and his legs are jointed at the hip and knees. His legs and feet are unpainted wood. A dowel has been inserted into a round hole in the bottom of the torso, attaching the legs. The dolls face, hands, and lower legs are painted black. His hat, torso, arms, upper legs, and feet are painted white. He has unevenly shaped eyes. The doll's torso is painted as if he is wearing a white double-breasted jacket and white bowtie. The jacket has six (6) black buttons painted on, in two (2) rows of three (3). There is a round black button painted on each wrist and two (2) black buttons painted on the outside of each upper leg. There is a round hole in the center of the doll's back.

Topic: African American; Caricature and cartoons; Stereotypes

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer

Object number: 2007.7.267

Restrictions & Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
Classification: Toys and Games
Exhibition: Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Drum hand-painted depicting caricatures of nine male faces

Medium: wood, metal, hide and paint
Dimensions: 20 1/2 x 17 7/8 x 6 1/2 in. (52.1 x 45.4 x 16.5 cm)

Type: drums (membranophones)

Date: ca. 1925

Description: A hand painted drum depicting caricatures of nine male faces on the drumhead. The sides of drum are painted with red and white triangles. The rim of drum has eight metal tension rods. The center of drum head has a large face with large yellow eyes and a wide smiling mouth. The large face is depicted wearing a red bowtie with black polka dots. Surrounding the large face at the drumhead's center are eight musical notes decorated with eight (8) small faces that form the note heads. There are seven (7) eighth notes and one (1) sixteenth note. The bottom of drumhead is hollow. At the top edge of the drum is a metal handle for hanging/carrying.

Topic: African American; Caricature and cartoons; Music; Stereotypes

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer

Object number: 2007.7.444

Restrictions & Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
Classification: Musical Instruments
Exhibition: Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Wax figurine of a vegetable vendor

Created by: Rosado, Lucy Alfonso Alfaro, American, 1894 - 1978

Medium: glass, metal, wood, cloth, wax and plastic
Dimensions: H x W x D (2007.7.447a): 8 3/8 × 4 15/16 × 4 15/16 in. (21.3 × 12.5 × 12.5 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.447b): 1 3/8 × 5 3/4 × 5 3/4 in. (3.5 × 14.6 × 14.6 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.447c): 7 1/4 × 3 × 3 in. (18.4 × 7.6 × 7.6 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.447d): 2 1/4 × 3 × 2 1/4 in. (5.7 × 7.6 × 5.7 cm)

Type: figurines

Place made: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America

Date: 1935-1940

Description: A wax figurine of a vegetable vendor with a basket of produce.; 2007.7.447a:; A clear, glass display dome. The glass is one-sixteenth of an inch (1/16") thick.; 2007.7.447b:; A black plinth for the figurine and produce basket. The plinth is round and has two (2) round tiers atop three (3) rectangular feet.; 2007.7.447c:; A figurine of a vegetable vendor standing on a square, dark brown wood block. The man is wearing a yellow hat, yellow patterned fabric shirt, and blue and off-white striped fabric pants. His feet are black. A red and white striped kerchief is tied around his neck. The figure is standing with his proper right arm reaching forward. There is hardened wax on the top surface of the wood block around the figure's feet and in a circle in front of him.; 2007.7.447d:; A plastic miniature of a basket filled with produce. The basket is yellow plastic, with a woven design around the sides. The basket is filled with produce. Identifiable produce includes a head of cabbage and an eggplant. On each side of the cabbage head are three (3) yellow tubular vegetables and three (3) red tubular vegetables. A yellow gourd-like item sits in front of the cabbage, next to the eggplant. Another loose eggplant is included with the basket.

Topic: African American; Agriculture; Caricature and cartoons; Craftsmanship; Foodways; Stereotypes

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer

Object number: 2007.7.447a-d

Restrictions & Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
Classification: Decorative Arts, Craft, and Design
Exhibition: Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Box and tube of "Darkie" brand toothpaste

Manufactured by: Hawley & Hazel Group, Chinese, founded 1933

Medium: cardboard, metal, plastic and inorganic material
Dimensions: H x W x D (2007.7.463.1): 5 × 1 1/2 × 1 in. (12.7 × 3.8 × 2.5 cm); H x W x D (2007.7.463.2ab): 4 3/8 × 1 3/8 × 7/8 in. (11.1 × 3.5 × 2.2 cm)

Type: toothpaste

Place made: Thailand, Asia

Date: 1933-1985

Description: Box and tube of “Darkie” brand toothpaste from Thailand; 2007.7.1:; A thin cardboard "Darkie" brand toothpaste box, with writing printed in English and Thai. Both the front and back of the box feature a black and white illustration of a caricature of a wide-eyed, smiling man wearing a top hat, white shirt, black jacket and a bow tie. The white and black text above the image on each side reads [DARKIE / TOOTH PASTE]. Red writing, in Thai, is printed under the image. The bottom third of the box front has a circular logo with three circles split into black and white semicircles and text above and below the middle circle that reads [HAWLEY & HAZEL / BLACK & WHITE]. At the bottom of the front panel is black text that reads [HAWLEY & HAZEL / CHEMICAL CO. LTD.]. The back of the box is identical to the front except for the Thai text in black at the bottom and a white sticker over the man’s face with blue text that reads [BEST] at the top and Thai at the bottom followed by [5%]. The thinner sides of the box are green, one side printed in English and the other in the foreign language. The English side reads [DARKIE / TOOTH PASTE / Contains Fluoride]. The top flap is white, green, and black with lettering in Thai. The bottom is green, white, and black with English lettering that reads [DARKIE / TOOTH PASTE / MEDIUM SIZE / 10.00 / (baht currency symbol)].; 2007.7.2ab:; A tube (2007.7.2a) of "Darkie" brand toothpaste, made of metal with a black plastic cap (2007.7.2b). The tube is primarily white, with a black band around the top. White text around the band reads [DARKIE DARKIE]. The front of the tube features a black and white illustration of a caricature of a wide-eyed, smiling man wearing a top hat, white shirt, black jacket and a bow tie. Black text above the image reads [TOOTH PASTE]. A black and white circular logo with three circles split into black and white semicircles and text above and below the middle circle that reads [HAWLEY & HAZEL / BLACK & WHITE]. The black text under the logo reads: [HAWLEY & HAZEL]. Black text on the back reads [TOOTH PASTE].

Topic: African American; Caricature and cartoons; Health; Stereotypes

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer

Object number: 2007.7.463.1-.2ab

Restrictions & Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
Classification: Tools and Equipment-Personal use
Exhibition: Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Pin-back button advertising Amos 'n' Andy Fresh Air Candy

Manufactured by: Green Duck Company, American, 1906 - 2004

Medium: ink on metal
Dimensions: H x W x D: 1 × 13/16 × 3/16 in. (2.5 × 2.1 × 0.4 cm)

Type: buttons (information artifacts)

Place made: Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America

Date: ca. 1935

Description: A yellow, round, metal pin-back button featuring black text that reads, [I'SE DE / PRESIDENT / Amos 'n' Andy Fresh Air Candy]. The back of the pin is printed slightly off-center with the name of the manufacturer, [GREENDUCK CO. CHICAGO], a graphic of a duck logo, patent information, and union stamps in blue ink.

Topic: African American; Advertising; Amusements; Stereotypes

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer

Object number: 2007.7.475

Restrictions & Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title: Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
Classification: Memorabilia and Ephemera-Advertisements
Exhibition: Taking the Stage
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 054

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Tuskegee Airmen Congressional Gold Medal

Commissioned by: United States Department of the Treasury, American, founded 1789
Subject of: Tuskegee Airmen, 1941 - 1946
Created by: United States Mint, American, founded 1792

Medium: gold
Dimensions: 2 15/16 × 2 15/16 × 3/16 in. (7.5 × 7.5 × 0.5 cm)

Type: medals

Date: 2007

Caption: The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian recognition awarded by the U.S. Congress. This medal was presented to the Tuskegee Airmen, African American pilots flying for the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. Awarded on March 29, 2007, the medal recognized their “unique military record that inspired revolutionary reform in the Armed Forces.”
Description: A gold medal featuring three men in profile in the center, with "TUSKEGEE AIRMEN" at top and an eagle with spread wings at the bottom.

Topic: African American; Civil Rights; Military; Tuskegee Airmen; World War II

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

Object number: 2007.8

Restrictions & Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification: Awards and Medals
Exhibition: Double Victory: The African American Military Experience
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Community/Third Floor, 3 053

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Badge from Madam C.J. Walker convention

Created by: Bastian Brothers Company, American, founded 1895
Subject of: Walker, Madam C.J., American, 1867 - 1919
Photograph by: Addison Scurlock, American, 1883 - 1964
Subject of: Walker, Madam C.J. Manufacturing Company, American, founded 1906; Gause, Alice

Medium: brass (alloy), gold, lithographic ink on paper, metal, plastic and nitrocellulose
Dimensions: H x W: 4 5/16 x 2 3/8 x 5/16 in. (11 x 6.1 x 0.8 cm)

Type: portraits; badges

Place collected: Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America

Date: ca. 1920s

Caption: Madam C. J. Walker (1867-1919) was an African American entrepreneur, educator and philanthropist. Her company manufactured, distributed, and sold hair care products developed for black women. She also established beauty schools across the country that trained women to work as agents, known as “hair culturists.” Walker’s beauty schools and manufacturing company offered unique opportunities for African American women when there were few job options beyond domestic service and manual labor. Pins such as this one were awarded to successful agents at annual conventions.
Description: A tiered pin or badge, in gold metal. The first tier features an illustration of clasped hands,the forearms and hands of two males shaking hands, the second tier is a rectangular white placard with the name, "Alice Gause" handwritten in black ink. The third tier features a circular shaped black and white portrait of Madame C.J. Walker in an ornate gold metal frame. The tiers are connected via chains.

Topic: African American; Business; Women

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Dr. Patricia Heaston

Object number: 2008.15.2

Restrictions & Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification: Memorabilia and Ephemera
Exhibition: Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Southern Railway No. 1200

Railroad passenger car from the "Jim Crow" era

Created by: Pullman Palace Car Company, American, 1867 - 1981
Used by: Southern Railway Company, American, 1894 - 1990

Medium: steel and glass
Dimensions: H x W: 170 x 120 in., 153900 lb., 936 in. (431.8 x 304.8 cm, 69808.6 kg, 2377.4 cm)

Type: passenger cars

Date: 1922

Description: A Southern Railway No. 1200 heavyweight passenger coach with segregated compartments. The sides of the car are green with yellow or gold lettering, with [1200] appearing on both ends of both sides of the car, and [SOUTHERN] printed on both sides of the car above the windows. The roof of the car is black, as are the underframe, air brakes, and pipes.

Topic: African American; Segregation; Transportation; Travel; United States--History--1919-1933

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pete Claussen and Gulf and Ohio Railways

Object number: 2009.28

Restrictions & Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification: Transportation Vehicles
Exhibition: Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968
On View: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

The Boss

Created by: Polk, P. H., American, 1898 - 1984
Subject of: Unidentified Woman or Women

Medium: silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
Dimensions: H x W: 10 x 8 in. (25.4 x 20.3 cm)

Type: gelatin silver prints; portraits

Place captured: Tuskegee, Macon County, Alabama, United States, North and Central America

Date: 1932

Description: Silver gelatin photograh featuring an image of African American woman wearing headscarf with her hands placed on her hips.

Topic: African American; Agriculture; Photography; Women

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Delano A. Willis

Object number: 2009.30.1

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification: Media Arts-Photography

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

George Washington Carver in Laboratory

Created by: Polk, P. H., American, 1898 - 1984
Subject of: Carver, George Washington, American, 1860s - 1943

Medium: silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
Dimensions: H x W (Image and Sheet): 9 7/16 × 7 3/8 in. (24 × 18.7 cm)

Type: gelatin silver prints; portraits

Place captured: Tuskegee, Macon County, Alabama, United States, North and Central America

Date: ca. 1930

Description: Silver gelatin photograh featuring an image of George Washington Carver shown in a laboratory wearing an apron and holding a beaker in his left hand.

Topic: African American; Education; Photography; Science

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Delano A. Willis

Object number: 2009.30.2

See more items in: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification: Media Arts-Photography

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

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