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CC0
GUADELOUPE. - Type n° 7
- Photograph by
- Littée, Edgar, French, 1866 - 1931
- Published by
- Unidentified
- Subject of
- Unidentified Woman or Women
- Date
- 1900-1920
- Medium
- silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper, with ink on paper
- Dimensions
- H x W: 5 1/2 × 3 1/2 in. (14 × 8.9 cm)
- Title
- French Colonial postcard from Guadeloupe
- Caption
- The title of this French colonial postcard (GUADELOUPE. - Type n° 7) exemplifies the standard naming structure that categorized “exotic” native subjects in the form of ethnic and occupational “types.” Presenting the image subjects in this way conveyed the perception of them as “tame” colonial subjects capable of assimilation into European ways of life. The colonial postcard, popular in the first two decades of the 20th century, came to represent both the technological triumphs of western photography – in printing and mass production – and the political triumphs of European conquest and expansion. These postcards also promoted tourism to the French Caribbean, painting the region as a safe, favorable, and exotic travel destination.
- The woman in this image wears a traditional, five-piece French Caribbean formal ensemble called a douillette, which is derived from the grand robe worn by early French settlers. Prior to Emancipation, dress codes required enslaved women to wear a chemise jupe, an informal bodice and skirt ensemble. Douillettes would have been worn by mulattas and free black women. Following Emancipation, black women resisted these old dress codes by donning elaborate douillettes that were previously forbidden. The douillette dress is made of colored or shiny fabric and is worn over a petticoat and accessorized with a satin foulard shawl over the shoulders. As depicted in the image, women protected their douillettes by placing the skirt of their dress over their arm. This practice is believed to be fashioned after the West African custom of lifting the skirt and flinging it over one arm. This method allowed for a partial view of the petticoat.
- The ensemble is finished with an ornately tied madras head scarf. Originally produced in the Chennai region of southeast India, madras cloth became popular amongst Creole women in the 18th century and replaced the white cotton head kerchief which was associated with the dress codes of enslavement. In the early twentieth century, Guadeloupian and Martiniquan women reclaimed this head adornment as their own and many wore madras head scarves with their douillette and chemise jupes. The square or rectangular piece of madras cloth was worn over the forehead and folded to display varying numbers of peaks. The head scarf can be tied in a ceremonial fashion or can be worn to show the availability of the woman in courtship, depending on the number of peaks tied into it. One peak represents that the woman is single, two that she is married, three that she is widowed or divorced, and four that she is available to any who tries.
- It was fashionable to accessorize these outfits with gold jewelry. The woman in this image wears a traditional collier-choux around her neck and chenille earrings. The collier-choux is a multi-layered necklace made up of a succession of two striated gold grains welded together. Her chenille earrings are made of three gold threads twisted into a single body.
- Description
- A photographic postcard of an unidentified Guadeloupean woman in a traditional douillette dress ensemble including a madras head scarf. She is featured standing, facing slightly towards the right of the image, looking towards the camera and smiling faintly. She is wearing a long, light colored, floral print grand robe that ties around her waist. A dark colored foulard kerchief is placed over her shoulders. She stands with the skirt of her robe gathered over her right wrist, obscuring her hand. She also wears traditional gold jewelry with her ensemble including the multi-layered collier-choux necklace and chenille earrings. She wears a knotted, striped madras head scarf. [GUADELOUPE. - Type n° 7] is printed in black on the top of the postcard above the woman. On the left side of the postcard, printed sideways, [Edit. Phos. Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe)]. The back of the postcard is unused and has [CARTE POSTALE] printed in black at the top and in smaller letters printed underneath [La Correspondance au recto n'est pas acceptée par tous les Pays Etrangers. (Se renseigner à la Poste.)]. Below, are blank spaces for [CORRESPONDANCE] and [ADRESSE]. Four dark blank lines are below the Adresse. The first line begins with [M____]. Handwritten in graphite on the bottom left corner is [QAN].
- Place captured
- Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America
- Cultural Place
- France, Europe
- West Africa, Africa
- Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, Asia
- Classification
- Media Arts-Photography
- Memorabilia and Ephemera
- Type
- postcards
- Topic
- African diaspora
- Clothing and dress
- Colonialism
- Fashion
- Freedom
- French colonialism
- Gender
- Identity
- Photography
- Travel
- Women
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2016.150.1
- Restrictions & Rights
- Public domain
-
CC0
MARTINIQUE - Type et Costume Créole
- Published by
- Leboullanger, French
- Photograph by
- Cochet
- Subject of
- Unidentified Woman or Women
- Date
- ca. 1910
- Medium
- silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper, with ink on paper
- Dimensions
- H x W: 5 7/16 × 3 1/2 in. (13.8 × 8.9 cm)
- Title
- French Colonial postcard from Martinique
- Caption
- The title of this French colonial postcard (GUADELOUPE. - Type n° 7) exemplifies the standard naming structure that categorized “exotic” native subjects in the form of ethnic and occupational “types.” Presenting the image subjects in this way conveyed the perception of them as “tame” colonial subjects capable of assimilation into European ways of life. The colonial postcard, popular in the first two decades of the 20th century, came to represent both the technological triumphs of western photography – in printing and mass production – and the political triumphs of European conquest and expansion. These postcards also promoted tourism to the French Caribbean, painting the region as a safe, favorable, and exotic travel destination.
- The woman in this image wears a traditional, five-piece French Caribbean formal ensemble called a douillette, which is derived from the grand robe worn by early French settlers. Prior to Emancipation, dress codes required enslaved women to wear a chemise jupe, an informal bodice and skirt ensemble. Douillettes would have been worn by mulattas and free black women. Following Emancipation, black women resisted these old dress codes by donning elaborate douillettes that were previously forbidden. The douillette dress is made of colored or shiny fabric and is worn over a petticoat and accessorized with a satin foulard shawl over the shoulders. It was common for the dress and foulard shawl to match as they do in this image.
- The ensemble is finished with an ornately tied madras head scarf. Originally produced in the Chennai region of southeast India, madras cloth became popular amongst Creole women in the 18th century and replaced the white cotton head kerchief which was associated with the dress codes of enslavement. In the early twentieth century, Guadeloupian and Martiniquan women reclaimed this head adornment as their own and many wore madras head scarves with their douillette and chemise jupes, The square or rectangular piece of madras cloth was worn over the forehead and folded to display varying numbers of peaks. The head scarf can be tied in a ceremonial fashion or can be worn to show the availability of the woman in courtship, depending on the number of peaks tied into it. One peak represents that the woman is single, two that she is married, three that she is widowed or divorced, and four that she is available to any who tries.
- Description
- A photographic postcard of an unidentified woman from Martinique in traditional Creole dress. Only her torso is shown in silhouette. Her body is facing to the right of the image with her head turned to the left. She wears a traditional douillette clothing ensemble composed of a striped and floral-patterned foulard shawl draped over her shoulders with a matching floral-patterned blouse or dress underneath. She is wearing a large pendant on a necklace and small gold earrings along with a madras headscarf. [MARTINIQUE] is printed in black on the top of the postcard above the woman. On the bottom of the postcard are two lines of print. [Type et Costume Créole / Leboullanger, Fort-de-France - Photogr. Cochet]. The back of the postcard is unused and has [CARTE POSTALE] printed in black at the top. Below, are blank spaces for [CORRESPONDANCE] and [ADRESSE] with four dark blank lines below. The first line begins with [M____].
- Place captured
- Fort-de-France, Martinique, Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America
- Cultural Place
- Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, Asia
- France, Europe
- Classification
- Media Arts-Photography
- Memorabilia and Ephemera
- Topic
- African diaspora
- Clothing and dress
- Colonialism
- Fashion
- Freedom
- French colonialism
- Gender
- Identity
- Photography
- Travel
- Women
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2016.150.2
- Restrictions & Rights
- Public domain
-
Souvenir du Carnival, Photograph of French Antillean dress
- Published by
- Unidentified
- Photograph by
- Unidentified
- Subject of
- Unidentified Woman or Women
- Date
- July 8, 1967
- Medium
- silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper with ink
- Dimensions
- H x W: 3 1/2 × 5 5/16 in. (8.9 × 13.5 cm)
- Caption
- The women in this image wear ensembles that depict a mixture of traditional French Caribbean fashions. Prior to Emancipation, dress codes required enslaved women to wear a chemise jupe, an informal bodice and skirt ensemble, evocative of the white blouses tucked into the plaid madras skirts featured in this postcard image. The other traditional outfit seen in this image is the five-piece French Caribbean formal ensemble called a douillette, which is derived from the grand robe worn by early French settlers and prior to Emancipation, mulattas and free black women. Following Emancipation, black women resisted the chemise jupe fashions forced upon them through the old dress codes and they dawned elaborate douillettes that were previously forbidden. The traditional douillette dress is made of colored or shiny fabric and is worn over a petticoat and accessorized with a satin foulard shawl over the shoulders. This image depicts more modern interpretations of these traditional garments. Three of the women hold up the skirts of their garments, revealing their petticoats. This deliberate pose may be related to a West African custom of lifting the skirt and flinging it over one arm, which similarly allowed for a partial view of the underskirt while protecting the jupe.
- All except one woman wear ornately tied madras head scarves. Originally produced in the Chennai region of southeast India, madras cloth became popular amongst Creole women in the 18th century and replaced the white cotton head kerchief which was associated with the dress codes of enslavement. In the early twentieth century, Guadeloupian and Martiniquan women reclaimed this head adornment as their own and many wore madras head scarves with their douillette and chemise jupes. The square or rectangular piece of madras cloth was worn over the forehead and folded to display varying numbers of peaks. The head scarf can be tied in a ceremonial fashion or can be worn to show the availability of the woman in courtship, depending on the number of peaks tied into it.
- The French creole outfits are finished gold jewelry, typical accessories for the douillette and chemise jupe fashions. In particular, the women in this image wear the gros sirop chain-link and twisted-chain necklaces.
- Description
- Photograph of four women dressed in traditional Creole ensembles, chemise jupes and douillettes. Three women are standing and the woman at the left center is seated. The two women on the ends are wearing traditional chemise jupes with long white chemises with skirts or jupes tied at their waists. They are wearing madras headscarves, holding white fans, and their right arms are crooked at their hips. The seated woman is wearing a long-sleeved patterned douillette ensemble with a dark-colored foulard shawl tucked at the waist and wrapped around her shoulders. She wears a madras headscarf. She has one arm resting in her lap and the other crooked at the hip. The woman standing at center right is wearing a shiny sleeveless dress and a pill box hat. The photograph has a white border and rough edges. The back of the photograph has writing in pen and graphite. In the left top corner, [Souvenir / du Carnaval / G 7 / le 7/8/67] is written in blue ink. The women are identified as [marie-Ane / Tantine / Maman / et moi] across the middle. In graphite on the top is written, [2807] and [Martinique].
- Place captured
- Martinique, Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America
- Cultural Place
- France, Europe
- Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, Asia
- West Africa, Africa
- Classification
- Media Arts-Photography
- Memorabilia and Ephemera
- Type
- photographs
- Topic
- African diaspora
- Clothing and dress
- Colonialism
- Fashion
- Freedom
- French colonialism
- Gender
- Identity
- Photography
- Travel
- Women
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2016.151.10
- Restrictions & Rights
- Unknown - Restrictions Possible
-
CC0
I. - Marchande de bananes aux Antilles
- Published by
- Chauvet
- Designed by
- Compagnie antilles, French, 1900 - 1910
- Photograph by
- Unidentified
- Subject of
- Unidentified Woman or Women
- Date
- ca. 1910
- Medium
- silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper with ink on paper (fiber product)
- Dimensions
- H x W: 5 1/2 × 3 1/2 in. (14 × 8.9 cm)
- Title
- French Colonial postcard from Martinique
- Caption
- The colonial postcard, popular in the first two decades of the 20th century, came to represent both the technological triumphs of western photography – in printing and mass production – and the political triumphs of European conquest and expansion. These postcards also promoted tourism to the French Caribbean, painting the region as a safe, favorable, and exotic travel destination.
- Historically, plantain trees grew in the French Caribbean, offering shade to coffee, cacao, and vanilla crops. As the 18th century progressed and French colonizers increasingly relied on the labor of enslaved persons, they planted additional bananas, turning the crop into a major food source for the islands’ enslaved populations. In the late 19th century, French colonizers introduced the dessert banana to the French Caribbean, hoping that the region would become a major international supplier of the exotic and sought-after fruit. Photography and postcards depicting the French Caribbean’s copious banana supply emphasized the region’s burgeoning market, however a lack of transportation infrastructure in the French Caribbean impeded the crop’s largescale distribution. Bananas continued to be grown locally and sold by vendors such as the woman pictured.
- The woman in this image wears a traditional, five-piece French Caribbean formal ensemble called a douillette, which is derived from the grand robe worn by early French settlers. Prior to Emancipation, dress codes required enslaved women to wear a chemise jupe, an informal bodice and skirt ensemble. Douillettes would have been worn by mulattas and free black women. Following Emancipation, black women resisted these old dress codes by donning elaborate douillettes that were previously forbidden. The douillette dress is made of colored or shiny fabric and is worn over a petticoat and accessorized with a satin foulard shawl over the shoulders.
- The ensemble is finished with a madras head scarf, albeit covered with a bunch of bananas. Originally produced in the Chennai region of southeast India, madras cloth became popular amongst Creole women in the 18th century and replaced the white cotton head kerchief which was associated with the dress codes of enslavement. In the early twentieth century, Guadeloupian and Martiniquan women reclaimed this head adornment as their own and many wore madras head scarves with their douillette and chemise jupes. The square or rectangular piece of madras cloth was worn over the forehead and folded to display varying numbers of peaks. The head scarf can be tied in a ceremonial fashion or can be worn to show the availability of the woman in courtship, depending on the number of peaks tied into it. One peak represents that the woman is single, two that she is married, three that she is widowed or divorced, and four that she is available to any who tries.
- Description
- A photographic postcard of an unidentified banana vendor from the French Caribbean in a traditional Creole douillette ensemble holding a bunch of bananas. She wears a light colored floral grand robe with a foulard shawl around her shoulders and tucked into her waist. Her skirt has extra fabric tied in a knot at the front. She is featured standing, with her left hand on her hip and her right hand holding a bunch of bananas. She is wearing a madras headscarf and has another bunch of bananas on her head. The background is a painted forest and bridge scene. The image has a white border surrounding. [Compagnie des Antilles. - Priopriétaire de la Marque Rhum Chauvet] is printed in black on the top of the postcard above the woman. On the bottom of the postcard, [I. - Marchande de bananes aux Antilles] is printed. The back of the postcard is unused and has [CARTE POSTALE] printed in black at the top and in smaller letters printed underneath [La Correspondance au recto n'est pas acceptée par tous les Pays Etrangers. (Se renseigner à la Poste.)]. Below, are blank spaces for [CORRESPONDANCE] and [ADRESSE]. Four dark blank lines are below the Adresse. The first line begins with [M____].
- Place captured
- Martinique, Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America
- Cultural Place
- France, Europe
- Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, Asia
- Classification
- Media Arts-Photography
- Memorabilia and Ephemera
- Type
- postcards
- Topic
- African diaspora
- Agriculture
- Business
- Clothing and dress
- Colonialism
- Fashion
- Foodways
- Freedom
- French colonialism
- Gender
- Identity
- Labor
- Photography
- Travel
- Women
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2016.151.11
- Restrictions & Rights
- Public domain
-
CC0
Photograph of unidentified woman wearing French Antillean dress
- Photograph by
- Unidentified
- Subject of
- Unidentified Woman or Women
- Date
- 1860-1880
- Medium
- silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
- Dimensions
- H x W: 4 1/8 × 2 1/2 in. (10.5 × 6.4 cm)
- Caption
- The colonial postcard, popular in the first two decades of the 20th century, came to represent both the technological triumphs of western photography – in printing and mass production – and the political triumphs of European conquest and expansion. These postcards also promoted tourism to the French Caribbean, painting the region as a safe, favorable, and exotic travel destination.
- The woman in this image wears a traditional chemise jupe, an informal bodice and skirt ensemble. Prior to Emancipation, enslaved women in the French Caribbean were subject to le code noir, which required them to wear a chemise jupe made up of a white blouse, two skirts, and silver jewelry. The first skirt was colorful whereas the second one was made from cotton and muslin. Following Emancipation, black women resisted these dress codes by donning elaborate five-piece formal douillettes that were previously forbidden.
- The ensemble is finished with an ornately tied madras head scarf with attached pins. Originally produced in the Chennai region of southeast India, madras cloth became popular amongst Creole women in the 18th century and replaced the white cotton head kerchief which was associated with the dress codes of enslavement. In the early twentieth century, Guadeloupian and Martiniquan women reclaimed this head adornment as their own and many wore madras head scarves with their douillette and chemise jupes. The square or rectangular piece of madras cloth was worn over the forehead and folded to display varying numbers of peaks. The head scarf can be tied in a ceremonial fashion or can be worn to show the availability of the woman in courtship, depending on the number of peaks tied into it. One peak represents that the woman is single, two that she is married, three that she is widowed or divorced, and four that she is available to any who tries.
- It was fashionable to accessorize these outfits with gold jewelry. The woman in this image wears a traditional collier-choux around her neck. The collier-choux is a multi-layered necklace made up of a succession of two striated gold grains welded together.
- Description
- Photograph of a woman wearing a traditional Creole chemise jupe ensemble leaning on a column in a studio. She is facing directly forward and has one arm placed on the column and the other holding her hip under her skirt. She is wearing a white blouse with a patterned foulard scarf tucked into her full-length, dark, floral-patterned skirt or jupe. She is wearing a madras head scarf with large ornamentation. She also wears traditional jewelry such as the gold collier-choux necklace and large earrings. The photograph has a white border surrounding the image. The back is blank but has handwritten text in the upper left quadrant [531582].
- Place captured
- Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America
- Cultural Place
- France, Europe
- Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, Asia
- Classification
- Media Arts-Photography
- Memorabilia and Ephemera
- Type
- photographs
- portraits
- Topic
- African diaspora
- Clothing and dress
- Colonialism
- Fashion
- Freedom
- French colonialism
- Gender
- Identity
- Photography
- Travel
- Women
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2016.151.3
- Restrictions & Rights
- Public Domain
-
CC0
MARTINIQUE - Type et Costume Créole
- Published by
- Leboullanger, French
- Photograph by
- Bauer, Louis, French
- Subject of
- Unidentified Woman or Women
- Date
- ca. 1920
- Medium
- silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper, with ink on paper
- Dimensions
- H x W: 5 1/2 × 3 1/2 in. (14 × 8.9 cm)
- Title
- French Colonial postcard from Martinique
- Caption
- The title of this French colonial postcard “MARTINIQUE - Type et Costume Créole” exemplifies the standard naming structure that categorized “exotic” native subjects in the form of ethnic and occupational “types.” Presenting the image subjects in this way conveyed the perception of them as “tame” colonial subjects capable of assimilation into European ways of life. The colonial postcard, popular in the first two decades of the 20th century, came to represent both the technological triumphs of western photography – in printing and mass production – and the political triumphs of European conquest and expansion. These postcards also promoted tourism to the French Caribbean, painting the region as a safe, favorable, and exotic travel destination.
- The woman in this image wears a traditional, five-piece French Caribbean formal ensemble called a douillette, which is derived from the grand robe worn by early French settlers. Prior to Emancipation, dress codes required enslaved women to wear a chemise jupe, an informal bodice and skirt ensemble. Douillettes would have been worn by mulattas and free black women. Following Emancipation, previously enslaved black women resisted these old dress codes by donning elaborate douillettes that were previously forbidden. The douillette dress is made of colored or shiny fabric and is worn over a petticoat and accessorized with a satin foulard shawl over the shoulders.
- The ensemble is finished with an ornately tied madras head scarf. Originally produced in the Chennai region of southeast India, madras cloth became popular amongst Creole women in the 18th century and replaced the white cotton head kerchief which was associated with the dress codes of enslavement. In the early twentieth century, Guadeloupian and Martiniquan women reclaimed this head adornment as their own and many wore madras head scarves with their douillette and chemise jupes. The square or rectangular piece of madras cloth was worn over the forehead and folded to display varying numbers of peaks. The head scarf can be tied in a ceremonial fashion or can be worn to show the availability of the woman in courtship, depending on the number of peaks tied into it. One peak represents that the woman is single, two that she is married, three that she is widowed or divorced, and four that she is available to any who tries.
- As seen in this image, it was fashionable to accessorize these outfits with gold jewelry.
- Description
- A photographic postcard of an unidentified woman from Martinique in the traditional Creole douillette ensemble. She is featured standing, facing towards the left of the image, with her right hand on her front holding up her dress. Her other hand is resting on an object covered with fabric in front of her. The background is a painted canvas of a forest. She is wearing a long, paisley-patterned dress with a floral foulard scarf and a madras head scarf. The photograph has a white border and underneath the image, printed in black, [Cliché Fabre - Leboullanger, éditeur, à Fort-de-France / MARTINIQUE - Type et Costume Créole]. A circular stamp in black ink on the right bottom corner of the image says, [BAUER [indecipherable] / ET / CIE / DIJON]. The back of the postcard is unused and has [CARTE POSTALE] printed in black at the top. Below, are blank spaces for [CORRESPONDANCE] and [ADRESSE]. Handwritten in graphite on the top right is [132 / Dm / 16C].
- Place captured
- Fort-de-France, Martinique, Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America
- Cultural Place
- France, Europe
- Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, Asia
- Classification
- Media Arts-Photography
- Memorabilia and Ephemera
- Type
- postcards
- Topic
- African diaspora
- Clothing and dress
- Colonialism
- Fashion
- Freedom
- French colonialism
- Gender
- Identity
- Photography
- Travel
- Women
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2016.151.4
- Restrictions & Rights
- Public domain
-
CC0
Woman in national dress. St. Lucia. W. I.
- Created by
- Minivielle & Chastanet, St. Lucia, founded 1864
- Photograph by
- Unidentified
- Subject of
- Unidentified Woman or Women
- Date
- ca. 1905
- Medium
- ink on paper
- Dimensions
- H x W: 5 5/8 × 3 1/2 in. (14.3 × 8.9 cm)
- Title
- French Colonial postcard from St. Lucia
- Caption
- The colonial postcard, popular in the first two decades of the 20th century, came to represent both the technological triumphs of western photography – in printing and mass production – and the political triumphs of European conquest and expansion. These postcards also promoted tourism to the Caribbean, painting the region as a safe, favorable, and exotic travel destination.
- At the time of this postcard’s creation, St. Lucia was a British colony, however the woman’s ensemble displays elements of French Creole fashions characteristic of St. Lucia’s history of colonization by the French. It is also characteristic of contemporary national dress. She wears a traditional chemise jupe, an informal bodice and skirt ensemble. Prior to Emancipation, enslaved women in the French Caribbean were subject to le code noir, which required them to wear a chemise jupe made up of a white blouse, two skirts, and silver jewelry. The first skirt was colorful whereas the second one was made from cotton and muslin. Following Emancipation, black women resisted these dress codes by donning elaborate five-piece formal douillettes that were previously forbidden.
- The ensemble is finished with an ornately tied madras head scarf with attached pins. Originally produced in the Chennai region of southeast India, madras cloth became popular amongst Creole women in the 18th century and replaced the white cotton head kerchief which was associated with the dress codes of enslavement. In the early twentieth century, Guadeloupian and Martiniquan women reclaimed this head adornment as their own and many wore madras head scarves with their douillette and chemise jupes. The square or rectangular piece of madras cloth was worn over the forehead and folded to display varying numbers of peaks. The head scarf can be tied in a ceremonial fashion or can be worn to show the availability of the woman in courtship, depending on the number of peaks tied into it. One peak represents that the woman is single, two that she is married, three that she is widowed or divorced, and four that she is available to any who tries.
- It was fashionable to accessorize these outfits with gold jewelry. The woman in this image wears a traditional collier-choux around her neck. The collier-choux is a multi-layered necklace made up of a succession of two striated gold grains welded together.
- Description
- A picture postcard of an unidentified woman from Saint Lucia in traditional a Creole chemise jupe ensemble. She is featured seated on a bench resting her right arm on the back. She is wearing a white blouse with a dark foulard scarf tucked into her long floral-patterned skirt, or jupe. She wears a multi-layered collier-choux necklace and large earrings with a madras head scarf that has multiple pins attached. The image has a blank space below where [Women in national dress, St. Lucia. W. I.] is printed in red ink. There are four lines of handwriting in Swedish in black ink below.
- The back of the postcard is covered in print and writing reading [Tack för brefvet [sic, brevet] jag fick i Maj. / Allt folket här på oss ära de svarta. / Många hälsningar till [indecipherable] alla fråm din bror Otto.]. This translates to [Thank you for the letter I received in May / All the people around us respect/honor the Blacks. / Best regards to [...] all from your brother, Otto.] Printed in red ink, original to the postcard, is [ST. LUCIA (STE. LUCIE) / Post [English Monarchy Crest] CARD / THE ADDRESS ONLY TO BE WRITTEN ON THIS SIDE.] Handwritten in black ink, [Miss Pchéa Påhlsson / Villa Wäshanlid / Helsingborg [underlined] / Sweden [underlined] / Europe [underlined]].
- Place captured
- Saint Lucia, Caribbean, North and Central America
- Cultural Place
- France, Europe
- England, Europe
- Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, Asia
- Classification
- Media Arts-Photography
- Memorabilia and Ephemera
- Topic
- African diaspora
- Clothing and dress
- Colonialism
- Correspondence
- Fashion
- Freedom
- French colonialism
- Gender
- Identity
- Photography
- Race relations
- Travel
- Women
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2016.151.6
- Restrictions & Rights
- Public domain
-
The Crisis, Vol. 2, No. 4
- Edited by
- W.E.B. Du Bois, American, 1868 - 1963
- Subject of
- The Crisis, American, founded 1910
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, American, founded 1909
- Illustrated by
- Adams, John Henry Jr., American, 1880 - 1944
- Date
- August 1911
- Medium
- ink on paper with metal
- Dimensions
- H x W: 9 3/4 × 6 7/8 in. (24.8 × 17.5 cm)
- H x W (Open): 9 3/4 × 13 5/8 in. (24.8 × 34.6 cm)
- Description
- August 1911 issue of The Crisis Magazine.
- There is a double-lined rectangular border on the cover. The center of the cover features a portrait illustration of a woman. It is signed "John Henry Adams". The title across the top reads [THE CRISIS / A RECORD OF THE DARKER RACES] underneath which is printed [Volume Two - AUGUST 1911 - Number Four]. Along the bottom is [ONE DOLLAR A YEAR] and [TEN CENTS A COPY]. There are two (2) staples on the spine. The back cover features advertisements for the Frederick Douglass Memorial Hospital and training School in Philadelphia and [Half a Man: The Status of the Negro in New York] by Mary White Ovington.
- The interior contents include [ALONG THE COLOR LINE / MEN OF THE MONTH / OPINION: / The Bristow Amendment / A Brave Young Man / A Southerner Speaks / The Open Door / Music / THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE: / The New York Branch / The Oklahoma Lynching / Dr. DuBois in Europe / Incorporation / THE WORLD IN COUNCIL / EDITORIAL / A SOUTHERN WOMAN'S VIEWS / THE HEART'S DESIRE / THE CONGO EXPRESS / SOME LETTERS / WHAT TO READ / EXCAVATIONS IN ETHIOPIA]. In addition are advertisements, announcements, news stories, a poem, illustrations and letters. There are approximately 42 pages.
- Transcription Center Status
- Transcribed by digital volunteers
- Place printed
- New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
- Place depicted
- Mali, West Africa, Africa
- Ethiopia, East Africa, Africa
- Europe
- Okema, Okfuskee County, Oklahoma, United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Documents and Published Materials-Published Works
- Topic
- Advertising
- Africa
- Associations and institutions
- Business
- Civil rights
- Colonialism
- Education
- French colonialism
- Literature
- Lynching
- Mass media
- Poetry
- Race relations
- Social life and customs
- Social reform
- Travel
- U.S. History, 1865-1921
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2015.97.14.1
- Restrictions & Rights
- Public domain
-
CC0
Batouala
- Published by
- Thomas Seltzer Inc., 1919 - 1926
- Written by
- Maran, René, French Guyanese, 1887 - 1960
- Date
- 1922
- Medium
- ink on paper
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 7 5/8 × 5 1/4 × 1 3/8 in. (19.4 × 13.3 × 3.5 cm)
- Caption
- Batouala paints a stunning portrait of the lives of an African tribe and the detrimental effects of the French regime on the tribe’s society. When René Maran, a French-Guyanese poet and novelist, published his debut novel, Batouala, in 1921, he did so with the intention of criticizing the French regime and their presence in Africa, but its effects were far more profound than expected. He would become the first novelist of African descent to be awarded the French Prix Goncourt, which at the time was the highest literary honor that a French author could receive. Various French critics expressed outrage about his award. Most expressed frustration with the idea that Maran was a black man challenging the status quo.
- Description
- A first edition of the novel Batouala by René Maran. The green hardcover book has gold lettering [BATOUALA / by / RENÉ / MARAN] in the top right corner. The interior of the book contains 207 pages of text. The back interior page has an inscription, by hand in pencil that reads: [2 /134]. The back of the cover is blank. The novel tells the story of Batoula, the leader, or mokoundji, of a small tribe of Bandas living in Gabon under French colonial rule during World War I. The book provides a study of Banda folklore and daily tribal life under an oppressive regime.
- Place depicted
- Gabon, Central Africa, Africa
- Cultural Place
- France, Europe
- Classification
- Documents and Published Materials-Published Works
- Type
- hardcover books
- Topic
- Africa
- African diaspora
- Colonialism
- Decolonization
- Folklife
- French colonialism
- Literature
- World War I
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2018.65
- Restrictions & Rights
- Public domain
-
CC0
Le Code Noir
- Printed by
- Prault, Pierre, French
- Date
- 1767
- On ViewConcourse 3, C3 053
- Exhibition
- Slavery and Freedom
- Medium
- ink , paper , cardboard , leather
- Dimensions
- closed: 4 7/8 × 3 5/16 × 1 1/8 in. (12.4 × 8.4 × 2.9 cm)
- open: 4 7/8 × 5 1/4 × 3 1/4 in. (12.4 × 13.3 × 8.3 cm)
- Description
- Bound 446 page volume of 1767 "Le Code Noir" or "Black Code" with a red leather spine. The book covers are wrapped in a blue-green marbled paper and the edges are slightly worn. On the spine is embossed text in gold, above the center [LE / CODE NOIR]. Also on the spine are five sets of embossed lines, at regular intervals, with impressions of stylized foliage between each. Within the front cover are various marks in pencil near the top of the cover and pages [48056 / caribbean slavery / 4750 / ANAXVS / KK]. The interior pages are in tact but slightly water stained.
- Place collected
- New Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, North and Central America
- Place printed
- Paris, Île-de-France, France, Europe
- Place depicted
- Haiti, Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America
- Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
- Guadeloupe, Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America
- Martinique, Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America
- Saint Lucia, Caribbean, North and Central America
- Grenada, Caribbean, North and Central America
- Type
- pamphlets
- Topic
- Colonialism
- French colonialism
- Law
- Race discrimination
- Race relations
- Slavery
- U.S. History, Colonial period, 1600-1775
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2014.67
- Restrictions & Rights
- Public domain
-
Red Beans and Rice Fleur de Lis
- Created by
- Francis, Myesha, American
- Date
- 2010
- On ViewCulture/Fourth Floor, 4 050
- Exhibition
- Cultural Expressions
- Medium
- canvas , pigment , bean
- Dimensions
- 24 × 18 1/8 × 1 1/2 in. (61 × 46 × 3.8 cm)
- Description
- Painting of a fleur-de-lis made of red beans and rice. The fleur-de-lis is featured in the center, on a multi-colored background. The fleur-de-lis is bordered in red beans with rice filling the inside. In the center is a small circle of red beans. The background of the painting is red in the top half with a dark yellow along the bottom half with detailing around the fleur-de-lis.
- Place made
- New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
- Cultural Place
- Haiti, Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America
- West Africa, Africa
- Classification
- Visual Arts
- Type
- paintings
- Topic
- Art
- Colonialism
- Foodways
- French colonialism
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2015.33
- Restrictions & Rights
- © Myesha Francis-Agwe. Permission required for use.
-
CC0
Virginia Herald Vol. XVIII No. 1386
- Published by
- The Virginia Herald, American, 1787 - 1876
- Date
- November 30, 1804
- Medium
- ink on newsprint
- Dimensions
- H x W (page): 17 x 10 1/2 in. (43.2 x 26.7 cm)
- Description
- Two newspaper pages including a front page. The newspaper is discolored, some damage at edges and other losses. Content includes news from Virginia, the United States, and the world, including reports of the French in Louisiana and notice of a French ban on printed news of any sort allowed into colony of Guadaloupe. Advertisements includes notices for sales of enslaved persons, skilled enslaved persons being hired out by their owners, and rewards for the capture and return of fugitive enslaved persons.
- Transcription Center Status
- Transcribed by digital volunteers
- Place depicted
- Guadeloupe, Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America
- France, Europe
- Place printed
- Fredericksburg, Virginia, United States, North and Central America
- Place depicted
- Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
- Collection title
- Liljenquist Family Collection
- Classification
- Documents and Published Materials
- Slavery and Freedom Objects
- Type
- newspapers
- Topic
- Advertising
- Colonialism
- Domestic slave trade
- French colonialism
- Fugitive enslaved
- Mass media
- Self-liberation
- Slave hire system
- Slavery
- U.S. History, 1783-1815
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift from the Liljenquist Family Collection
- Object number
- 2011.51.1
- Restrictions & Rights
- Public Domain
-
CC0
Letter to Charles Humbert Marie Vincent signed by Toussaint Louverture
- Written by
- Unidentified
- Signed by
- Louverture, Toussaint, Haitian, 1743 - 1803
- Received by
- Vincent, Charles Humbert Marie, French, 1753 - 1831
- Date
- October 21, 1797
- Medium
- ink on paper
- Dimensions
- H x W (a): 12 1/16 × 7 13/16 in. (30.6 × 19.8 cm)
- H x W (b): 12 1/8 × 7 13/16 in. (30.8 × 19.8 cm)
- Caption
- Toussaint Louverture campaigned tirelessly on behalf of slaves during the Haitian Revolution, and his actions helped push France to abolish slavery in all its colonies in 1794. He wrote this letter in response to a speech in French parliament calling for slavery's restoration on Saint-Domingue. He warned the French that he would fight for Haitian independence if France ever revoked abolition.
- Description
- A letter signed by Toussaint Louverture to Charles Humbert Marie Vincent from Cap-Français (now Cap-Haïtien), Haiti, on October 21, 1797. The text itself was recorded by a scribe as Louverture's written French was limited, though the content comprises his own thoughts. At the top of the first page is pre-printed letterhead for Toussaint Louverture, Chief General of the Army of Saint-Domingue. The letter is handwritten in black ink on the front and back sides of two (2) sheets of paper. The contents of the letter are in regards to ongoing conflicts in the French colony of Saint Domingue, later the free nation of Haiti, and military leader Louverture's dissatisfaction with a speech given in the French parliament earlier in 1797 in which Viénot de Vaublanc spoke against abolition and people of African descent as uncivilized.
- Transcription Center Status
- Transcribed by digital volunteers
- Place made
- Cap-Haïtien, Nord, Haiti, Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America
- Place used
- France, Europe
- Classification
- Documents and Published Materials
- Slavery and Freedom Objects
- Movement
- Anti-slavery movements
- Type
- letters (correspondence)
- Topic
- Antislavery
- Colonialism
- Correspondence
- Decolonization
- Freedom
- French colonialism
- Government
- Justice
- Military
- Resistance
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2009.26.2ab
- Restrictions & Rights
- public domain
-
The Coachman
- Created by
- Lawrence, Jacob, American, 1917 - 2000
- Subject of
- Louverture, Toussaint, Haitian, 1743 - 1803
- Printed by
- Stovall, Lou, American, born 1937
- Date
- 1990
- Medium
- ink on paper
- Dimensions
- H x W: 32 1/16 x 22 1/16 in. (81.5 x 56 cm)
- Description
- This silkscreen print depicts a man on a carriage driving two horses. The man wears a tall hat and deep red overcoat with large golden buttons and white trousers. His arms are stretched in front of him holding on to the horse's reins. In the top right corner are four small figures performing field chores. The image is surrounded by a wide white margin with the chop mark of the print shop, Workshop Inc. in the bottom left corner.
- Place printed
- Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
- Place depicted
- Haiti, Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America
- Portfolio/Series
- The Life of Toussaint L'Ouverture
- Classification
- Visual Arts
- Type
- screen prints
- Topic
- African diaspora
- Art
- Colonialism
- Decolonization
- Freedom
- French colonialism
- Men
- Military
- Resistance
- Slavery
- Violence
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2008.12.3
- Restrictions & Rights
- © 2020 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Permission required for use.
-
The March
- Created by
- Lawrence, Jacob, American, 1917 - 2000
- Subject of
- Louverture, Toussaint, Haitian, 1743 - 1803
- Printed by
- Stovall, Lou, American, born 1937
- Date
- 1995
- Medium
- ink on paper
- Dimensions
- H x W: 22 1/8 x 32 1/16 in. (56.2 x 81.5 cm)
- Description
- This silkscreen print depicts a mass of troops moving from the left to the right Wearing brown coats, white pants and light colored tall hats, the soldiers carry long guns over their shoulders. They lean forwrad intently, eyes visible, as they march. There is tall grass in the foreground. The image is surrounded by a wide white margin, with the chop mark of the print shop, Workshop Inc. in the lower left corner.
- Place printed
- Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
- Place depicted
- Haiti, Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America
- Portfolio/Series
- The Life of Toussaint L'Ouverture
- Classification
- Visual Arts
- Type
- screen prints
- Topic
- African diaspora
- Art
- Colonialism
- Decolonization
- Freedom
- French colonialism
- Men
- Military
- Resistance
- Slavery
- Violence
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2008.12.10
- Restrictions & Rights
- © 2020 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Permission required for use.
-
Dondon
- Created by
- Lawrence, Jacob, American, 1917 - 2000
- Subject of
- Louverture, Toussaint, Haitian, 1743 - 1803
- Printed by
- Stovall, Lou, American, born 1937
- Date
- 1992
- Medium
- ink on paper
- Dimensions
- H x W: 22 x 32 1/16 in. (55.9 x 81.5 cm)
- Description
- This silkscreen print depicts the General riding a white horse. Wearing a long brown coat and brown bicorn hat, he is shown in left profile. Five figures in the background, wearing colorful clothing, cheer him on. One woman carried a colorful bundle on her head, while another holds a baby bundled in her arms. The image is surrounded by a wide white margin, with the chop mark of the print shop, Workshop Inc. in the lower left corner.
- Place printed
- Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
- Place depicted
- Haiti, Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America
- Portfolio/Series
- The Life of Toussaint L'Ouverture
- Classification
- Visual Arts
- Type
- screen prints
- Topic
- African diaspora
- Art
- Colonialism
- Decolonization
- Freedom
- French colonialism
- Men
- Military
- Resistance
- Slavery
- Violence
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2008.12.5
- Restrictions & Rights
- © 2020 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Permission required for use.
-
Flotilla
- Created by
- Lawrence, Jacob, American, 1917 - 2000
- Subject of
- Louverture, Toussaint, Haitian, 1743 - 1803
- Printed by
- Stovall, Lou, American, born 1937
- Date
- 1996
- Medium
- ink on paper
- Dimensions
- H x W: 22 1/4 x 32 1/8 in. (56.5 x 81.6 cm)
- Description
- This silkscreen print depicts a flotilla of ships just off a beach. The ships, some black with tan trim, and some grey with black trim, are scattered across the deep blue ocean surface. There are waves where the water meets the gray, clouded horizon. All the ships except for one fly the French flag. The beach, a golden brown color, is bare except for a few strands of grass and a single black tree. The image is surrounded by a wide white margin, with the chop mark of the print shop, Workshop Inc. in the lower left corner.
- Place printed
- Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
- Place depicted
- Haiti, Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America
- Portfolio/Series
- The Life of Toussaint L'Ouverture
- Classification
- Visual Arts
- Type
- screen prints
- Topic
- African diaspora
- Art
- Colonialism
- Decolonization
- Freedom
- French colonialism
- Men
- Military
- Resistance
- Slavery
- Violence
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2008.12.13
- Restrictions & Rights
- © 2020 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Permission required for use.
-
The Birth of Toussaint
- Created by
- Lawrence, Jacob, American, 1917 - 2000
- Subject of
- Louverture, Toussaint, Haitian, 1743 - 1803
- Printed by
- Stovall, Lou, American, born 1937
- Date
- 1986
- Medium
- ink on paper
- Dimensions
- H x W: 32 1/8 x 22 in. (81.6 x 55.9 cm)
- Description
- This silkscreen print depicts a mother tucked in bed, holding a baby in her arms. The bed is on the right within an angular room with one window at far left, with a small table in the center of the room. Tall green strands of grass are visible through the window. The room's timbers are done in shades or brown, eggplant, and olive green. At bottom left is the chop mark of the print shop, Workshop Inc., signed at bottom right.
- Place printed
- Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
- Place depicted
- Haiti, Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America
- Portfolio/Series
- The Life of Toussaint L'Ouverture
- Classification
- Visual Arts
- Type
- screen prints
- Topic
- African diaspora
- Art
- Colonialism
- Decolonization
- Freedom
- French colonialism
- Men
- Military
- Resistance
- Slavery
- Violence
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2008.12.2
- Restrictions & Rights
- © 2020 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Permission required for use.
-
Deception
- Created by
- Lawrence, Jacob, American, 1917 - 2000
- Subject of
- Louverture, Toussaint, Haitian, 1743 - 1803
- Printed by
- Stovall, Lou, American, born 1937
- Date
- 1997
- Medium
- ink on paper
- Dimensions
- H x W: 22 1/4 x 32 1/16 in. (56.5 x 81.4 cm)
- Description
- This silkscreen print depicts four soldiers standing around a single seated man. The four soldiers stand with drawn swords pointed at the seated man. Two of the soldiers, with their backs to the viewer, wear long black coats. The other two soldiers wear blue coats with white trim, grey pants, and tall black boots. All four soldiers wear dark bicorn hats. The seated figure wears a brown coat with gold trim, white pants and tall black boots. His head is bare, and he holds a sword in his left hand, pointed to the ground. He is sitting on a black, frame-like chair. He looks sideways to the soldier on his left. The image is surrounded by a wide white margin, with the chop mark of the print shop, Workshop Inc. in the lower left corner.
- Place printed
- Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
- Place depicted
- Haiti, Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America
- Portfolio/Series
- The Life of Toussaint L'Ouverture
- Classification
- Visual Arts
- Type
- screen prints
- Topic
- African diaspora
- Art
- Colonialism
- Decolonization
- Freedom
- French colonialism
- Men
- Military
- Resistance
- Slavery
- Violence
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2008.12.15
- Restrictions & Rights
- © 2020 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Permission required for use.
-
The Opener
- Created by
- Lawrence, Jacob, American, 1917 - 2000
- Subject of
- Louverture, Toussaint, Haitian, 1743 - 1803
- Printed by
- Stovall, Lou, American, born 1937
- Date
- 1997
- Medium
- ink on paper
- Dimensions
- H x W: 22 1/4 x 32 3/16 in. (56.5 x 81.8 cm)
- Description
- This silkscreen print depicts a man mounted on a galloping white horse. Wearing a brown coat, brown bicorn hat with white plumes, white trousers, tall boots and spurs. Brandishing a sword in his left hand, he looks over his shoulder behind him while his horse gallops from left to right through tall grass. The image is surrounded by a wide white margin, with the chop mark of the print shop, Workshop Inc. in the lower left corner.
- Place printed
- Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
- Place depicted
- Haiti, Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America
- Portfolio/Series
- The Life of Toussaint L'Ouverture
- Classification
- Visual Arts
- Type
- screen prints
- Topic
- African diaspora
- Art
- Colonialism
- Decolonization
- Freedom
- French colonialism
- Men
- Military
- Resistance
- Slavery
- Violence
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2008.12.9
- Restrictions & Rights
- © 2020 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Permission required for use.