- On View
- Slavery and Freedom Gallery
- Museum Maps
- Objects in this Location
- Exhibition
- Slavery and Freedom
- Issued by
- Girardey, C. E., French, born 1812
- Subject of
- Unidentified Child or Children
- Unidentified Man or Men
- Unidentified Woman or Women
- Date
- February 3, 1859
- Medium
- ink on paper (fiber product)
- Dimensions
- H x W: 16 1/8 × 7 5/8 in. (41 × 19.4 cm)
- Description
- A broadside for the auction of twenty enslaved men, women, and children at the City Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana. Large text printed in black ink at the top reads [VALUABLE / SLAVES / AT AUCTION, / AT THE CITY HOTEL COMMON ST. / BY C.E. GIRARDEY & CO., Office No. 6 Banks' Arcade]. Below this, it gives the date of the sale as [THURSDAY, Feb. 3, 1859] and lists the names, ages and skills of the enslaved individuals for sale:
- [1. ISAM, black, aged about 40 years, a superior engineer and blacksmith has worked over 20 years with the late Wm. Chapman; is well known for character and qualification throughout the Parish of St. James.
- 2. JOHN, griffe, aged 24 years, a No. 1 carpenter and ship caulker.
- 3. TOM, black, aged 24 years, a No. 1 blacksmith and machinist.
- 4. ALEXANDER, mulatto, aged 28 years, a No. 1 stone cutter.
- 5. STEPHEN, black, aged 24 years, field hand.
- 6. EDWARD, black, aged 14 years, field hand.
- 7. JACK, black, aged 21 years, field hand.
- 8. GEORGE, mulatto, aged 30 years, house and confidential servant.
- 9. JAROTT, black aged 25 years, field hand.
- 10. MADORA, black, aged 18 years, extra likely.
- 11. MATILDA, black, aged 17 years, good cook, washer and ironer.
- 12. PAULINE, black, aged 13 years, speaks French and English, good house girl and child’s nurse.
- 13. BETSY, black, aged 12 years, house girl.
- 14. PHOEBY, black, aged 20 years, extra likely.
- 15. MARY, black, aged 25 years, superior washer and ironer.
- 16. CLARISSY, black, aged 40 years, field hand.
- 17. MARY, black, aged 80 years, cook, washer and ironer.
- 18. MARY JANE, black, aged 30 years, field hand.
- 19. PHILUS, black, aged 30 years, good cook, washer and ironer, and her child aged 2 years.]
- Beneath the listing, the text notes the sale will include [Several other Plantation Hands] and that the terms are cash. Along the very bottom is [The slaves may be seen at the office of the Auctioneers] in between two small icons of pointing hands. The sheet has been adhered to a stiff piece of paper as a backing. There are no marks or inscriptions on the verso.
- Place used
- New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
- Type
- broadsides
- Topic
- Agriculture
- American South
- Business
- Commerce
- Domestic slave trade
- Fancy Girl trade
- Skilled labor
- Slavery
- Women
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2014.63.16
- Restrictions & Rights
- Public domain
- Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.




