Gregory C. Wilson collection of postcards and trade cards depicting stereotypes of African Americans

Stereotypes of Black people in the United States have been used for centuries to reinforce racist ideas that Black people are inferior to white people, to paint American slavery in a flattering light, and to justify discrimination and violence against African Americans. These stereotypes and their negative impact have been perpetuated in popular culture through their circulation on all kinds of cultural objects, from food packaging to yard decorations to toys, as well as their prevalence in media, such as stage plays, films, and literature. During the heyday of postcards and trade cards, these stereotypes both reflected and contributed to sentiments of racial superiority on the part of white consumers in the aftermath of the Civil War.

Anti-Black stereotypes and caricatures often follow certain conventions, such as exaggerated physical features designed to make Black people appear less human, individuals using irregular grammar and pronunciation in keeping with assumptions of Black ignorance, and instances of pain or violence inflicted on Black people depicted in a humorous light. In the nineteenth century, minstrel shows were highly influential in popularizing specific characters, such as “Mammy” and “Jim Crow,” which bolstered antebellum nostalgia and assumptions of inherent laziness or foolishness on the part of Black people. These characters and the more general elements of anti-Black stereotypes have persisted through the twentieth and into the twenty-first century.

SOURCES

Mellinger, Wayne Martin. “Postcards from the Edge of the Color Line: Images of African Americans in Popular Culture, 1893–1917.” Symbolic Interaction 15, no. 4 (1992): 413–433. JSTOR. https://doi.org/10.1525/si.1992.15.4.413.

National Museum of African American History and Culture. “Popular and Pervasive Stereotypes of African Americans.” Last accessed June 9, 2023. https://nmaahc.si.edu/blog-post/popular-and-pervasive-stereotypes-african-americans

Pilgrim, David. “The Mammy Caricature.” Jim Crow Museum. Ferris State University. Last updated 2023. https://jimcrowmuseum.ferris.edu/mammies/homepage.htm

Pilgrim, David. Understanding Jim Crow: Using Racist Memorabilia to Teach Tolerance and Promote Social Justice. Oakland, California: PM Press, 2015.

Trade cards were highly popular forms of advertising in the United States during the mid-to-late nineteenth century. These small cards generally consisted of an image that would draw consumers’ attention along with information about the business and the goods or services being offered. Several trade cards were produced with stock images and blank spaces where any business could add relevant text. Due to their visual appeal, many Americans collected trade cards and saved them in scrapbooks. Trade cards declined in popularity as the nineteenth century came to a close.

The collecting of picture postcards became a common pastime in the United States at the dawn of the twentieth century and retained this status until the onset of World War I. Although postcards were a popular form of communication at the time, many consumers would buy postcards to keep for themselves rather than to send. Images found on postcards often featured specific locations, such as monuments, cities, or landscapes, but could also consist of product advertisements or comic panels. After World War I, postcards continued to serve as souvenirs and to circulate through the mail, but they never regained their previous levels of popularity.

SOURCES

Black, Jennifer M. “Corporate Calling Cards: Advertising Trade Cards and Logos in the United States, 1876–1890.” The Journal of American Culture 32, no. 4 (December 2009): 291-306. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1542-734X.2009.00718.x

New York State Library. “Wish You Were Here!: The Story of the Golden Age of Picture Postcards in the United States.” Last updated December 23, 2021. https://www.nysl.nysed.gov/msscfa/qc16510ess.htm

Smithsonian Institution Archives. “Greetings from the Smithsonian: A Postcard History.” Last accessed January 26, 2023. https://siarchives.si.edu/history/featured-topics/postcard/postcard-history

Gregory C. Wilson is a white collector and dealer of antiquarian items, including trade cards and postcards. He is an alumnus of the University of Delaware (Class of 1960-1961) with a bachelor’s degree in history, as well as the University of Pittsburgh (Class of 1963) with a Master of Library Science degree.

SOURCES

Information provided by donor.