Stereoviews of
Black Subjects
Stereoviews of black subjects were
relatively common at the end of the 19th century
and they served as curious peeks into the "foreign" culture of the black
communities,
peoples no longer living in tight slavery, but certainly not allowed
into mainstream culture.
They are vividly descriptive and revealing of the attitudes towards
blacks commonly
held in America, which today is seen as extremely rude and racist,
but which remained unchallenged until the Civil Rights Movement of the
1960s.
The
first 12 cards (ST BL980 - ST BL991) are photo-lithographs
printed in black with
colors added by hand.
They are part of a grouping published together probably around 1890.
ST BL992 is a Keystone View Company card dated 1898, a
photographic print on a heavier, curved stock.
ST BL993
is published by Strohmeyer, Wyman Publishers and sold by
Underwood and Underwood. Dated1895, it is also a photographic
image, separate parts, on a heavy stock and
slightly curved. On the back is the title in six languages:
English, French, German,
Spanish, Swedish and Russian (!). The last card,
ST BL994,
is also a Keystone View Company
card dated 1904. It is also a photographic print on a 3 3/8 x
7 inch heavy stock card, slightly curved.
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