Black Images in the Media: Caricatures and Consequences

With a presentation from Ira Hadnot Alexander.

One of the more controversial groups of Americana collectibles is Black Americana, also referred to as Black Memorabilia, Afro-Americana, and Black Face Collectibles; phrases used to describe memorabilia or ephemera that relates to African American history.  Most of this material was produced from the 18th through the 20th centuries and ranged from pieces with very negative depictions of the cruelty of slavery to those that are more wholesome like the well-known Aunt Jemima, whose matronly and jovial nature was replicated on many pieces from cookie canisters to spice sets, dish towels, tea tins, etc. during the 1930s through the ‘50s.