Mar 01, 2012 - Sale 2271

Sale 2271 - Lot 146

Price Realized: $ 3,600
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 4,000 - $ 6,000
(BLACK MEMORABILIA.) TREAGAR, G.S. Life in Philadelphia. A broken run of Treagar's satirical series on Philadelphia's free black community: Numbers 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and one unnumbered print by Isaacs. In all, 13 prints. Uniform sheet size 10 x 13 inches; color bright, with no foxing. London: G.S. Treagar, circa 1830's

Additional Details

In 1828, Philadelphia printer Edward Williams Clay began to issue a series of engravings he titled "Life in Philadelphia." These engravings pictured members of Philadelphia's free black community in various stereotypical and absurd situations. So popular were these images, that the English engravers took up the theme and not to be outdone, produced several series which were even more exaggerated and vile than Mr. Clay's. Printmakers, Summers, Isaacs and Treagar all competed for an eager audience on both sides of the Atlantic. The present series, from G.S. Treagar, is very rare, and includes the following titles: #7. A Black Tea Party, #8. "How you fine yourself dis hot weader, miss Chloe?", #9. "Have you any flesh-coloured silk stockings?", #10. A Black Ball, one of the rarest and most important, #11. "Grand Celebration ob de Bobalition ob African Slabery," [circa 1834], #14. "What you tink of my bran new pohe bonnet Frederick Augustus?" #15. "What de Debil you Hurrah for General Jackson for?" #16. "Shall I hab de honour to dance the next quadrille wid you miss Minta?" #17. "Is Miss Dinah at Home?" #18. "How you like de new fashion shirt Miss Florinda," #19. Take away take away dose rosy lips," #20. "How you like de Waltz Mr Loranzo?" and the Isaacs print "Romeo and Juliet." This is the first time in 17 years that we have had a run of these rare prints.