GRA 0148 - Gregory C. Wilson collection of postcards and trade cards depicting stereotypes of African Americans

The Gregory C. Wilson collection of postcards and trade cards depicting stereotypes of African Americans contains over 450 items. The majority of the trade cards are from the latter half of the nineteenth century, while the majority of the postcards are from the first half of the twentieth century. Some of the postcard and trade card printers whose work is represented in this collection include Curt Teich & Company, Currier & Ives, Dr. J.C. Ayer & Co., and A. Hoen & Co.

These items were collected over time by Gregory Wilson, who had an interest in the evolution of depictions of African Americans in trade cards and postcards. The vast majority of the items in the collection show negative stereotypes and racist portrayals of Black people in general and African Americans specifically. These images include, but are not limited to, portrayals of African Americans as unintelligent and uneducated, instances of violence or pain experienced by African Americans, and idealized or comic portrayals of African Americans in poverty. Other overarching themes in the cards are a focus on Black people performing labor, often in a domestic or agricultural capacity, and a nostalgic view of the era of enslavement before the Civil War. Drawings of Black people often enlarge certain parts of their bodies, such as their lips and mouths, or display significant nudity.

The materials in this collection are arranged according to the theme or subject matter of the image displayed on each card. The thematic categories listed in this finding aid were constructed by the processors after general research into the history of stereotypes of African Americans and an analysis of the types of imagery present in the collection. Due to recurring elements in derogatory depictions of African Americans, items that have been placed in separate thematic categories may still share common visual aspects, such as ill-fitting clothing or rural environments. Additionally, although many items have visual elements that correspond to more than one established category, each card was placed according to what was considered to be the primary theme or subject matter at the time of arrangement.

This collection was originally processed and cataloged with the call number PPI 0107.

Reprocessed by Shelby Daniels-Young and Thomas Pulhamus, 2023. Encoded by Shelby Daniels-Young, 2023.

This collection underwent extensive reprocessing under the guidance of a working group consisting of library staff and two faculty members. The working group was co-chaired by Shelby Daniels-Young and Thomas Pulhamus. The reprocessing involved rearrangement of the materials, implementation of thematic categories, updated access terms, and a rewritten finding aid. The reprocessing was intended to increase accuracy of description through acknowledgement of the high concentration of racist material in this collection.

For more information on the working group project or to see the 2014 version of this finding aid, please contact Special Collections staff.