Lost Cause mythology and Old South nostalgia
Date
circa 1880s-1960s
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press
Abstract
Description
Images reflecting the "Lost Cause" mythos, a revisionist history of the Civil War and Reconstruction era that romanticizes enslavement and the Confederacy, or views the South as an idyllic rural landscape. This category includes the following sub-categories:
General, 1882, 1906, 1944-1948, undated Box 3, F08
Cabins, 1906-1911, 1933, circa 1960, undated Box 3, F09
Portrayals of Black people, especially large families, living in log cabins. Often framed as idyllic portraits of Southern life that valorize rural poverty and/or romanticize slavery.
"Greetings from the Happy South" packet, circa 1916 Box 3, F10
A card packet containing sixteen items portraying southern Black communities as content and inherently suited to an environment of poverty and physical labor.
Minstrel songs, 1907, 1954, undated Box 3, F11
Cards highlighting lyrics to songs that were often sung in minstrel shows, accompanied by images intended to evoke nostalgia for rural southern life.
Ox carts, circa 1901-1917, 1938, undated Box 4, F01
Portrayals of oxen being used to pull wagons or as a means of transportation for Black people, often with a caption framing the image as quaint, outdated, or humorous.
Keywords
Citation
GRA 0148, Gregory C. Wilson collection of postcards and trade cards depicting stereotypes of African Americans, Special Collections, University of Delaware Library, Newark, Delaware.