Scope and Contents
A collection of caricatures of African Americans published by the firm Currier & Ives as a series of "Darktown" comics. The drawings were made by artists associated with the firm, primarily John Cameron (1828-1906) and Thomas Worth (1834-1917). Also present are restrikes of "Darktown" images published later by Joseph Koehler in New York and S. Lipschitz & Son in London.
At the folder level, references are provided to the two standard Currier & Ives catalogues: Currier & Ives: a Catalogue Raisonné (Detroit: Gale Research, 1983) and Currier & Ives Prints: an Illustrated Checklist, by Frederick A. Conningham (New York: Crown Publishers, 1983).
Dates
- 1880-1907
- Majority of material found within 1880 - 1896
Creator
- Currier & Ives (Publisher)
- Cameron, John, approximately 1828- (Artist)
- Worth, Thomas, 1834-1917 (Artist)
Language of Materials
Captions in English.
Conditions Governing Access
The materials are open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The Currier & Ives Darktown Prints is the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Carl Van Vechten, 1965; Gift of Julia Millhiser Gimbel, 1973. Other acquisitions are noted at the folder level.
Arrangement
Organized into two series: I. Published by Currier & Ives, 1880-1896. II. Restrikes, 1907.
Extent
0.5 Linear Feet (4 boxes)
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Currier & Ives
Nathaniel Currier and James Merritt Ives, publishers of popular prints in New York between 1857 and 1907. After the firm disbanded, other publishers, including Joseph Koehler in New York and S. Lipschitz in London, acquired the company's lithographic stones and reprinted the images.
Processing Information
Collections are processed to a variety of levels, depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived research value, the availability of staff, competing priorities, and whether or not further accruals are expected. The library attempts to provide a basic level of preservation and access for all collections, and does more extensive processing of higher priority collections as time and resources permit.
- African Americans -- Caricatures and cartoons
- Cameron, John, approximately 1828-
- Caricatures -- United States -- 19th century
- Currier & Ives
- Gimbel, Julia Milhiser, 1902-1983 -- Ownership
- Lithographs -- United States -- 19th century
- Satires (Visual works) -- United States -- 19th century
- Van Vechten, Carl, 1880-1964 -- Ownership
- Worth, Thomas, 1834-1917
- Title
- Currier & Ives Darktown Prints
- Status
- In Progress
- Author
- by Beinecke Staff
- Date
- 2015
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository
Location
121 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Opening Hours
Access Information
The Beinecke Library is open to all Yale University students and faculty, and visiting researchers whose work requires use of its special collections. You will need to bring appropriate photo ID the first time you register. Beinecke is a non-circulating, closed stack library. Paging is done by library staff during business hours. You can request collection material online at least two business days in advance of your visit, using the request links in Archives at Yale. For more information, please see Planning Your Research Visit and consult the Reading Room Policies prior to visiting the library.