Subject: Racist imagery

This trade card advertises J. Podolsky, "The Boss Clothier," located opposite the Central Hotel in Millersburg, Ohio. The card promotes the business as having "The Largest Stock of Spring and Summer Clothing" and offering "Gents' Furnishing Goods, Underwear, Hats & Caps." The verso of the card features a racist cartoon depicting Black people in "Sunday best" attire in a rural setting, a common and offensive motif in advertising of the period. The text on the card uses bold and ornate typography typical of late 19th-century advertising.

This trade card for Mrs. C. Solomon's Boot & Shoe Store in Philadelphia features a lithographic illustration of a Black person, depicted in a racist caricature, wearing a straw hat and playing with a top in an outdoor scene. The business information is presented in a white rectangular text box, stating "COMPLIMENTS OF Mrs. C. Solomon Boot & Shoe Store, 1349 South Second St. PHILADELPHIA." The overall design includes a dotted background pattern, typical of late 19th-century trade cards. The reverse of the card is blank except for handwritten archival markings.