Sweet Georgia Brown “Negro” Hair Dressing Pomade Tin Produced from the 1930’s through the early 1950’s. This small, never used tin, contained enough hair dressing pomade (hair grease) for one application. The back side says: “For Men and Women” The...
Robert E. Patten was a Black Iowan printers whose press created many signs, pamphlets, brochures and placards for the white and Black communities in Des Moines, Iowa. This placard had a small calendar but mainly serves as an advertisement for...
Headline on page 4 states: “Law Segregating Negroes Invalid Says High Court: Federal Supreme Judges Declare Louisville Ordinance is Unconstitutional” The article begins: “In a unanimous opinion handed down on Monday today the United States Supreme Court held invalid the...
Titled “Stubborn Refusal to Aid Poor” the article states: “The Fayette County Board of Supervisors has remained firm in its refusal to sanction food programs for the poor. Despite appeals by the Oelwein mayor, Chamber of Commerce, local clergymen and...
Titled “Legal Help for the Poor,” the article describes that “the Iowa House Judiciary Committee has proposed a bill to authorize counties to support local legal aid programs. The measure would enable counties to provide help for the poor with...
The articles “The Dilemma of the Black Businessman: Lack of Customers, Money, Experience, by Stephen Seplow eompiles the data regarding the lack of many Black owned businesses in Des Moines and interviews several Black business owners. [the article only discusses...
The article in full states “Mrs. Katherine Bryson, president of Mothers for Dignity and Justice, a group of welfare mothers, Friday, told how she and Mrs. Pat Auch were arrested at Hotel Savery Thursday night during a welfare banquet. Mrs....
The image on this postcard depicts a small train, possibly a coal train, winding in back of a small group of homes. Since the postcard was created in Albia Iowa, it is possible that the scene is of Albia or...
A rare photograph because it not only shows the Black workers but also the overseer with his two dogs. The contrast between the overseer in his crisp hat and jacket with the workers in their worn clothing, is pronounced. Caption...
Photograph shows a man standing in the office of a coal company. He is writing in a large ledger. Over the doorway is a sign that says “Coal is Cash.” Someone has written in pen “1918” at the bottom margin...
Photograph of six people involved in mining coal standing on a railroad track. Five are white men, and a young Black boy who is barefoot sits on the track in front of them. Letterhead that came with the photograph says...
Photograph with early cars and horse-drawn carriages driving down a wide dirt street. Caption on front says: “West Main Street, Cherokee, Ia.” We see church spires and around the corner to the left we can glimpse a sign on a...
A yellow cardboard stereoview of a swampy setting in Florida shows two men, one Black and one white, rowing a boat filled with product while two men rowing empty boats look on. The caption read: “4180 Jacksonville butcher rowing to...
These five carte de visites were taken by the eminent photographer J. P. Ball. He was a Black man who became one of the most renown photographers of his time. He was based for several decades in Cincinnati, Ohio, and...
snapshot-style photo postcard showing two casually dressed Black men strolling on city street past shops. Printed on the front of card is a drawing of an ear of corn and city-scape and the words “Des Moines, Iowa”. The back of...
Photo shows display in the Black building at the exposition including several statues and banners as well as a display with signage from a store advertising “Negro Druggists.” The stereoview caption says: “10695. Fetters broken, but not all, Negro Building,...
Stereoview images shows an enormously dense display of objects on the table and walls of the Black American section of the Atlanta Exposition. Portraits of Black people are hung gallery style and several Black people are seen perusing the objects....
Four cabinet card photographs, said to be taken in Iowa, show Black workers and a White boss on site at wooden structure. One photograph shows a lower level in the ground and tracks being laid. Backs are blank.
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