Life in Philadelphia

Life in Philadelphia, plate 11 (1828)

Life in Philadelphia was a series of satirical cartoons drawn and engraved by Edward Williams Clay between 1828 and 1830. He modeled them after the British series Life in London (1821), by George and Robert Cruikshank. The Cruikshank cartoons had mocked supposed class differences; Clay's cartoons mocked supposed racial differences.

The cartoons were very popular, and were copied by artists in New York and London. Clay's caricatures perpetuated a stereotype of hyper-elegant blacks, that became a standard trope of minstrel shows in the mid- to late-nineteenth century.

Background

The first edition of Life in Philadelphia was published by William Simpson and Susan Hart in Philadelphia, and consisted of 14 cartoons. Simpson published the first eleven in 1828, and Hart the last three in 1829 and 1830. The engraved images were small—about 4 in (10 cm) by 3 in (7.6 cm), and printed on sheets that were 6.25 in (15.9 cm) by 5.75 in (14.6 cm)—and could be purchased blank or hand tinted. Hart reprinted the entire 14-cartoon series in color as aquatints in 1830. She published additional Clay cartoons that later became part of the London editions of Life in Philadelphia.

Four of the original cartoons depicted whites and ten depicted blacks. Clay's lampoons of white Philadelphians were gentle, depicting a promenade in the park, a costume ball, courtship between staid Quakers, and a woman being mistaken for a prostitute on the street. The black cartoons were different—Clay exaggerated the physiognomy of the African-American characters in a manner that was "pointedly racist." He ridiculed the alleged fancy dress, pretentious manners and "black speech" of the city's tiny black middle class. The cartoons depicted absurd scenes of courtship and displays of etiquette on the street, at residences, at society balls, and in allegory; fashion; promenades; the abolition of slavery; the election of President Andrew Jackson; and tea parties. The popularity of Clay's cartoons indicated both the white supremacy and class insecurity of the Jacksonian Era, a time when abolitionism was perceived as a growing threat to American slaveholding.

Although no complete copy of the first edition of Life in Philadelphia is known to exist, the Library Company of Philadelphia holds examples of all fourteen cartoons, ten of them from the first edition.

London editions

W. H. Isaacs published the first London edition of Life in Philadelphia, c.1831. He hired artist William Summers to redraw and engrave Clay's cartoons about 50% larger. Summers improved the images by adding depth and detail, and placing each within a rectangular border. Eleven cartoons from the original series were redrawn, two depicting whites and nine depicting blacks. Isaacs expanded the series with Summers's own cartoons depicting blacks.

Isaacs later dropped the two cartoons depicting whites from the series, and replaced them with new Clay cartoons depicting blacks. Another addition was a cartoon depicting American blacks celebrating the 1833 abolition of slavery in the British colonies. This was credited to artist "I. Harris," but scholars now attribute it to Clay. By the end of 1833, all twenty cartoons in the London edition depicted African Americans.

Gabriel Shear Tregear reprinted the twenty African-American cartoons in 1834, in his Tregear's Black Jokes: being a Series of Laughable Caricatures on the March of Manners Amongst the Blacks. The twenty cartoons were reprinted in 1860, by publishers T. C. Lewis & Co., London.

The Library Company of Philadelphia holds a large collection of Life in Philadelphia cartoons, from both the Philadelphia and London editions.

Original series

Plate	Image	Artist	Publisher	Year	Captions	Notes
1		Edward W. Clay	William Simpson, Philadelphia	1828	"Promenade in Washington Square."	[1] Not part of the London editions
2		Edward W. Clay	William Simpson, Philadelphia	1828	"Behold, thou art fair Deborah, thou hast doves eyes. Behold thou art fair Deborah, yea pleasant!"	[2] Redrawn as Isaacs-11
3		Edward W. Clay	William Simpson, Philadelphia	1828	"Is Mifs Dinah at home?" "Yes sir but she bery petickly engaged in washing de dishes." "Ah! I'm sorry I cant have the honour to pay my devours to her. Give her my card."	[3] Redrawn as Tregear-17
4		Edward W. Clay	William Simpson, Philadelphia	1828	"How you find yourself dis hot weader Mifs Chloe?" "Pretty well I tank you Mr. Cesar only I aspire too much!"	[4] Redrawn as Tregear-8
5		Edward W. Clay	William Simpson, Philadelphia	1828	"Shall I hab de honour to dance de next Quadrille wid you, Mifs Minta?" "Tank you Mr. Cato,—wid much pleasure, only I'm engaged for de nine next set!"	[5] Redrawn as Tregear-16
6		Edward W. Clay	William Simpson, Philadelphia	1828	"Well brudder what 'fect you tink Morgan's deduction gwang to hab on our siety of free masons?" " 'Pon honour I tink he look rader black, 'fraid we lose de 'lection in New York!"	[6] Not part of the London editions
7		Edward W. Clay	William Simpson, Philadelphia	1828	"Hurrah! Hurrah for General Jackson!!" "What de debil you hurrah for General Jackson for?—you black Nigger!—I'll larn you better.—I'm a 'ministration Man!!"	[7] Redrawn as Tregear-15
8		Edward W. Clay	William Simpson, Philadelphia	1828	"Good evening Mifs, shall I have the pleasure of walking with you?" "Me sir!! for whom do you take me, sir?" "Come, come that's a good one!—for whom do I take you? Why for myself, to be sure!"	[8] Redrawn as Isaacs-8
9		Edward W. Clay	William Simpson, Philadelphia	1828	"How you like de new fashion shirt, Mifs Florinda?" "I tink dey mighty eligum—I see you on new year day when you carry de colour on de Abolition 'siety—you look just like Pluto de God of War!"	[9] Redrawn as Tregear-18
10		Edward W. Clay	William Simpson, Philadelphia	1828	"Fancy Ball"	[10] Not part of the London editions
11		Edward W. Clay	William Simpson, Philadelphia	1828	"Have you any flesh coloured silk stockings, young man?" "Oui Madame! here is von pair of de first qualite!"	[11] Redrawn and image reversed as Tregear-9
12		Edward W. Clay	Susan Hart & Son, Philadelphia	1829	"Take away, take away dose rosy lips, Rich, rich in balmy treasure!— Turn away, turn away dose eyes ob lub, Less I die wid pleasure!!!" "Dat is bery fine, Mr. Mortimer,—you sing quite con a moor, as de Italians say!!"	[12] Redrawn as Tregear-19
13		Edward W. Clay	Susan Hart & Son, Philadelphia	1829	"How you like de Waltz, Mr. Lorenzo?" " 'Pon de honour ob a gentleman I tink it vastly indelicate,—Only fit for de common people!!"	[13] Redrawn as Tregear-20
14		Edward W. Clay	Susan Hart, Philadelphia	1830	"What you tink of my new poke bonnet, Frederick Augustus?" "I don't like him no how, 'case dey hide you lubly face, so you can't tell one she nigger from anoder."	[14] Redrawn as Tregear-14

London editions

NOTE: The plate numbers used below are from publisher G. S. Tregear's 1834 reprinting of Life in Philadelphia. For the first London edition (c.1831), publisher Harrison Isaacs used different plate numbers, and the plate numbers changed as he added and withdrew cartoons. (See shaded section, below.)

Plate	Image	Artist	Publisher	Year	Captions	Notes
Tregear-1		William Summers	G. S. Tregear, London	c.1833	"Dark Conversation." "Bery Black looking day dis Mons'r." "Yes Bery stormy. De Blacks flying about so make it Petickly Disagreable."	[15]
Tregear-2		William Summers	G. S. Tregrear, London	c.1833	"An Unfair Reflection." "It was bery Unfair ob Mifs Carolina to Reflect on de Palenefs ob my Complexion. I consider dat I hab got a bery Good Color."	[16]
Tregear-3		William Summers	G. S. Tregear, London	c.1833	"The New Shoes."	[17]
Tregear-4		William Summers	G. S. Tregear, London	c.1833	"The Lub Letter."	[18]
Tregear-5		William Summers	G. S. Tregear, London	c.1833	"A Black Charge." "Please y-'r Worship I hab taken up dis Nigger!! case he-'s -nebriated and -sulting to de Fair sec."	[19]
Tregear-6		William Summers	G. S. Tregear	c.1833	"The Valentine." "Holl'a! What's all dis about— 'De rose is Red de Violets blue' 'De Debil's Black and so are You.' Well dat's bery Fair indeed."	[20]
Tregear-7		William Summers	W. H. Isaacs, London	c.1833	"A Black Tea Party."	[21]
Tregear-8		unidentified (after Edward W. Clay)	Harrison Isaacs, London	c.1831	"How you find yourself dis hot Weader Mifs Chloe?" "Pretty well tank you Mr. Cesar only I aspire too much!"	[22] Plate 3 in the first London edition
Tregear-9		unidentified (after Edward W. Clay)	Harrison Isaacs, London	c.1831	"Have you any Flesh coloured Silk Stockings, young man?" "Oui Madame! here is von pair of de first qualité!"	Reversed image of Plate 11 in the original series [23]
Tregear-10		William Summers	Harrison Isaacs, London	c.1833	"A Black Ball. La Pastorelle." "What a figure Bruder Brutus look cutting him capers dare by himself."	[24]
Tregear-11		I. Harris (Edward W. Clay)	W. H. Isaacs, London	1833	"Grand Celebration Ob De Bobalition Ob African Slabery."	[25] The 1833 Slavery Abolition Act ended slavery in the British colonies.
Tregear-12		William Summers	W. H. Isaacs, London	c.1833	ROMEO._"How Silber sweet, sounds Lubbers Tongues by Night; like sorptest Music to attending Ears." JULIET._"Dou know'st de mask ob night is on my face, else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek."	[26]
Tregear-13		William Summers	W. H. Isaacs, London	c.1833	"A Crier Extraordinary."	[27]
Tregear-14		unidentified (after Edward W. Clay)	W. H. Isaacs, London	c.1831	"What you tink of my new poke Bonnet, Frederich Augustus?" "I don't like him no how, 'case dey hide you Lubly Face, so you can't tell one She Nigger from anoder."	[28]
Tregear-15		unidentified (after Edward W. Clay)	Harrison Isaacs, London	c.1831	"Hurrah! Hurrah for General Jackson!!" "What de debil you hurrah for General Jackson for?—you black Nigger!—I'll larn you better.—I'm a 'ministration Man!!"	[29]
Tregear-16		unidentified (after Edward W. Clay)	Harrison Isaacs, London	c.1831	"Shall I hab de honour to dance de next Quadrille wid you, Mifs Minta?" "Tank you Mr. Cato,—wid much pleasure, only I'm engaged for de nine next set!"	[30] Plate 6 in the first London edition
Tregear-17		unidentified (after Edward W. Clay)	G. S. Tregear, London	c.1833	"Is Mifs Dinah at home?" "Yes sir but she bery petickly engaged in washing de dishes." "Ah! I'm sorry I can't have the honour to pay my devours to her. Give her my card."	[31] Plate 11 in the first London edition
Tregear-18		William Summers (after Edward W. Clay)	Harrison Isaacs, London	c.1831	"How you like de new fashion shirt, Mifs Florinda?" "I tink dey mighty eligum—I see you on new year day when you carry de colour on de Abolition 'siety—you look just like Pluto de God of War!"	[32] Plate 9 in the first London edition
Tregear-19		unidentified (after Edward W. Clay)	Harrison Isaacs, London	c.1831	"Take away, take away dose rosy lips, Rich, rich in balmy treasure!— Turn away, turn away dose eyes ob lub, Lefs I die wid pleasure!!!" "Dat is bery fine, Mr. Mortimer,—you sing quite con a moor, as de Italians say!!"	[33] Plate 2 in the first London edition
Tregear-20		unidentified (after Edward W. Clay)	Harrison Isaacs, London	c.1831	"How you like de Waltz, Mr. Lorenzo? I bery fond of it." " 'Pon de honour ob a gentleman I tink it vastly indelicate, only fit for de common people!! I wonder how de fair sec can admire it.—"	[34] Plate 13 in the first London edition
Isaacs-8		William Summers (after Edward W. Clay)	Harrison Isaacs, London	c.1831	"Good evening Mifs, shall I have the pleasure of walking with you?" "Me Sir!! for whom do you take me, Sir?" "Come, that's a good one!—for whom do I take you? why for myself to be sure!"	[35] Plate 8 in the original series; Plate 8 in the first London edition; not reprinted in Tregear.
Isaacs-10		H. Harrison (after Edward W. Clay)	W. H. Isaacs, London	c.1833	"Life in Philadelphia." "Sketches of Character." "At Home." "Abroad."	[36] Not part of the original series or the first London edition. Self-published by Edward W. Clay, Philadelphia, 1830. Added to London edition, c.1833; reprinted in Tregear, 1834.
Isaacs-11		William Summers (after Edward W. Clay)	Harrison Isaacs, London	c.1831	"Behold, thou art fair Deborah, thou hast doves eyes. Behold thou art fair Deborah, yea pleasant!"	[37] Plate 2 in the original series; Plate 11 in the first London edition; not reprinted in Tregear. Replaced c.1833, by a cartoon about the abolition of slavery in the British colonies.
Isaacs-?		Unidentified (after Edward W. Clay)	W. H. Issacs, London	c.1832	"The Cut Direct. or How to get up in the World."	[38] Not part of the original series or the first London edition. Published by Susan Hart, Philadelphia, 1829, as "A Dead Cut." Added to London edition, c.1832; reprinted in Tregear, 1834.

Related works

Title	Image	Artist	Publisher	Year	Captions	Notes
"A Dead Cut."		Edward W. Clay	Susan Hart, Philadelphia	1829	"Lord 'a marcy why Cesar is dis you, why when you 'rive from New York?" "You must be mistaking in de person black man!" "What does the imperdent nigger mean my love?"	[39] Redrawn as "The Cut Direct" in the London edition
"Back to Back"		Edward W. Clay	unidentified	c.1829	"I reckon I've cotched de figure now!"	[40]
"Sketches of Character"		Edward W. Clay	E. W. Clay, Philadelphia	1830	"At Home." "Abroad."	[41] Two images printed on a single sheet Redrawn and added by Isaacs to the London edition, c.1832
"Mr. T. Rice as the Original Jim Crow"		Edward W. Clay	E. Riley, New York	c.1832
"Life in New York: A Five Points Exclusive"		unidentified	John B. Pendelton, New York	c.1833	"Taking the first steps towards the Last Polish."	[42]
"The Lady Patroness of Alblacks"		William Summers	G. S. Tregear, London	c.1834	"Tregear's Black Jokes."	[43]
"Life in New York: The Rivals"		Edward W. Clay	Anthony Imbert, New York	by 1835	"Shall I hab the honour of glanting you to the battery this afternoon, Mifs Dinah?"	[44]
"Life in Philadelphia: General Order!! Tention!!"		unidentified	W. H. Isaacs, London	c.1835	"Philadelphia_Uly 14_1825_& little arter_" "That is de day ob de grand Celebrashun_"	[45]

See also

• Bourgeoisie