The Darktown Fire Brigade - The Last Shake

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A full color chromolithographic print titled THE DARKTOWN HOOK AND LADDER CORPS. The racist caricature depicts six firemen breaking a water pump and table. On the left side of the image people are running away. One of these people is dressed as in a blue jacket and has red and white striped pants. He has a bugle on the top of his head. A fire hose is wrapped around a red and white striped pole and is spraying one of the firemen. Copyright information, the publisher and the title are printed in black ink under the image. Printed on the bottom left corner is “CURRIER & IVES SERIES, No. 4.” Printed below the title is “We’s won de Mug but we’s smashed de ole machine.”

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