“The Whitewasher”

City Characters, or, Familiar Scenes in Town published in 1851 included illustrations and descriptions of  individuals that were likely to be seen in an American city such as “The Fruitseller,” “The Retired Gentleman,” “The Huckster,” and “The Street Sweeper.” In the chapter “The Whitewasher” the author describes how whitewash is used as an inexpensive way to cover grime and dirt on walls, ceilings, and fences:

“It is made of lime and water, mixed together with a little bit of salt and indigo to make it clear. Brushes with long handles on them dipped into it, and rubbed over the walls of the room; when this dries, all the yellow is covered, and the room looks white and clean.”

The original engravings are in the collection of the Library Company of Philadelphia.

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“Norfolk, 1864”

“Felix Darley made this 1864 sheet of signed pencil sketches of African Americans in Norfolk, Virginia, during the Civil War. The city was held by the Union Army from 1862 and became a haven for thousands of escaped slaves.”
Not currently on view, this item is held by the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History. The description above was taken from the museum’s catalog record.

“Norfolk, 1862,” Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History accessed August 23, 2021

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“The sutler’s tent in camp/E.F.”

The Library of Congress catalog record for this 1863 pencil drawing by Edwin Forbes includes this note “”Sutler’s tent, near Stoneman’s Switch, Falmouth, Va.”

Here’s an excerpt from Claire Prechtel-Kluskens’s article “Sutlers of the Civil War,” NGS Magazine, April-June 2014, p. 39

“Civil War sutlers were the 19th century equivalent of the modoern US Army’s post exchaned (PX) or commissary. Soldiers in the field patronized these traeveling storekeepers to purchase needed goods and desired luxuries that were not provided by the US government.

“If your ancestor was a sutler, there are records and publications that may provide insight on his activities and store inventory. Even if your ancestor wasn’t a sutler, knowing more about his regimental sutler (or sutlers in general) will broaden your understanding of your Civil War soldiers’ experiences by learning about what items soldiers purchased to enhance their every day lives in the field.”

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“Govrnt Blacksmiths’ Shop”

The Soldier in Our Civil War includes hundreds of drawings that were published in Frank Leslie’s Weekly Magazine as single-page illustrations and double-page spreads. Images that appeared alongside “Govrnt Blacksmiths’ Shop” included “Building Roads,” “In the Trenches,” “Scouts,” “On Picket,” “Battle of Milliken’s Bend,” “Teamster of the Army, “Cooking in Camp,” “Unloading Govt. Stores,” “Driving Govt Cattle,” and “Washing in Camp.” Artists under contract to Frank Leslie’s (and other magazines of the period) drew African American troops at camp and in battle, male and female workers engaged in various occupations, life on the home front, country sides and cityscapes, maps, and military action on land and sea.

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“The Laundress”

The original engravings are in the collection of The Library Company of Philadelphia.

City Characters, or, Familiar Scenes in Town published in 1851 included illustrations and descriptions of  individuals that were likely to be seen in an American city such as “The Fruitseller,” “The Retired Gentleman,” “The Huckster,” “The Street Sweeper” and “The Woodsawyer.” The chapter “The Laundress” appears on pages 34-36:

“This woman is engaged by rich people to wash and iron clothes, which have been soiled by wearing. Washing clothes is not a very pleasant business; and, when followed every day, as a regular trade must be tedious and disheartening. Those articles of clothing made of linen require a great deal of care, and give the poor Laundress much trouble. Clothes are washed in large tubs, by means of soap and boiling water. After this they must be ironed before they can be worn.  This is done with a heavy piece of smooth iron, called a flat-iron, made hot in a furnace and passed over each piece of clothing. This makes them smooth and soft.

“All this, you can easily see, takes much time and care; and the women who work at it must labour very hard. They do not receive as much as they ought for their tedious and disagreeable labour. Many persons have their washing and ironing done at home, making it a part of the servants’ work; others hire the Laundress to work at their houses.

“The woman in this picture looks as though she had just finished a hard day’s work and was taking the clothes home to the owners; see what a large basket she carries. It is full of articles of clothing neatly folded up; and this shows how much this woman has done in one day. Perhaps her husband is dead, and she has several little children depend on her for support. This is frequently the case with those who follow the occupation of a Laundress.”

The original engravings are in the collection of the Library Company of Philadelphia.

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