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The show will feature more than 150 works that were created from 1590
to today and were widely published. It will examine how these harmful
stereotypes influenced people’s perceptions about race as it seeks to
open a dialogue on the subject. In addition to such illustrations as the
original representation of Aunt Jemima, the exhibition also includes
some objects such as the box of pancake mix on which that illustration
appeared.
A significant collection of published illustrations for Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin from UD’s Special Collections will be featured in the exhibition.
People often visit museum exhibits to see original works of fine art,
but Imprinted: Illustrating Race is different because the illustrations
on view were produced for the general public to see, specifically to
sell something, Phillips-Pendleton said. Some, like Aunt Jemima, were
created for advertising campaigns, but others were commissioned to sell
newspapers or magazines.
“Sometimes, the more outrageous the illustration, the more
periodicals were sold,” Phillips-Pendleton said. “And the illustrators
and engravers understood that as they worked with editors and
publishers.”
Her own scholarship has focused on this subject, including a chapter
titled “Race, Perception and Responsibility” she wrote in the textbook A Companion to Illustration. Her research on the history surrounding illustrations contributed a key part of the exhibition.
“People who come to this show will be able to see what was created in
that specific time and get an idea of what life was like for people
living then,” she said. “In my research, I follow the images. I want to
see when an illustration was done, how it connects to other
illustrations and what was going on in the country at that time.”