Poster of the character Old Bob playing a banjo with his mule Calamity Jane
date: label: Date
content: ca. 1900
name: label: Created by
content: Unidentified
notes: label: Description
content: A chromolithographic print poster with linen backing for [JAMES H. WALLICK'S BANDIT KING CO.] featuring Fred Lyons as the character "Old Bob" with his mule, Calamity Jane. The poster illustration depicts Lyons, "Old Bob," seated on a chair playing a banjo and singing with the mule, Calamity Jane, braying at his side. Lyons is dressed in a minstrel style, wearing a tan jacket, red and white striped shirt, green and tan striped pansts, and a tan top hat. He is seated in what appears to be a living room. At the top of the poster, green text in an Art Nouveau style with floral illustrations reads, [JAMES H. WALLICK'S / BANDIT KING CO.]. Small black text in the lower left corner of the image reads, [Great Western Saint Louis]. Along the bottom of the poster, white and black text in an Art Noveau style reads, [Fred Lyons / as Old Bob / With His Donkey / Calamity Jane] set against a red background with blue and pink floral illustrations.
label: Statement
content: Objects depicting racist and/or stereotypical imagery or language may be offensive and disturbing, but the NMAAHC aims to include them in the Collection to present and preserve the historical context in which they were created and used. Objects of this type provide an important historical record from which to study and evaluate racism.
place: label: Place printed
content: Saint Louis, Missouri, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Caricature and cartoons
label: Topic
content: Instrumentalists (Musicians)
label: Topic
content: Minstrel (Music)
label: Topic
content: Minstrel shows
label: Topic
content: Stereotypes
label: Topic
content: Vaudeville
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Racist and Stereotypical Objects
label: Classification
content: Memorabilia and Ephemera - Advertisements
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2014.63.86
objectType: label: Type
content: posters
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Public domain
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: ink on paper with linen backing
label: Dimensions
content: H x W: 27 × 20 1/2 in. (68.6 × 52.1 cm)