<I>Coons and Melons</I>
date: label: Date
content: ca. 1895
name: label: Photograph by
content: Unidentified
label: Subject of
content: Unidentified Child or Children
notes: label: Description
content: An albumen print on cabinet card depicting two (2) African American boys eating watermelon. The photograph shows the boys seated on either side of a wooden crate; the text "Coons and Melons" appears in the image on the side of the crate. Each boy holds a partially eaten slice of watermelon. Four (4) additional slices sit on the crate and more rest in front. Both boys are wearing hats, long-sleeved shirts, vests, and short pants. Their clothing is ragged, their legs appear dirty, and their feet are bare. The photograph is faded with a yellowish tint and mounted on a cabinet card that has a hole at the center just above the image.
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.
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Children
label: Topic
content: Foodways
label: Topic
content: Photography
label: Topic
content: Stereotypes
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: Photographs and Still Images
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman and Sandra Lindley
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2013.117.6
objectType: label: Type
content: cabinet photographs
label: Type
content: albumen prints
label: Type
content: portraits
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Public domain
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: albumen and silver on paper mounted on cardboard
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (Image): 4 1/8 x 6 5/16 in. (10.5 x 16 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (Card): 5 3/8 x 7 5/16 in. (13.7 x 18.6 cm)