Amos the Taxi Driver
date: label: date made
content: 1930
name: label: Associated Name
content: Amos 'n' Andy
label: Associated Name
content: Gosden, Freeman
label: Associated Name
content: Correll, Charles
label: maker
content: Louis Marx and Company
notes: label: Description
content: This Amos the Taxi Driver wind-up tin toy is part of Black Americana, a genre of objects reflecting African American history. The Louis Marx & Company created this toy in New York City in 1930. The taxi driver is wearing a red striped vest, raggedy patchwork pants, and a cap reading, “Fresh Air Taxicab Company of America Incorporated.” It is an unlicensed portrayal of Amos from the popular comedy radio show, <i>Amos ‘n’ Andy</i>. However, this toy personifies negative stereotypes of African Americans by utilizing humor as a vehicle for racial oppression. Amos’s exaggerated facial features such as his big lips and bug-eyed stare caricature African Americans. While this derogatory toy is inaccurate, its existence speaks to American race relations and the prejudice African Americans encountered daily in their struggle for equality.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, New York
topic: label: Subject
content: Stereotypes
label: Subject
content: Racism
label: Subject
content: Radio
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Entertainment
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2018.0188.04
label: accession number
content: 2018.0188
label: catalog number
content: 2018.0188.04
objectType: label: Object Name
content: toy
label: Object Name
content: collectible
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 11 in x 4 in x 2 in; 27.94 cm x 10.16 cm x 5.08 cm