Explore Black History

1887-1912

A lithographic print titled, The Darktown Fire Brigade - Hook and Ladder Gymnastics: Brace her up dar! and cotch her on de fly!, from the "Darktown Comics" series by Currier & Ives. The color lithograph is printed on cream colored paper and depicts a caricatured fire brigade attempting to save burning house and its inhabitants. The nine (9) firemen are all wearing similar uniforms: black firemen's hats, red shirts, blue pants, and brown boots. On the left is a burning white, clapboard house. A woman wearing a white cap and white nightgown is standing behind a second-story window, leaning out with her arms extended upwards. She is looking toward a man in a nightgown, depicted in the top center of the image, clinging to the top of a ladder that is falling away from the burning building. A black cat is mid-air, appearing to have jumped from the window. A fireman is just inside the first-floor doorway. Most of the firemen are illustrated in the foreground, engaged in a variety of activities. Two (2) firemen struggle with the ladder holding the man in the white nightgown. Another fireman stands behind the ladder, with his proper left arm raised towards the falling man. On the right, a fireman stands atop a ladder on a wheeled cart. He holds a lance in his hands, pointed at the backside of the man on the falling ladder. Two (2) firemen depicted in front of the cart are holding spraying hoses. The hoses have holes in them and are leaking as the water coming from the nozzles arcs over the wagon, missing the house. Two firemen with horns are depicted in the background on the far right. Small black printed text under the image reads [CURRIER & IVES SERIES. No. 10 COPYRIGHT 1887 BY CURRIER & IVES. NEW YORK. JOSEPH KOEHLER, PUBLISHER, NEW YORK, U.S.A.]. Printed below is the title of the piece printed in large black text that reads [THE DARKTOWN FIRE BRIGADE - HOOK AND LADDER GYMNASTICS. / Brace her up ar! and cotch her on de fly!]. The back of the print is plain.

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.

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Racist and Stereotypical Objects

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer

National Museum of African American History and Culture

2007.7.371

lithographs

Public domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

lithographic ink , paper (fiber product) , wood and glass

H x W x D: 11 15/16 × 17 11/16 × 1/16 in. (30.4 × 45 × 0.1 cm)

Title • The Darktown Fire Brigade - Hook and Ladder Gymnastics: Brace her up dar! and cotch her on de fly!

nmaahc_2007.7.371

NMAAHC

THE DARKTOWN FIRE BRIGADE - HOOK AND LADDER GYMNASTICS: BRACE HER UP DAR! AND COTCH HER ON DE FLY!

National Museum of African American History and Culture

CC0

1910s • 1880s

Currier and Ives • Koehler, Joseph

New York City • United States • North and Central America

Art • Caricature and cartoons • Stereotypes

City • New York City • State • New York • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America

Images

No Known Copyright Restrictions