Road to Philadelphy, printed by Cephas Grier Childs (1793-1871), c.1831 (litho)

Racist caricature simultaneously mocking and condoning the pretentiousness and bigotry of early 19th century Philadelphia Quakers toward their "social inferiors." On a Philadelphia road in front of a small home with an open picket fence and a visitor arriving on horseback, a raggedly dressed dark skinned traveler with buck teeth, possibly an Irishman or African American, asks a rotund Quaker man and his attractive prim and proper daughter, "I say, this isn't the road to Philadelphy, honey, is it?" The father responds indignantly to the "Friend," that he is not only asking a question, but also telling a lie, ...