6059—Tant I hab none,

1897

<p>This photograph is a stereograph, a format that places two images taken at slightly different angles side by side on a single card. When viewed through a binocular device called a stereoscope, the two images coalesce into one, producing an illusion of three-dimensionality. Commercially produced photographs like this one exemplify Northern whites’ demand for images of Southern Black life in the period following the Civil War. Inexpensive and popular, they catered to a variety of interests by depicting a range of subjects and genres, especially images of agricultural labor and scenes from domestic life. </p><p>Stereographs like “Tant I hab none” present racist stereotypes surrounding Black children living in rundown urban spaces. A barefoot Black boy is shown sitting on an empty wooden box and eating a slice of watermelon while a younger child tries to secure a piece for herself. The association of Black people with urban environments and specific foods like watermelons has long been used to satisfy white audiences’ demand for racial stereotypes as a form of entertainment—the same demand that led to minstrelsy. The photographer posed the children for this scene that perpetuates an image of poverty and simplicity tied to the Black community. </p>