The Darktown Bicycle Race -- A Sudden Halt: "I knowd we'd have busted de record if it hadn't bin for dis misforchin."
The late nineteenth-century Darktown prints by Currier & Ives depict racist stereotypes that are offensive and disturbing. The Metropolitan
Museum of Art preserves such works to shed light on their historical context and to enable the study and evaluation of racism.
This print shows caricatured Black (African American) bicycle racers and bricklayers. In the foreground, the two leading bike racers (a Black man and a Black woman) have crashed into a big pile of sand set across the road. The man has his head punched through one of his pneumatic bike wheels, and his legs and feet are up in the air, while the woman (wearing a red vest over her red/yellow striped blouse and skirt) has landed face down on the sand beside her destroyed bike. Rounding the curve of the road in the left background are three more Black bike riders swerving out of control. In the background on the right half of the image is a brick building being constructed: at center, one Black workman climbs a ladder (with a load of mortar on his left shoulder), while above him, one workman sits on the scaffold laying bricks to heighten the wall. Standing on the ground between the building and the sand pile is a Black man (wearing a red shirt, blue pants, and a hat): he holds his load of mortar upright and scratches his head in amazement at sight of the bike accident. At the far right in front of a barrel labeled "LIME" and a shovel, a black cat jumps away. The title/caption is printed beneath image.
Nathaniel Currier (1813–1888), who established a successful New York-based lithography firm in 1835, produced thousands of hand-colored prints in various sizes that together create a vivid panorama of mid-to-late nineteenth century American life. In 1857, Currier made James Merritt Ives (1824–1895) a business partner. People eagerly acquired Currier & Ives lithographs, such as those featuring spectacular American landscapes, rural and city views, marines, railroads, portraits, domestic life and numerous other subjects, as an inexpensive way to decorate their homes or business establishments. The firm operated until 1907.
Museum of Art preserves such works to shed light on their historical context and to enable the study and evaluation of racism.
This print shows caricatured Black (African American) bicycle racers and bricklayers. In the foreground, the two leading bike racers (a Black man and a Black woman) have crashed into a big pile of sand set across the road. The man has his head punched through one of his pneumatic bike wheels, and his legs and feet are up in the air, while the woman (wearing a red vest over her red/yellow striped blouse and skirt) has landed face down on the sand beside her destroyed bike. Rounding the curve of the road in the left background are three more Black bike riders swerving out of control. In the background on the right half of the image is a brick building being constructed: at center, one Black workman climbs a ladder (with a load of mortar on his left shoulder), while above him, one workman sits on the scaffold laying bricks to heighten the wall. Standing on the ground between the building and the sand pile is a Black man (wearing a red shirt, blue pants, and a hat): he holds his load of mortar upright and scratches his head in amazement at sight of the bike accident. At the far right in front of a barrel labeled "LIME" and a shovel, a black cat jumps away. The title/caption is printed beneath image.
Nathaniel Currier (1813–1888), who established a successful New York-based lithography firm in 1835, produced thousands of hand-colored prints in various sizes that together create a vivid panorama of mid-to-late nineteenth century American life. In 1857, Currier made James Merritt Ives (1824–1895) a business partner. People eagerly acquired Currier & Ives lithographs, such as those featuring spectacular American landscapes, rural and city views, marines, railroads, portraits, domestic life and numerous other subjects, as an inexpensive way to decorate their homes or business establishments. The firm operated until 1907.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Darktown Bicycle Race -- A Sudden Halt: "I knowd we'd have busted de record if it hadn't bin for dis misforchin."
- Artist: John Cameron (American, born Scotland, ca. 1828–after 1896 New York)
- Publisher: Lithographed and published by Currier & Ives (American, active New York, 1857–1907)
- Date: 1895
- Medium: Hand-colored lithograph
- Dimensions: Image: 9 3/4 × 13 1/4 in. (24.8 × 33.7 cm)
Image and text: 10 5/8 × 13 1/4 in. (27 × 33.7 cm)
Sheet: 13 1/2 × 17 3/4 in. (34.3 × 45.1 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Gift of A. S. Colgate, 1952
- Object Number: 52.632.14
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
John Cameron
Currier & Ives
1870
John Cameron
Currier & Ives
1870
John Cameron
Currier & Ives
1868–78
John Cameron
Currier & Ives
1870
Multiple artists/makers
1868
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.