Mud S. -- De Great Record Buster: "Dar! She's done gone bust dat yer reckud agin!"
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 Darktown racing scene shows a side view of Mud S., a wild-eyed brown mule (with all its legs off the ground) straining to race towards the right. As the mule pulls a makeshift two-wheeled cart with a chair tipping backwards, a Black (African-American) driver stands with his bare feet on the animal's rump. He clutches the taut reins, and a riding crop is clenched by his teeth. His blue cap with a long yellow visor is tied to his head via a white handkerchief; he wears a blue jacket with tattered edges, and patched yellow/black polka dot pants. A crowd cheers in the background; many have their arms upraised and several tossed hats are in the air. In the right background, two Black men embrace in the judge's stand. The title and caption are imprinted in the bottom margin.
The print's title provides a clue that this print is a spoof of a celebrated American harness racing racehorse, named Maud S.. Between 1880 and 1885, Maud S. (a chestnut mare) was a multiple world record holder for the fastest harness racing times. Shortly before she was retired as a racehorse in 1885, she ran the mile race in 2:08 3/4 minutes. William H. Vanderbilt was her owner from 1878 to 1884, when he sold the horse to Robert Bonner.
Nathaniel Currier (1813–1888), whose successful New York-based lithography firm began in 1835, produced thousands of prints in various sizes that together create a vivid panorama of mid-to-late nineteenth century American life and its history. People eagerly acquired such lithographs featuring picturesque scenery, rural and city views, ships, railroads, portraits, hunting and fishing scenes, domestic life and numerous other subjects, as an inexpensive way to decorate their homes or business establishments. As the firm expanded, Nathaniel included his younger brother Charles in the business. In 1857, James Merritt Ives (1824–1895), the firm's accountant since 1852 and Charles's brother-in-law, was made a business partner. Subsequently renamed Currier & Ives, the firm continued via their successors until 1907.
This Darktown racing scene shows a side view of Mud S., a wild-eyed brown mule (with all its legs off the ground) straining to race towards the right. As the mule pulls a makeshift two-wheeled cart with a chair tipping backwards, a Black (African-American) driver stands with his bare feet on the animal's rump. He clutches the taut reins, and a riding crop is clenched by his teeth. His blue cap with a long yellow visor is tied to his head via a white handkerchief; he wears a blue jacket with tattered edges, and patched yellow/black polka dot pants. A crowd cheers in the background; many have their arms upraised and several tossed hats are in the air. In the right background, two Black men embrace in the judge's stand. The title and caption are imprinted in the bottom margin.
The print's title provides a clue that this print is a spoof of a celebrated American harness racing racehorse, named Maud S.. Between 1880 and 1885, Maud S. (a chestnut mare) was a multiple world record holder for the fastest harness racing times. Shortly before she was retired as a racehorse in 1885, she ran the mile race in 2:08 3/4 minutes. William H. Vanderbilt was her owner from 1878 to 1884, when he sold the horse to Robert Bonner.
Nathaniel Currier (1813–1888), whose successful New York-based lithography firm began in 1835, produced thousands of prints in various sizes that together create a vivid panorama of mid-to-late nineteenth century American life and its history. People eagerly acquired such lithographs featuring picturesque scenery, rural and city views, ships, railroads, portraits, hunting and fishing scenes, domestic life and numerous other subjects, as an inexpensive way to decorate their homes or business establishments. As the firm expanded, Nathaniel included his younger brother Charles in the business. In 1857, James Merritt Ives (1824–1895), the firm's accountant since 1852 and Charles's brother-in-law, was made a business partner. Subsequently renamed Currier & Ives, the firm continued via their successors until 1907.
Artwork Details
- Title: Mud S. -- De Great Record Buster: "Dar! She's done gone bust dat yer reckud agin!"
- Publisher: Currier & Ives (American, active New York, 1857–1907)
- Date: 1885
- Medium: Hand-colored lithograph, with gum arabic
- Dimensions: Image: 9 3/8 × 13 1/8 in. (23.8 × 33.3 cm)
Image with text: 10 5/8 × 13 1/8 in. (27 × 33.3 cm)
Sheet: 13 1/2 × 17 11/16 in. (34.3 × 44.9 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Gift of A. S. Colgate, 1952
- Object Number: 52.632.302
- 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.
Currier & Ives
1884
Currier & Ives
1859
Currier & Ives
1857–71
Currier & Ives
1857–71
Currier & Ives
1868–78
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.