Rare and very interesting photos
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- Start date
Melissa 'Missy' Elliott
Manor High School 1987-1988
I went to highschool in VA. I remember seeing a flyer on white paper with lines and holes on the side talking about her event and where it was gonna be.
I remember vividly b/c I went on for 2 days about her name. Back then (93ish) gangsta rap was poppin I think I was in 7th/8th grade.
I was like felonys are worst than Misdemeanors!
She couldn't even afford a flyer it was sentences on paper w/ 6 lines skipped between points!
Wish I still had it!
Almost looks fake tho. Not saying it is, just that its so strange to me.
There was a study about how "old time" videos look fake when pple smiled. If I can find the YT link I'll post it. It's weird but true.
Esther Jones, the original inspiration of Betty Boop, l920s.
update from World B Free; Thanks
Fam, that's not the image of the real Betty Boop, here's more info about the image:
Model Oyla is a Ukrainian model who is best known for her 2008 photoshoots as Betty Boop by Retro Atelier. Her photograph had surfaced on HelloBeautiful's official website where the lifestyle editor Danielle Young who posted the images claimed they were Esther Jones without researching the origin of the photographs. The photos later made their way to MadameNoire and then went viral on Tumblr, Facebook and social media worldwide.
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Wow!
Esther Jones, the original inspiration of Betty Boop, l920s.
They caught two of the slave traders and I believe they were of ARABIC origin
Fam, that's not the image of the real Betty Boop, here's more info about the image:
Esther Jones, the original inspiration of Betty Boop, l920s.
Model Oyla is a Ukrainian model who is best known for her 2008 photoshoots as Betty Boop by Retro Atelier. Her photograph had surfaced on HelloBeautiful's official website where the lifestyle editor Danielle Young who posted the images claimed they were Esther Jones without researching the origin of the photographs. The photos later made their way to MadameNoire and then went viral on Tumblr, Facebook and social media worldwide.
Модель Оля
Model Olya Model Oyla is a Ukrainian model who is best known for her 2008 photoshoots as Betty Boop by Retro Atelier. Her photograph first surfaced on HelloBeautiful's official website crediting the photos as Esther Jones, however the lifestyle editor Danielle Young who posted the images on the...
Culture vultures at work again.Fam, that's not the image of the real Betty Boop, here's more info about the image:
Model Oyla is a Ukrainian model who is best known for her 2008 photoshoots as Betty Boop by Retro Atelier. Her photograph had surfaced on HelloBeautiful's official website where the lifestyle editor Danielle Young who posted the images claimed they were Esther Jones without researching the origin of the photographs. The photos later made their way to MadameNoire and then went viral on Tumblr, Facebook and social media worldwide.
Модель Оля
Model Olya Model Oyla is a Ukrainian model who is best known for her 2008 photoshoots as Betty Boop by Retro Atelier. Her photograph first surfaced on HelloBeautiful's official website crediting the photos as Esther Jones, however the lifestyle editor Danielle Young who posted the images on the...bettyboop.fandom.com
The Negro Development & Exposition Company building - Richmond, Virginia, 1907. Est. by Giles B. Jackson - this company invested in exhibitions and artefacts that educated the world on Black contributions to America's business economy, culture, inventions and more since the 1600s.
Historical Background:
●https://invention.si.edu/early-attempt-build-national-museum-colored-people
●https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/jackson-giles-b-1853-1924/
●https://www.loc.gov/resource/lcrbmrp.t1905/?st=gallery
●https://www.jstor.org/stable/44175679
Historical Background:
●https://invention.si.edu/early-attempt-build-national-museum-colored-people
●https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/jackson-giles-b-1853-1924/
●https://www.loc.gov/resource/lcrbmrp.t1905/?st=gallery
●https://www.jstor.org/stable/44175679
Joseph Laroche, the only known black man aboard the Titanic, c. 1912.
Joseph Philippe Lemercier Laroche, 1886-1912
The vast majority of passengers on board the Titanic for its maiden voyage fell into two main camps: wealthy Americans/British/Europeans traveling in First Class who were either returning from a leisure tour or embarking on one; and poor immigrants, mainly European, who were traveling in Third Class on their way to a new life in America.
Second Class--a designation that didn't even exist on ocean liners until late in the 19th century--was a fairly eclectic mix of travelers: middle class leisure tourists; clergy; domestic servants and employees of the First Class passengers; business travelers; educators; and so on.
One of the most interesting such passengers was Mr. Joseph Laroche, who was traveling with his family not to the U.S. as his final destination, but rather to Haiti, his homeland. As far as anyone knows, Joseph and his two daughters were the only persons of Black African descent on board the vessel.
Joseph was 15 years old when he was sent to France in 1901 to attend high school and subsequent university, with the hopes that he would attain a superior education. He was quite successful in this goal, graduating from university with a degree in engineering. He was also successful in love: in 1908 he married Juliette Lafargue, and together they had two daughters over the next two years. The younger girl, Louise, was born prematurely and suffered from several subsequent medical problems.
All was not well for Joseph professionally, however. Racial barriers in turn-of-the-century France prevented him from obtaining a suitable position, given his education credentials. The Laroche family relied heavily on the wealth of Juliette's parents (both for living and for Louise's mounting medical bills), her father being a successful wine merchant. But Joseph chafed at having to subsist on the money of his in-laws, and was also keen for his children to grow up in his native Haiti. He managed to obtain a position as a math teacher back home (thanks to his uncle, who at the time was actually President of Haiti), and arranged to return in 1912. Juliette then became pregnant with their third child, which seems to have prompted them to move their voyage earlier.
Initially, the Laroches were booked aboard the maiden voyage of the new French liner, SS France, at the end of April. Juliette's mother purchased the family a First Class ticket, no doubt one last reliance on the Lafargue's generosity for Joseph (and perhaps necessary because the ship line may not have been willing to sell a ticket directly to a black passenger). However, the family-minded Laroches soon learned that the French Line ships had a policy they couldn't abide: children were absolutely prohibited from dining with their parents in the ship's dining saloon, being confined to the on-board nursery. They looked for alternative arrangements, and considered it tremendously lucky that they could transfer to a Second Class berth on board the maiden voyage of the Titanic, joining the ship April 11th at Cherbourg.
Cherbourg was a major embarkation point for leisure travelers joining transatlantic voyages from the European continent: it was mighty inconvenient for wealthy passengers to have to cross the Channel to Southampton to get to their ships, so it made sense for British ships to stop in a French port-of-call to onboard them instead. However, no dock at Cherbourg was remotely large enough to accommodate the massive Olympic and Titanic, so the White Star Line had shipbuilders Harland & Wolff build two specialized tenders (small ships for ferrying passengers and small cargo from shore to ship) to service the vessels: The SS Traffic and SS Nomadic.
The Laroches joined the Titanic via the Nomadic, and they were in the company of many other notable passengers for the voyage: John Jacob Astor and his new (18-year-old and pregnant) wife Madeleine; Denver heiress Molly Brown; Major Archibald Butt, an aide to President Taft; and Benjamin Guggenheim, who was returning to the U.S. to see his wife and kids after eight months touring Europe with his mistress Léontine Aubart (who was also on board, but "discretely" occupied a separate First Class cabin).
It's unknown what specific cabin the Laroches occupied, but Second Class accommodations were on D Deck or lower, mostly towards the aft part of the ship. Their total ticket cost was just under £42, which would be about $5,900.00 in 2021 US dollars. The average Second Class ticket cost £13, so this seems reasonable for a family of four. Whatever cabin they occupied would have been small by our standards (with two fixed twin berths and two that folded up out of the way), but in 1912 terms it would have been quite comfortable: in fact, many Second Class cabins were designated as alternate First Class ones, so no doubt they were quite nice by contemporary standards.
Late on April 14th, Joseph was apparently awakened either by the Titanic's brush with the iceberg, or perhaps by commotion outside their cabin as more and more passengers came out to investigate why the ship had stopped. He went to investigate, and some time later returned to wake up Juliette and inform her that they must all get dressed in warm clothes and head up to the Boat Deck. Joseph gathered all of their valuables as well before they carried their sleeping children topside.
While it's not certain what exact lifeboat Juliette and her two children boarded, it is believed to be No. 8, which was the first boat to be lowered from the port side of the ship, at about 1:00 am. It departed the Titanic with 28 people (out of a capacity of 65+), and on board was the Countess of Rothes, Noëlle Leslie. The Countess would later be lionized as a hero as, much like Molly Brown in boat No. 6, as she took charge of the lifeboat's tiller, organized the ladies to help row the oars and spoke up for going back to rescue more survivors (but was overruled by most of the other lifeboat passengers).
Joseph Laroche died in the sinking. His body was never recovered, and there are unfortunately no accounts of his specific whereabouts or activities once he put his family into the lifeboat. He was not quite 26 years old. After arriving in New York on April 18th, Juliette Laroche disembarked RMS Carpathia knowing no one, speaking hardly any English and having almost no money, as most of the family's money and valuables were lost with her husband. She decided to return to France rather than continue on the planned journey. A few months after her return, she gave birth to a son, whom was named Joseph after his late father.
Apparently in 1920, Joseph's mother decided to travel to France from Haiti to meet the three grandchildren she had never yet seen or known. It's not certain why, but the visit did not go well, and she returned home and seems to have never seen Juliette nor the children ever again.
The postscript for the Laroche tale stars Louise, and the SS Nomadic. While the rest of the White Star Line fleet is long gone, the Nomadic is the sole remaining vessel constructed for the company still extant. She had a long and fascinating career, even helping to evacuate Cherbourg in 1940 in the face of the advancing German army. In the 1970s she was saved from the scrapyard and docked in the Seine river in Paris, being converted to a floating restaurant.
In 1995, the Titanic Historical Society hosted a ceremony aboard the Nomadic in honor of the role it played in Titanic history, and the 84-year-old Louise was able to attend. While she was far too young at the time of the sinking to remember anything, it was quite a moment to see her standing on the same vessel she'd been aboard with her family 83 years earlier, on their way to a place in Titanic history. Louise would pass away three years later in 1998.
SS Nomadic's story has a happy ending: due to the efforts of a preservation society, she was acquired in 2006 and restored after a nearly 10-year-long effort. In 2015 her ownership was transferred to the Titanic Belfast attraction, where she now occupies a berth on the site of the old Harland & Wolff shipyards, quite near to where she and her giant cousin the Titanic were first built.
Joseph Philippe Lemercier Laroche, 1886-1912
The vast majority of passengers on board the Titanic for its maiden voyage fell into two main camps: wealthy Americans/British/Europeans traveling in First Class who were either returning from a leisure tour or embarking on one; and poor immigrants, mainly European, who were traveling in Third Class on their way to a new life in America.
Second Class--a designation that didn't even exist on ocean liners until late in the 19th century--was a fairly eclectic mix of travelers: middle class leisure tourists; clergy; domestic servants and employees of the First Class passengers; business travelers; educators; and so on.
One of the most interesting such passengers was Mr. Joseph Laroche, who was traveling with his family not to the U.S. as his final destination, but rather to Haiti, his homeland. As far as anyone knows, Joseph and his two daughters were the only persons of Black African descent on board the vessel.
Joseph was 15 years old when he was sent to France in 1901 to attend high school and subsequent university, with the hopes that he would attain a superior education. He was quite successful in this goal, graduating from university with a degree in engineering. He was also successful in love: in 1908 he married Juliette Lafargue, and together they had two daughters over the next two years. The younger girl, Louise, was born prematurely and suffered from several subsequent medical problems.
All was not well for Joseph professionally, however. Racial barriers in turn-of-the-century France prevented him from obtaining a suitable position, given his education credentials. The Laroche family relied heavily on the wealth of Juliette's parents (both for living and for Louise's mounting medical bills), her father being a successful wine merchant. But Joseph chafed at having to subsist on the money of his in-laws, and was also keen for his children to grow up in his native Haiti. He managed to obtain a position as a math teacher back home (thanks to his uncle, who at the time was actually President of Haiti), and arranged to return in 1912. Juliette then became pregnant with their third child, which seems to have prompted them to move their voyage earlier.
Initially, the Laroches were booked aboard the maiden voyage of the new French liner, SS France, at the end of April. Juliette's mother purchased the family a First Class ticket, no doubt one last reliance on the Lafargue's generosity for Joseph (and perhaps necessary because the ship line may not have been willing to sell a ticket directly to a black passenger). However, the family-minded Laroches soon learned that the French Line ships had a policy they couldn't abide: children were absolutely prohibited from dining with their parents in the ship's dining saloon, being confined to the on-board nursery. They looked for alternative arrangements, and considered it tremendously lucky that they could transfer to a Second Class berth on board the maiden voyage of the Titanic, joining the ship April 11th at Cherbourg.
Cherbourg was a major embarkation point for leisure travelers joining transatlantic voyages from the European continent: it was mighty inconvenient for wealthy passengers to have to cross the Channel to Southampton to get to their ships, so it made sense for British ships to stop in a French port-of-call to onboard them instead. However, no dock at Cherbourg was remotely large enough to accommodate the massive Olympic and Titanic, so the White Star Line had shipbuilders Harland & Wolff build two specialized tenders (small ships for ferrying passengers and small cargo from shore to ship) to service the vessels: The SS Traffic and SS Nomadic.
The Laroches joined the Titanic via the Nomadic, and they were in the company of many other notable passengers for the voyage: John Jacob Astor and his new (18-year-old and pregnant) wife Madeleine; Denver heiress Molly Brown; Major Archibald Butt, an aide to President Taft; and Benjamin Guggenheim, who was returning to the U.S. to see his wife and kids after eight months touring Europe with his mistress Léontine Aubart (who was also on board, but "discretely" occupied a separate First Class cabin).
It's unknown what specific cabin the Laroches occupied, but Second Class accommodations were on D Deck or lower, mostly towards the aft part of the ship. Their total ticket cost was just under £42, which would be about $5,900.00 in 2021 US dollars. The average Second Class ticket cost £13, so this seems reasonable for a family of four. Whatever cabin they occupied would have been small by our standards (with two fixed twin berths and two that folded up out of the way), but in 1912 terms it would have been quite comfortable: in fact, many Second Class cabins were designated as alternate First Class ones, so no doubt they were quite nice by contemporary standards.
Late on April 14th, Joseph was apparently awakened either by the Titanic's brush with the iceberg, or perhaps by commotion outside their cabin as more and more passengers came out to investigate why the ship had stopped. He went to investigate, and some time later returned to wake up Juliette and inform her that they must all get dressed in warm clothes and head up to the Boat Deck. Joseph gathered all of their valuables as well before they carried their sleeping children topside.
While it's not certain what exact lifeboat Juliette and her two children boarded, it is believed to be No. 8, which was the first boat to be lowered from the port side of the ship, at about 1:00 am. It departed the Titanic with 28 people (out of a capacity of 65+), and on board was the Countess of Rothes, Noëlle Leslie. The Countess would later be lionized as a hero as, much like Molly Brown in boat No. 6, as she took charge of the lifeboat's tiller, organized the ladies to help row the oars and spoke up for going back to rescue more survivors (but was overruled by most of the other lifeboat passengers).
Joseph Laroche died in the sinking. His body was never recovered, and there are unfortunately no accounts of his specific whereabouts or activities once he put his family into the lifeboat. He was not quite 26 years old. After arriving in New York on April 18th, Juliette Laroche disembarked RMS Carpathia knowing no one, speaking hardly any English and having almost no money, as most of the family's money and valuables were lost with her husband. She decided to return to France rather than continue on the planned journey. A few months after her return, she gave birth to a son, whom was named Joseph after his late father.
Apparently in 1920, Joseph's mother decided to travel to France from Haiti to meet the three grandchildren she had never yet seen or known. It's not certain why, but the visit did not go well, and she returned home and seems to have never seen Juliette nor the children ever again.
The postscript for the Laroche tale stars Louise, and the SS Nomadic. While the rest of the White Star Line fleet is long gone, the Nomadic is the sole remaining vessel constructed for the company still extant. She had a long and fascinating career, even helping to evacuate Cherbourg in 1940 in the face of the advancing German army. In the 1970s she was saved from the scrapyard and docked in the Seine river in Paris, being converted to a floating restaurant.
In 1995, the Titanic Historical Society hosted a ceremony aboard the Nomadic in honor of the role it played in Titanic history, and the 84-year-old Louise was able to attend. While she was far too young at the time of the sinking to remember anything, it was quite a moment to see her standing on the same vessel she'd been aboard with her family 83 years earlier, on their way to a place in Titanic history. Louise would pass away three years later in 1998.
SS Nomadic's story has a happy ending: due to the efforts of a preservation society, she was acquired in 2006 and restored after a nearly 10-year-long effort. In 2015 her ownership was transferred to the Titanic Belfast attraction, where she now occupies a berth on the site of the old Harland & Wolff shipyards, quite near to where she and her giant cousin the Titanic were first built.
Ida Bell Wells-Barnett (July 16, 1862 – March 25, 1931) was an American investigative journalist, educator, and early leader in the civil rights movement. She was one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).[1] Over the course of a lifetime dedicated to combating prejudice and violence, and the fight for African-American equality, especially that of women, Wells arguably became the most famous Black woman in America.[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ida_B._Wells
Esther Jones, the original inspiration of Betty Boop, l920s.
Amazing!
That is a lot of ass
Jimi Hendrix (Nov. 27, 1942 – Sep. 18, 1970)
The greatest guitar player all time according to Rolling Stone Magazine, described by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of the genre, Jimi Hendrix may have found inspiration in some of the best artists that preceded him, but "expanded the range and vocabulary of the electric guitar into areas no musician had ever ventured before".
"I started playing the guitar about 6 or 7, maybe 7 or 8 years ago. I was influenced by everything at the same time, that’s why I can’t get it together now. Like I used to like Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran and Muddy Waters and Elvin James. See a mixture of those things and hearing those things at the same time, which way do you go... B.B. King and so forth".
"The first guitarist I was aware of was Muddy Waters. I heard one of his old records when I was a little boy and it scared me to death, because I heard all of those sounds. Wow, what is that all about? It was great. And I like Albert King. He plays completely and strictly in one way, just straight funk blues. New blues guitar, very young, funky sound which is great. One of the funkiest I’ve heard. He plays it strictly that way so that’s his scene.” - Interview to Rolling Stone Magazine, March 09, 1968.
The first of the five children of Lucille and James Allen Hendrix, Jimi was originally named Johnny Allen Hendrix by his mother, who was living alone in Seattle while her husband was drafted to fight in World War II. In 1946, when his father came home, the boy was renamed James Marshall Hendrix. In 1966, however, James legally changed his name to Jimi Hendrix.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience With John "Mitch" Mitchell on the drums and David Noel Redding on the bass guitar, Jimi formed the band just a few weeks after coming to London in September 1966 to seek better opportunities as a musician. Their first hit single was "Hey Joe”.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience released three studio albums: Are You Experienced? and Axis: Bold as Love, both in 1967, and then Electric Ladyland in 1968, all of which are milestones of psychedelic rock, and were included among the 100 greatest albums of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine.
Band of Gypsys
By 1970, The Jimi Hendrix Experience had already broken up, and after a two-year contractual dispute with their former producer Ed Chalpin, Jimi decided to invite bass player Billy Cox and drummer Buddy Miles to record a live album under the name Band of Gypsys, which was heavily influenced by funk and R&B elements.
The greatest guitar player all time according to Rolling Stone Magazine, described by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of the genre, Jimi Hendrix may have found inspiration in some of the best artists that preceded him, but "expanded the range and vocabulary of the electric guitar into areas no musician had ever ventured before".
"I started playing the guitar about 6 or 7, maybe 7 or 8 years ago. I was influenced by everything at the same time, that’s why I can’t get it together now. Like I used to like Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran and Muddy Waters and Elvin James. See a mixture of those things and hearing those things at the same time, which way do you go... B.B. King and so forth".
"The first guitarist I was aware of was Muddy Waters. I heard one of his old records when I was a little boy and it scared me to death, because I heard all of those sounds. Wow, what is that all about? It was great. And I like Albert King. He plays completely and strictly in one way, just straight funk blues. New blues guitar, very young, funky sound which is great. One of the funkiest I’ve heard. He plays it strictly that way so that’s his scene.” - Interview to Rolling Stone Magazine, March 09, 1968.
The first of the five children of Lucille and James Allen Hendrix, Jimi was originally named Johnny Allen Hendrix by his mother, who was living alone in Seattle while her husband was drafted to fight in World War II. In 1946, when his father came home, the boy was renamed James Marshall Hendrix. In 1966, however, James legally changed his name to Jimi Hendrix.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience With John "Mitch" Mitchell on the drums and David Noel Redding on the bass guitar, Jimi formed the band just a few weeks after coming to London in September 1966 to seek better opportunities as a musician. Their first hit single was "Hey Joe”.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience released three studio albums: Are You Experienced? and Axis: Bold as Love, both in 1967, and then Electric Ladyland in 1968, all of which are milestones of psychedelic rock, and were included among the 100 greatest albums of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine.
Band of Gypsys
By 1970, The Jimi Hendrix Experience had already broken up, and after a two-year contractual dispute with their former producer Ed Chalpin, Jimi decided to invite bass player Billy Cox and drummer Buddy Miles to record a live album under the name Band of Gypsys, which was heavily influenced by funk and R&B elements.
Jimi Hendrix (Nov. 27, 1942 – Sep. 18, 1970)
The greatest guitar player all time according to Rolling Stone Magazine, described by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of the genre, Jimi Hendrix may have found inspiration in some of the best artists that preceded him, but "expanded the range and vocabulary of the electric guitar into areas no musician had ever ventured before".
"I started playing the guitar about 6 or 7, maybe 7 or 8 years ago. I was influenced by everything at the same time, that’s why I can’t get it together now. Like I used to like Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran and Muddy Waters and Elvin James. See a mixture of those things and hearing those things at the same time, which way do you go... B.B. King and so forth".
"The first guitarist I was aware of was Muddy Waters. I heard one of his old records when I was a little boy and it scared me to death, because I heard all of those sounds. Wow, what is that all about? It was great. And I like Albert King. He plays completely and strictly in one way, just straight funk blues. New blues guitar, very young, funky sound which is great. One of the funkiest I’ve heard. He plays it strictly that way so that’s his scene.” - Interview to Rolling Stone Magazine, March 09, 1968.
The first of the five children of Lucille and James Allen Hendrix, Jimi was originally named Johnny Allen Hendrix by his mother, who was living alone in Seattle while her husband was drafted to fight in World War II. In 1946, when his father came home, the boy was renamed James Marshall Hendrix. In 1966, however, James legally changed his name to Jimi Hendrix.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience With John "Mitch" Mitchell on the drums and David Noel Redding on the bass guitar, Jimi formed the band just a few weeks after coming to London in September 1966 to seek better opportunities as a musician. Their first hit single was "Hey Joe”.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience released three studio albums: Are You Experienced? and Axis: Bold as Love, both in 1967, and then Electric Ladyland in 1968, all of which are milestones of psychedelic rock, and were included among the 100 greatest albums of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine.
Band of Gypsys
By 1970, The Jimi Hendrix Experience had already broken up, and after a two-year contractual dispute with their former producer Ed Chalpin, Jimi decided to invite bass player Billy Cox and drummer Buddy Miles to record a live album under the name Band of Gypsys, which was heavily influenced by funk and R&B elements.
He was the Prince back in the Day.
Today that translates to a grandson making mixtapes for a living...
Crowd at the opening night of Macbeth in Harlem, NYC, 1936
This momentous 1936 rendition of Macbeth was directed by Orson Welles (Citizen Kane, War of the Worlds, etc) with an all-black cast, set on a Caribbean island with Scottish magic replaced by Haitian Voudou. The play was sponsored by the New Deal Federal Theater Program. It was trailblazing for the time and a great success. More great images can be found on the Wiki article
This momentous 1936 rendition of Macbeth was directed by Orson Welles (Citizen Kane, War of the Worlds, etc) with an all-black cast, set on a Caribbean island with Scottish magic replaced by Haitian Voudou. The play was sponsored by the New Deal Federal Theater Program. It was trailblazing for the time and a great success. More great images can be found on the Wiki article
A couple take photos 61 years part....
A small slave badge engraved with the year ‘1853’ that was discovered in Charleston, South Carolina earlier this year is one of Archaeology Magazine’s top 10 discoveries in 2021.
The square, copper item served as a permit, allowing the servant to work in the city and away from their owner who paid anywhere from $10 to $35 for the tag.
The badge made Archaeology Magazine’s list because Charleston was the only US location to provide the working permit, making the artifact a very rare discovery.
William Hunter Dammond
William Hunter Dammond (October 26, 1873 – December 8, 1956) was an American civil engineer. He studied civil engineering at the Western University of Pennsylvania and, in 1893, was the first African American to graduate from that institution. As a black man Dammond found it difficult to secure employment as an engineer and, after a number of different roles, in 1897 found work as a professor at Paul Quinn College in Waco, Texas. From 1899 Dammond taught at Wilberforce University in Ohio but left to join the Michigan Central Railroad (MCR) in the early 1900s. At MCR he developed the Dammond circuit, a means of providing signals in drivers' cabs. In 1906 he developed a traffic light-like system for signalling. In 1910 Dammond moved to Britain to promote his signalling systems. Despite an extensive period of testing he was unsuccessful in selling it and found work as a bridge designer with Marcum Company.