PostalPast
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Old Black Joe in a Southern cotton field, circa 1915

Subjects
African American HistoryAgriculture & FarmsWorkers & Occupations
Card type
Lithograph
Date
c. 1915 (White Border)
Front of Old Black Joe in a Southern cotton field, circa 1915, Mary Whelen, IL, USA, c. 1915 lithograph postcard
Front
Back of Old Black Joe in a Southern cotton field, circa 1915, Mary Whelen, IL, USA, c. 1915 lithograph postcard
Back

About this postcard

An elderly African American man stands in a Southern cotton field with a picking sack, illustrating the lyrics of 'Old Black Joe.' Stephen Foster's 1860 song was a staple of minstrel shows and parlor singing, and its nostalgic view of plantation life shaped how many Americans pictured the Old South. The sender, Aunt Clara, chose the card because the song was a favorite of Mary Whelen in Chicago.

Postcard Details

Message · English, in pen

Dear Mary, Thought of you when I saw this card as the song is one of your favorites. How I would like to hear you sing it now! How is the Martin? With a fond good-night - Aunt Clara.

PublisherAsheville Post Card Co.
325. OLD BLACK JOE IN A SOUTHERN COTTON FIELD. "OLD BLACK JOE". Gone are the days when my heart was young and gay; Gone are my friends from the cotton fields away; Gone from the earth to a better land I know; I hear their gentle voices calling, "Old Black Joe". I'm coming, I'm coming, for my head is bending low; I hear those gentle voices calling, "Old Black Joe". 105349 --- THIS SPACE FOR WRITING MESSAGES. POST CARD THIS SPACE FOR ADDRESS ONLY. PLACE STAMP HERE PUBLISHED BY ASHEVILLE POST CARD CO., ASHEVILLE, N. C. MADE IN U.S.A. C.T. AMERICAN ART C.T. CHICAGO
Addressed to
Mary Whelen

445 Briar Pl. Chicago, IL

Postcard record

PublisherAsheville Post Card Co.
Series325
ConditionFair
Place addressedMary Whelen, 445 Briar Pl., Chicago, IL
Place mentionedChicago, IL
PublisherAsheville, NC
NotesWhite border; printed poem; horizontal tear/crease across center; number 105349 at bottom right. No postmark or stamp present; dealer mark '112 7.00' at top right. Divided back, C.T. American Art (Chicago) imprint, published by Asheville Post Card Co. Light edge/corner wear.

Cite this card

Old Black Joe in a Southern cotton field, circa 1915, postcard, c. 1915. PostalPast Collection. https://postalpast.com/postcard/old-black-joe-in-a-southern-cotton-field-circa-1915. Accessed November 2, 2026.