Black Eyed Susan

"Black Eyed Susan" is a vivid illustration that reflects the cultural attitudes of the 1870s, aligning with the Romanticism era's focus on emotion and storytelling. As part of the Darktown Comics series by Currier and Ives, it depicts a racist vignette representing a stereotyped Black American town, a common, though controversial, subject in that period. These prints, which became perennial bestsellers, garnered immense popularity, with some selling up to 73,000 copies. The series played a significant role in the company's production, highlighting the complex intersection of art, commerce, and racial attitudes in 19th-century America.