“Negro Nurse with a Child”

From the collections of PVMA • Digital image © Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Assoc. • Image use information

About this item

Painter George Fuller (1822-1884) traveled to Alabama in the years just before the Civil War (1861-1865) and captured this scene of a White child having her hair combed by an African American woman described as a “nurse.” A nurse, or “nursemaid,” was a woman whose duty was to care for a family’s children.  Most likely, this woman was enslaved by the family.

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Details

Item typeArtwork
Painting
CreatorFuller, George
Date1861
TopicAfrican American, Black Life
Art, Music, Literature, Crafts
Slavery, Indenture
EraNational Expansion and Reform, 1816–1860
MaterialCloth; Paint
Process/FormatPainting
Dimension detailsHeight: 9.75 in Width: 7.62 in Height: 18.50 in Width: 16.50 in
Catalog #1995.14.02
View this item in our curatorial database →
Fuller, George. Negro Nurse with a Child. 1861. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/1995-14-02/. Accessed on December 7, 2024.

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