Abolitionist pin holder and purse or workbag, 1825-30
Sentimental (and often condescending) imagery and poems meant to garner sympathy for the enslaved were often used on items sold at abolitionist fairs. These items predate such fairs but are early examples of what English abolitionists donated to American fairs in the 1830s to assist women in the American abolitionist movement.
Silk, cardboard, pins. Made by the Ladies’ Society for the Relief of Negro Slaves. Birmingham (England). Gift of Margaret Merritt Broecker, 82.137.2-.3