Two Unreconciled Strivings
 Family
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A Motion Picture
produced by Thomas A. Edison
Racial stereotypes,
like those relating to ethnic groups, were a popular source of
amusement for much of the nation's history. Contemporary film
catalog listings reflect such stereotypes, as is evident in this
edited description:
- This scene presents
a[n] ...African mother in the act of giving her struggling [child]
a bath in a tub of suds. This is a clear and distinct picture
in which the contrast between the complexion of the bather and
the white soapsuds is strongly marked. A very amusing and popular
subject.
However staged and
distorted, the film offers a rare picture of African-American
life. The scene was filmed in Thomas Edison's studio ca. October
1896.
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