Sweeps

In this staged scene, two boys are posing as chimney sweeps with a set of props-a painted backdrop, a chimney, a ladder, and tools-to simulate their labor. Many publishers produced lines of stereoviews that were intended as a form of humorous entertainment. Often these images relied upon explicitly staged studio scenes and elaborate costumes to create an amusing scenario. Humorous stereoviews drew upon a range of popular themes and associations, including ethnic caricatures. The depiction of boys as chimney sweeps, a type of work associated with dirt and waste, makes a particularly strong association between blacks and the most menial occupations. Like another popular commercial image showing a black child drinking ink, these images also make a visual pun on race: the image is "humorous" because the boys' black skin, already "dirty," won't look any different when covered with soot.