Ca-Va Seul 'Negrita' Metal Polish
Identifier
TBAFB0009
Title
Ca-Va Seul 'Negrita' Metal Polish
Description
Cylindrical metal bottle of stove metal polish with a black background and red and white colouration. The manufacturer's name "Ca-Va Seul" is present with white lettering (Translation - "That Goes Without Saying") along with the word "Negrita" which is placed above an image of a Black caricatured man wearing a lobbyboy high-collared shirt with the letters "CVS" printed on the collar. The design and styling of the tin is distinctively 1960's minimalist, and the image of the black caricatured man is noticably smaller than previous iterations made by Ca-Va Seul in response to changing political attitudes and the process of decolonization ongoing in Africa at the time. As a product of Belgium, the design is mirrored on the other side but in French rather than Dutch. Below the image of the black man is a distinguisher "No 3A" which signifies the type of stove cleaner it is.
Creator
Ca-Va Seul
Type
Metal Bottle
Relation
Facing Blackness is a multimedia exhibition that takes the public through the obscure history of portraying Black people from the colonial period to contemporary society. Using unique archive material and visual art, we show how anti-black racism became part of the Dutch 'cultural archive' and our everyday ideas, customs and utensils. On the other hand, the exhibition shows how there has always been 'everyday resistance' to various forms of racism and how Black people themselves have given and continue to give meaning to their culture and identity.
Source
The Black Archives
Format
Stove Polish
Subject
Black Man, Black Caricature
Coverage
Shirt
Date
c.1960's
Physical Dimensions
5x5x11
Country of Production
Belgium
Place of Production
Vilvoorde
Keywords
Caricature, Black Man, Metal Polish, Stove, Advertising
Copyright
Ca-Va Seul
Rightholder
Ca-Va Seul
Archived By
Richard Weaver
Oral History
After Richard asked for more information from the company, the website discussing the history and local heritage of 'Ca-Va Seul' was deleted. Richard then found a snapshot of the deleted webpage through an Internet archive. [See: Bibliography]
Bibliography
https://web.archive.org/web/20210814175344/http://www.retroscoop.com/industrieel.php?artikel=74
Collection
Citation
Ca-Va Seul, “Ca-Va Seul 'Negrita' Metal Polish,” The Black Archives, accessed November 2, 2024, https://collection.theblackarchives.nl/items/show/3443.