Toy Bank: Darktown Battery c. 1938

Verna Tallman created this watercolor painting of a cast iron mechanical bank – a novelty item produced from the late 19th century onwards. These were often made of cast iron, a material that allowed for complex shapes through molding. The original ‘Darktown Battery’ bank was designed to dispense racial stereotypes for comedic effect. By inserting a coin, a mechanical sequence is set in motion. Here, a batter takes a swing, and as he does so, his eyes roll upwards, while the catcher cowers. Tallman’s painting captures the bank’s materiality, its weight and form. By hand-painting the toy bank, Tallman prompts us to reflect on the racial caricatures and the social context in which it was made. Acknowledging the history of manufacturing, labor, and commodity culture encourages a more thoughtful engagement with this object. It encourages us to reflect on the meanings of these objects, challenging the idea that craft and art are distinct categories.