Plaster busts of a Pygmy
from central Africa 1934 (?), from a facial mask ("Ituri Bambuti" ) by P. Schebesta, reconstructed by Fritz Fahrwickl Plaster, partially painted dark brown Vienna, Abteilung Archäologische Biologie und Anthropologie, Naturhistorisches Museum Wien
Skin Lightening Cream
1999 Dresden, Deutsches Hygiene-Museum
Le savon Dirtoff
(Dirtoff soap) 1930, poster, color lithography Paris, Bibliothèque Forney,
Ville de Paris
This soap promises not only to remove dirt, but also to provide a "thorough cleansing" of Blacks.
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These are the thumbnails and texts for this alcove.
They can be printed.
In antiquity, "washing the Ethiopian" was already a symbol for the impossible. Black can be found in the Bible, among other places; and in our western Christian culture today, black is still more than just a color. It has connotations of impurity and filth, but also sin, and even the devil. In this way, "black" skin is perceived as a "natural" deficit that can at least be mitigated, if not cancelled out, by Christian baptism. As with other stereotypes, this imagery continues to have an effect on the people being stereotyped.
It has long since found its way from religion to the world of consumerism. For a century, the detergent industry has tried to "snow" us with the promise that their products can even make Moors white.
Clichés affect people's self-perception and, at worst, lead them to deny themselves. Both in Africa and in European cities, skin lightening creams, "used by successful people everywhere", are a way for dark-skinned people to become light-skinned and socially accepted. A side effect of products like these is an uneven pigmentation of the skin.
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