Wet Nurse in old postcard

Wet Nurse in old postcard

Photographs of Enslaved Black Women in Brazil

The origin for this image is unknown, but its depiction of a Black wet nurse is very clear. In this image an enslaved woman is shown breastfeeding a white baby. The nurse is sitting on a bench in a domestic space, wearing a striped top and long skirt. She has a soft smile, and both of her breasts are exposed as the white baby is breastfeeding from her body. The image is taken as a postcard. Wet nurse’s often took the jobs because they had just had a baby they had to leave, or because their baby died. Enslaved wet nurses would also accept white children to feed when they had enough milk, which was not always the case. In some cases the wet nurse would naturally pay more attention to her own child rather than the white child creating tension. Additionally, some wet nurses would have to abandon their own babies for the white babies. This representation of a wet nurse does not expose the realities of the nature of relationships for an enslaved woman caring for white children.

Unknown

Unknown. Nurse on Old Postcard. Photograph. Genealogia Sem Segredos. Brazil, n.d.. Genealogia sem segredos. https://genealogiasemsegredos.weebly.com/blog/as-amas-de-leite.

“As Amas De Leite e a História Da Família.” Genealogia sem segredos. Accessed February 13, 2023. https://genealogiasemsegredos.weebly.com/blog/as-amas-de-leite. 

Genealogia Sem Segredos

Unknown

Genealogia Sem Segredos

jpg file

Portuguese

Photograph