New York to Charleston

Abstract

To accompany Afong Moy’s presentation of salable goods in New York City in 1834, the Carneses opened an adjoining public exhibition displaying ancient Chinese artifacts—the first such completely public presentation of Chinese objects in America. In the accompanying exhibition catalogue they featured an image of Afong Moy which greatly differed from that of the Risso and Browne lithograph. This exotic personification would follow her on her trips to Philadelphia, the President’s House in Washington, DC, Baltimore, and finally to Charleston where her bound feet were exposed to the public. Afong Moy’s fame quickly spread across the country. Those who could not see her in person learned of her through articles in children’s magazines, read about her in poems, or saw her image in the local newspaper.