Presentation of the Self

Presentation of the Self focuses on how individuals present themselves to society. The artifacts which fall under this heading were excavated in the yard between the Websters and Phillipses land. Although these families belonged to the middle and upper classes, not all the objects excavated are indicative of a middle- or upper-class lifestyle. Rather, it is how the owners of these objects used these objects, and what information the objects provide about the user, that signals that they are a part of a higher class. 

Think of your own life: are there specific routines you have or clothes you purposefully wear because you want others to perceive you in a specific way? The same can be said of the African Americans and Irish immigrants living in Seneca Village. As a marginalized group, the Black residents of Seneca Village specifically would have been inclined to follow fashion trends to visually represent their upstanding place in society. 

By the luxury fabrics and metals used, clothing and accessories were ways to identify the socioeconomic status of these African-American families. Many of these families owned land, which in itself did not necessarily mark a high status, but often helped increase the owner’s class and wealth. In turn, they dressed with the care and elegance aligned with their upstanding position in society.