Racist lithograph print 'A black lecture on astronomy / No. 4 To be Continued' from Follitt's Black Lectures. Published by 'John Follit [sic], importer of French prints to the trade, 22 St Martin's Court, St Martin's Lane', 1830-1869. The title above the lithograph image of a smartly dressed, caricatured black man with arms outstretched above a desk with astronomical instruments, a zodiac behind. The letterpress text below purports to be the text of the lecture, using language and style that mocks perceived black ways of speaking.

This is one of four offensive caricatures that use ethnicity as the context for ridiculing contemporary pseudo-science. By making the lecturer black and using racist language and style in the accompanying ‘lecture’ text, the series attacks the fashion for scientific lectures and the subjects being presented. They play on attributes then stereotypically seen as being inherent to the black population, including drunkenness, dirt, thieving, lechery and lack of education. This lecture focuses on astronomy and suggests meanings for the different signs of the zodiac behind the lecturer.