Black dolls, nannies and childcare in the Danish West Indies

Taking point of departure in two black dolls that once belonged to Sophie Christine Oxholm and to the family of Clara Asenath Schultz, the article explores aspects of childhood and childcare in colonial homes. Both girls grew up in the Danish West Indies in the nineteenth century and were cared for by African Caribbean nannies – the likely makers of the dolls. Drawing on historical and literary sources, I investigate the roles and responsibilities of African Caribbean nannies in white households, their perception by white parents and children and the nannies’ self- representations materialized in the dolls. I also explore the dolls as biographical objects and souvenirs capturing bonds between children and nannies and privileged upbringing of the girls. The dolls are an entry point to explore aspects of childcare, domestic labor, and everyday life in colonial Danish West Indies.