Browse Items (23 total)

Alberta Hunter on having to wear "Aunt Jemimy" Clothes, CBS News, 1978

Alberta Hunter describes the indignity of being limited to stereotyped roles on stage.

"My Own Manilla Sue" sheet music, Witmark and Sons, NYPL Digital Collections, 1899

Sheet music from 1889 showing blackface minstrel Earl Way in both his off-stage and blackface personas.

Josephine Baker and unidentified banjo player in Chocolate Dandies, White Studios, NYPL digital collection, c. 1924

Photograph from Sissle and Blake's musical production, Chocolate Dandies

Noble Sissle in a scene from a Vitaphone short, 1927, VItaphone, Richard Carlin, 1927

Noble Sissle shown performing a spiritual in a short sound film made in 1927

Josephine Baker in Paris, Unknown photographer, c. 1926

Josephine Baker in a dramatic pose seated in front of a stuffed lion's head.

Weber and Fields on stage, Unknown photographer, c. 1910

Joe Weber and Lew Fields in their characteristic roles as German comedians.

Bert WIlliams Sheet Music Cover, 1905, Unknown photographer, Bob White Music Publishers, 1905

1905 sheet music featuring a photo of Bert Williams in his stage costume and wearing Blackface

Al Jolson in blackface., Unknown (film still), Richard Carlin, c. 1927

Al Jolson in a characteristic pose on his knees performing in vaudeville.

Jim Crow as pictured on a 19th century sheet music cover, Unknown, Library of Congress, c. 1840

Jim Crow depicted in ragged clothes performing a shuffling dance.

Banjo players in black face, Unknown, Richard Carlin, c. 1910s

A couple (probably amateur musicians) playing banjos in blackface