Photo Record
Images
Metadata
Object |
Negative, Glass plate |
Photographer |
White, Wills Thomas |
Year Range from |
1899 |
Year Range to |
1920 |
Description |
Studio portrait of man dressed in costume. Black man, wearing blackface makeup, feathered headdress, large nose ring, tanktop, shorts, and large necklace. Leaning on staff with skull at top and holding oval shield. Shield and mouth of skull have orange paper masks on negative. |
Information |
Blackface minstrel shows were widely popular in Vermont until the 1960s. The costumes, makeup, songs, and storylines were all based on racist stereotypes that were commonly held among white American society at the time. They depicted black people as lazy, hypersexual, ignorant, cowardly, and superstitious thieves. Overtly racist and demeaning stereotypes encouraged white working-class audiences to see themselves as superior and aided in the entrenchment and institutionalization of racism. Blackface minstrel characters were so entrenched that even some black performers wore blackface in order to find work. We do not know the identity of the man in this image, nor the reason why this photograph was taken. He may have been part of a traveling show. White audiences did not want to watch black actors to look anything but foolish or exotic on stage. |
Related People |
White, Wills Thomas |
Credit line |
Weichert-Isselhardt Collection, Gift of Tordis Ilg Isselhardt |
Catalog Number |
2015.35.110 |