1. We thank the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs for supporting this research, and Learning & Technology Services for printing this poster. The Blackface Tradition in Eau Claire Dr. Ryan Jones and Henry Bergmann | Department of Music and Theatre Arts D OCUMENTING M INSTRELSY P ERFORMANCE & R ECEPTION H ISTORY IN W ESTERN W ISCONSIN Acknowledged by nineteenth-century European audiences as identifiably American, minstrelsy was the first original form of popular entertainment to emerge in the United States. Beginning around 1840 and lasting into the 1920s, traveling minstrel troupes performed variety shows composed of singing, dancing, and assorted skits in both large city centers and smaller communities throughout the country. Prior to the Civil War, minstrel shows were staged exclusively by white performers who applied blackface—burnt cork or greasepaint—in an effort to mimic caricatures of African Americans that quickly established and perpetuated certain stereotypes including Jim Crow, Zip Coon, the Sambo, and the Jezebel. M INSTRELSY D EFINED P ROJECT G OALS & M ETHODOLOGY Our goal with this project was to determine what documentary record of minstrel productions exists of performances that passed through Eau Claire during the receding years of the tradition, 1920-1925. For comparison, we also included the years 1930 and 1935 to see if the Great Depression had any impact upon the frequency or popularity of minstrelsy in Western Wisconsin. We concluded that minstrel productions were a very regular affair in Eau Claire through the 1920s and 1930s. Our chief primary source was the former Eau Claire Leader newspaper (begun in 1894)—a forerunner to the present-day Leader Telegram (est. 1970)—now housed in the microfilm collections of McIntyre Library. Timeline of Minstrel Performances in Eau Claire, 1920-1925 M INSTREL E NTERTAINMENT C OMPANIES Within the periods surveyed, at least one traveling minstrel act came through Eau Claire per year. During 1920-1925, groups such as the Georgia Minstrels, Osman Temple Minstrels, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and Harvey’s Greater Minstrels all performed multiple times in our community. All of these performances were heavily promoted by the Eau Claire Leader, sometimes as early as a full month beforehand. Reviews were favorable and tellingly descriptive. (See review excerpts to the above left and right.) The Elks Minstrel shows (see image above) were staged by Eau Claire community members. These shows were just as, if not more, successful than the traveling acts. E LLINGTON & M INSTREL C ONTEXT The majority of the traveling acts that performed in Eau Claire were staged at the Grand Theatre, which closed in 1926—the same year the present-day State Theatre opened downtown on Eau Claire Street. Originally known as a vaudeville theatre, The State venue would go on to host all of the top acts appearing in Eau Claire. During Duke Ellington’s early years, his band was often casually associated with the minstrel aesthetic. Early advertisements for the group even referred to the band as “Colored Syncopators.” When his orchestra appeared in film, Hispanic trombonist, Juan Tizol (composer of the hit tune, “Caravan”), was compelled to “black-up” so that audiences would not assume the group was integrated. A 1930 State Theatre advertisement promoted an Ellington film appearance alongside minstrel icons, Amos ‘n’ Andy (see image below). Jim Crow (left) and Zip Coon (right) were both popular minstrel caricatures begun in the 1800s. Advertisement for blackface performers, Eau Claire Leader (3 Oct 1920) The Georgia Minstrels were one of the traveling acts that consistently performed in Eau Claire. Far right: Eau Claire Leader (2 May 1922) show preview and review (upper right) review from the same week (9 May 1922). The Georgia Minstrels advertisement farthest to the left also appeared in this source (8 Dec 1923). Eau Claire Leader (6 Jun 1930) Large advertisement for a minstrel show performed by members of the local community, Eau Claire Leader (23 Feb 1922) Eau Claire Leader (5 Dec 1920) Top: Duke Ellington headlining, Eau Claire Leader (16 Jun 1935). Left: Amos ‘n’ Andy State Theatre promotion including ad for Duke Ellington’s Orchestra, Eau Claire Leader (25 Nov 1930) Bottom right: State Theatre blackface cinema advertisement, Eau Claire Leader (7 Sept 1930), with a promotional reference to mainstream attraction Joan Crawford. Left: Favorable review of community performance, Eau Claire Leader (24 Feb 1922) Bottom: Eau Claire Leader (27 Apr 1924)