Not currently on display at the V&A

Baby Mine

Sheet Music
ca. 19th century (published)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Sheet music for Patrick Mind the Baby, written by Edward Harrigan, published by C. Sheard, ca.19th century.

The minstrel performance tradition originated in the United States around 1830 and featured theatrical makeup which was based on racist stereotypes of African Americans. White performers (and sometimes black) used burnt cork, greasepaint or shoe polish to blacken their skin and exaggerate their lips. The look was completed with 'woolly' wigs, gloves, tailcoats and/or ragged clothes. Blackface was a performance tradition in American theatre for over 100 years and was also popular overseas. Stereotypes embodied in the stock characters of blackface minstrelsy played a significant role in cementing and proliferating racist attitudes.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleBaby Mine (published title)
Materials and techniques
Chromolithograph, ink on paper
Brief description
Sheet music for Patrick Mind the Baby, written by Edward Harrigan, published by C. Sheard, ca.19th century
Physical description
Music sheet for Patrick Mind the Baby.
Dimensions
  • Front cover height: 36cm (approx)
  • Front cover width: 26cm
Credit line
Gabrielle Enthoven Collection
Summary
Sheet music for Patrick Mind the Baby, written by Edward Harrigan, published by C. Sheard, ca.19th century.

The minstrel performance tradition originated in the United States around 1830 and featured theatrical makeup which was based on racist stereotypes of African Americans. White performers (and sometimes black) used burnt cork, greasepaint or shoe polish to blacken their skin and exaggerate their lips. The look was completed with 'woolly' wigs, gloves, tailcoats and/or ragged clothes. Blackface was a performance tradition in American theatre for over 100 years and was also popular overseas. Stereotypes embodied in the stock characters of blackface minstrelsy played a significant role in cementing and proliferating racist attitudes.
Collection
Accession number
S.4100-2013

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Record createdMarch 20, 2014
Record URL
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