This object or record includes culturally sensitive imagery or text influenced by racial stereotyping. Stereotypes such as these have played a significant role in continuing harmful racist attitudes.
Harry Beard Collection
Sheet Music
circa mid to late nineteenth century (published)
circa mid to late nineteenth century (published)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Part of the sheet music for Little Dolly Daydream, subtitled 'Pride of Idaho'. The words and music were written by Leslie Stuart for the singer Eugene Stuart. It was published by Francis, Day and Hunter, London. Leslie Stuart was an English Composer who has become most famous for his involvement in the hit show Floradora (1899). He began writing songs in the late 1870s and wrote several for the performer Eugene Stratton including perhaps his best remembered music hall song, Lily of Laguna.
This the first part of the sheet music for Little Dolly Daydream, Pride of Idaho. The front of the sheet is illustrated with two colour lithographs. The first shows a 'blackface' singer dressed in a white suit consisting of a long jacket, waistcoat and trousers with a matching top hat trimmed with a black ribbon. He also wears a red bow tie and carries a wooden cane. The other image is of a countryside scene in which a woman dressed in a red skirt and white bodice and apron leans against a face. Her chin is chin balanced on her hand as she gazes towards a view of distant mountains and trees.
The back of the sheet is printed with the first section of the music for the song.
As the lyrics of the song and the illustrations on this music sheet demonstrate this sheet music dates from an era in which 'Blackface Minstrelsy' was considered a fashionable and acceptable form of theatrical costume. This style of theatrical makeup originated in the United States around 1830 and was based on racist stereotypes of African Americans. It was most commonly used in the minstrel performance tradition. White performers (and sometimes black) used burnt cork, greasepaint or shoe polish to blacken their skin and exaggerate their features. 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.
This the first part of the sheet music for Little Dolly Daydream, Pride of Idaho. The front of the sheet is illustrated with two colour lithographs. The first shows a 'blackface' singer dressed in a white suit consisting of a long jacket, waistcoat and trousers with a matching top hat trimmed with a black ribbon. He also wears a red bow tie and carries a wooden cane. The other image is of a countryside scene in which a woman dressed in a red skirt and white bodice and apron leans against a face. Her chin is chin balanced on her hand as she gazes towards a view of distant mountains and trees.
The back of the sheet is printed with the first section of the music for the song.
As the lyrics of the song and the illustrations on this music sheet demonstrate this sheet music dates from an era in which 'Blackface Minstrelsy' was considered a fashionable and acceptable form of theatrical costume. This style of theatrical makeup originated in the United States around 1830 and was based on racist stereotypes of African Americans. It was most commonly used in the minstrel performance tradition. White performers (and sometimes black) used burnt cork, greasepaint or shoe polish to blacken their skin and exaggerate their features. 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
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Harry Beard Collection (named collection) |
| Materials and techniques | Lithograph |
| Brief description | Sheet music for Little Dolly Daydream the words and music by Leslie Stuart, published by Francis, Day & Hunter, Harry Beard Collection. |
| Physical description | The first part of the sheet music for Little Dolly Daydream, Pride of Idaho. The front of the sheet is illustrated with two colour lithographs. The first shows a 'blackface' singer dressed in a white suit consisting of a long jacket, waistcoat and trousers with a matching top hat trimmed with a black ribbon. He also wears a red bow tie and carries a wooden cane. The other image is of a countryside scene in which a woman dressed in a red skirt and white bodice and apron leans against a face. Her chin is chin balanced on her hand as she gazes towards a view of distant mountains and trees. The back of the sheet is printed with the first section of the music for the song. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | Leslie Stuart (Handwritten signature across the bottom right hand corner of the front sheet) |
| Subject depicted | |
| Literary reference | Little Dolly Daydream |
| Summary | Part of the sheet music for Little Dolly Daydream, subtitled 'Pride of Idaho'. The words and music were written by Leslie Stuart for the singer Eugene Stuart. It was published by Francis, Day and Hunter, London. Leslie Stuart was an English Composer who has become most famous for his involvement in the hit show Floradora (1899). He began writing songs in the late 1870s and wrote several for the performer Eugene Stratton including perhaps his best remembered music hall song, Lily of Laguna. This the first part of the sheet music for Little Dolly Daydream, Pride of Idaho. The front of the sheet is illustrated with two colour lithographs. The first shows a 'blackface' singer dressed in a white suit consisting of a long jacket, waistcoat and trousers with a matching top hat trimmed with a black ribbon. He also wears a red bow tie and carries a wooden cane. The other image is of a countryside scene in which a woman dressed in a red skirt and white bodice and apron leans against a face. Her chin is chin balanced on her hand as she gazes towards a view of distant mountains and trees. The back of the sheet is printed with the first section of the music for the song. As the lyrics of the song and the illustrations on this music sheet demonstrate this sheet music dates from an era in which 'Blackface Minstrelsy' was considered a fashionable and acceptable form of theatrical costume. This style of theatrical makeup originated in the United States around 1830 and was based on racist stereotypes of African Americans. It was most commonly used in the minstrel performance tradition. White performers (and sometimes black) used burnt cork, greasepaint or shoe polish to blacken their skin and exaggerate their features. 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. |
| Other number | F39-7 - H Beard Collection Numbering |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.206-1989 |
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| Record created | March 30, 2010 |
| Record URL |
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