Printed by
Peter J. Carey & Sons, Inc., American, founded 1898
Subject of
Butterbeans and Susie, American, 1920 - 1963
Edwards, Jodie, American, 1893 - 1967
Edwards, Susie, American, 1894 - 1963
Date
ca. 1930
Medium
ink on newsprint
Dimensions
H x W: 9 x 12 in. (22.9 x 30.5 cm)
Description
A flier advertisement for a performance by the comedic duo Butterbeans and Susie, with their 30-person touring company, at the Palace Theatre on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee. The flier is printed in black and red ink on a single sheet of off-white paper, folded to form four pages. The first page features a black-and-white portrait of Susie Edwards, with [FROLIC / TO-NIGHT / FOR WHITE] printed across it in red ink. Beneath the portrait are the details of the performance. The interior spread pages feature three black-and-white photographs of the company performers. Text at the bottom reads: "Butterbeans and Susie Are Heading Their Own Company this Season with the Peppiest and Fastest Show on the Road." This is followed by a partial list of performers: Famous Gibson Family, Joe Clark, James Compson, George Gould, Clyde Parks, Eddie Heywood, Tressie Leggs, Elizabeth Conley." The back page features a black-and-white portrait of "Butterbeans," (Jodie Edwards). Each page has a graphic geometric border.
Statement
Objects depicting racist and/or stereotypical imagery or language may be offensive and disturbing, but the NMAAHC aims to include them in the Collection to present and preserve the historical context in which they were created and used. Objects of this type provide an important historical record from which to study and evaluate racism.
Place depicted
Beale Street, Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, North and Central America
Classification
Memorabilia and Ephemera - Advertisements
Type
fliers (printed matter)
Topic
Blackface
Comedy
Entertainers
Singers (Musicians)
Stereotypes
Vaudeville
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2012.46.63
Restrictions & Rights
Public domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd51ddc3f38-372b-42b5-9c70-2c601ec1cd56

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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