Composed by

Anthony, Bert R., American

Published by

G. H. Munroe & Co.

Owned by

McDonald, Vernon Sugg, American, 1906 - 1982

Sugg, Mary Elizabeth, American, 1839 - 1915

Date

1900

Medium

ink on paper

Dimensions

H x W: 14 × 11 in. (35.6 × 27.9 cm)

Description

Sheet music for the song Dancing With Ma Baby. The front cover features an illustration of a caricatured African American man and woman dancing. The man is wearing a tuxedo and the woman is wearing a yellow dress. The front cover has a yellow background. White and black type on the front cover reads: [BERT R. ANTHONY'S COMPOSITIONS. / DANCING WITH MA BABY / SCHOTTISCHE. / 5 / by BERT R. ANTHONY. / COMPOSER OF "A WARM RECEPTION." / TWO STEP & CAKE WALK / BAND. / ORCHESTRA. / TWO MANDOLINS. / GUITAR / TWO BANJOS. / PIANO ACCOMP.] There is a publisher’s logo on the bottom of the cover that reads: [Published by / G H. / MUNROE / & CO. / CHAS. SHEARD & CO. LONDON. ENG. / WHALEY, ROYCE & CO., TORONTO, CAN.]. There is a purple stamp below the logo that reads: [MUSIC DEPT. / HALES.].The interior of the sheet music contains four pages of music bars and notes in black ink. The back cover has sheet music in black ink for several additional shorter songs.

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 collected

Sugg McDonald House, Sonora, Tuolumne County, California, United States, North and Central America

Place printed

Fall River, Massachusetts, United States, North and Central America

Classification

Documents and Published Materials-Sheet music

Racist and Stereotypical Objects

Type

sheet music

Topic

Blackface

Minstrel (Music)

Stereotypes

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Sylvia Alden Roberts

Object number

2014.275.12

Restrictions & Rights

Public domain

Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

GUID

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5ccdcf236-1509-4441-8bd6-e3956a215150