Composed by

Maywood, Geo.

Written by

Bodine, Lester

Published by

S Brainard's Sons Co., American, founded 1837

Printed by

San Francisco Examiner, American, founded 1863, American, founded 1863

Owned by

Sugg, Mary Elizabeth, American, 1839 - 1915

Sugg, Mary Elizabeth, American, 1839 - 1915

McDonald, Vernon Sugg, American, 1906 - 1982

Date

1897

Medium

ink on paper

Dimensions

H x W: 13 7/8 × 10 11/16 in. (35.2 × 27.1 cm)

Description

Sheet music for song Ambolena Snow. The front cover of sheet music features an image of a caricatured African American woman in a green dress with a salmon jacket and hat. The woman is holding an umbrella in her proper left hand. Red and black type surrounds her and reads: [AN / AFRO-AMERICAN / MILITARY / BALLAD / BY / BODINE AND MAYWOOD / AUTHORS / OF / "MOLLY ON / THE / TROLLY" / PUBLISHED BY / PERMISSION OF / THE S BRAINARD'S SONS CO / CHICAGO. / COPYRIGHT / SECURED / IN / ENGLAND / SUP- / PLE- / MENT. / TO THE / SAN FRANCISCO / EXAMINER / SUNDAY / DEC. / 5 / 1897. / ALL / RIGHTS / RESERVED]. Underneath the woman a signature in black in reads: [KEANE]. The inside has two pages of musical bars and notes in black ink for the song Ambolena Snow. The credits under the title in black in read: [Words by Lester Bodine / Music by GEO. Maywood]. The song’s musical bars continue on the back cover.

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 printed

San Francisco, California, United States, North and Central America

Place collected

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

Classification

Documents and Published Materials-Sheet music

Racist and Stereotypical Objects

Type

sheet music

Topic

Band (Music)

Blackface

Caricature and cartoons

Stereotypes

Credit Line

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

Object number

2014.275.6

Restrictions & Rights

Public Domain

Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

GUID

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd583ec9d17-c007-459b-a95e-d2ba6e3b9616