Inside the Minstrel Mask: Readings in Nineteenth-Century Blackface Minstrelsy

by Mel Watkins and Brooks McNamara

Book Overview

A sourcebook of contemporary and historical commentary on America's first popular mass entertainment.

As the blackface minstrel show evolved from its beginnings in the American Revolution to its peak during the late 1800s, its frenetic dances, low-brow humor, and lively music provided more than mere entertainment. Indeed, these imitations and parodies shaped society's perceptions of African Americans-and of women-as well as made their...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0819563005
• ISBN13: 9780819563002
• Release Date: October 1996
• Publisher: Wesleyan University Press
• Length: 324 Pages
• Weight: 1.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

History of Minstrelsy with Commentary

I reccommend Inside the Minstrel Mask. A fascinating survey of the minstrel show, including some of the songs and skits that were popular. Also includes some astute analysis. Gary Winter Playwright