How often do you question your beliefs? There was a time not long ago when white men dressed up in black face to entertain the merry masses and sheet music covers displayed oppressive stereotypes of black culture. Black face is a tradition in which travelling minstrel performers painted their face with coal in the early 20th century. This practice, not exclusive to white men, was an unquestioned element in society. The songs these minstrels performed on the road were often published into sheet music. By today’s standards both the practice of black face and the representations of black culture caricatured in the sheet music covers would most likely be considered distasteful and offensive. The material presented in the upcoming exhibit “Scandalous Eyes,” which will be featured in the Area Gallery in the Woodbury Campus Center beginning Jan. 28, is considered not only offensive and distasteful but racist as well.
The exhibit features over 80 sheet music covers retrieved from the same period that black face was practiced. The sheet music covers published between 1840 and 1940 portray racist images and stereotypes of blacks. Curated by Associate Professor of English Frank Carner and four other faculty members, the exhibit was assembled from a joint collection that Carner and his son built over the years. Carner describes himself as more of an “accumulator” than a collector, and though he’s collected the covers since the early 1970s, he said, “‘I didn’t set out to be an expert.”
Collecting seems something of a tradition in the Carner family. Carner’s father was a collector of sheet music covers and donated his collection to Tulane University in Louisiana. Carner handed his collection over to his son three years ago, and said, “I got what I was going to get from it.” He’s handed the torch to his son Sam, a Yale graduate who has an active history of collecting.
Sam Carner currently attends New York University and studies musical theater writing. Through his collection as well as his studies, he has become schooled in the history of this particular genre of sheet music. He pointed out various recurring motifs within the art. Possum, dice, and chickens were all prevalent symbols surrounding the stereotypical black culture presented by the music industry during this time, he said. “Nigga Loves his possum” and other degrading mottos dress sheet covers of that era. Frank Carner said little black children were nicknamed “pickaninnies” in those days, and one cover referred to them as “Frisky Picks.”
Other unattractive portrayals of blacks existed as well, such as the dichotomized standards presented by the watermelon and the razor. The watermelon represented the lazy black man, while the razor represented the bully, always ready for a fight. Still other negative images were prevalent during this time, perpetuating the oppressive stereotypes of black culture.
“It’s important to preserve that history,” said Sam Carner. “It’s a major part of American society that we try to forget about.” He hopes that this exhibit will “help us to think about our own beliefs.”
“Scandalous Eyes” will be shown from Jan. 28 through April 1 in the Area Gallery at the Woodbury Campus Center. A panel discussion will be held Tuesday, Feb. 4 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Christy McKinnon can be contacted at [email protected]