Middlebrook School Minstrel Show Photograph

Access and use

Location of collection:
James Madison University
Second Floor Room 203, MSC 1704
Carrier Library
James Madison University
880 Madison Drive
Harrisonburg, VA 22807
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Tiffany Cole
Phone: (540) 568-3444
Phone: (540) 568-3612
Fax: (540) 568-3405
Restrictions:

Collection open to research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], [box #, folder #], Middlebrook School Minstrel Show Photograph, 1954, SC 0066, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.

Summary

Extent:
0.06 cubic feet 1 letter folder
Creator:
Daggy, Walter S., 1896-1988
Abstract:
The Middlebrook School Minstrel Show Photograph, 1954, depicts the cast, including students and presumably teachers and administrators, of a minstrel show at the Middlebrook School in Augusta County, Virginia.
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], [box #, folder #], Middlebrook School Minstrel Show Photograph, 1954, SC 0066, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.

Background

Scope and content:

The Middlebrook School Minstrel Show Photograph, 1954, depicts the cast, including students and presumably teachers and administrators, of a minstrel show at the Middlebrook School in Augusta County, Virginia. The 8 x 10 inch black-and-white photograph features twenty-six youth and adults standing on a stage in a posed group shot. All but three are in blackface. In stereotypical fashion, one performer is holding a watermelon and one is holding a chicken.

The photographer's stamp is imprinted on the verso; it reads: "'Today's Photographic Pleasures Are Tomorrow's Valued Treasures' Walter S. Daggy Photo and Finishing Mt. Solon, VA."

Biographical / historical:

The tradition of the blackface minstrelsy dates back to the early nineteenth century and continued into the mid-twentieth century in various types of mass media (theatre, television, and film). As the name suggests, blackface minstrel shows primarily featured white men who would apply black makeup and act as African Americans. Stereotypical mannerisms, gestures, and dialects were often employed.

Dating to the mid-1910s, the Middlebrook School housed grades one through seven and high school, and served the Middlebrook community of Augusta County, Virginia. Several school consolidations took place over the next fifty years until the Middlebrook Grade School shuttered its doors in 1967.

The photographer, Walter S. Daggy (1896-1988), was based out of Mt. Solon, Virginia. His primary occupation was farming, but he also worked as a photographer for area newspapers. Daggy married Minnie Props on January 18, 1918 and was a lifelong resident of Mt. Solon.

Acquisition information:
Acquired from Rolling Hills Antique Mall in Harrisonburg, Virginia in January 2017.
Custodial history:

The provenance of the photograph, specifically the location and date, was attributed by the seller and is assumed to be accurate.

Arrangement:

The collection is housed in one letter folder.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard