Portland School of Art, Portland, 1928

Contributed by Maine Historical Society/MaineToday Media

Portland School of Art, Portland, 1928

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Description

A costume party or drama performance at the Portland School of Art (now Maine College of Art) in 1928. One or possibly both of the people photographed are wearing blackface.

White people using makeup to portray Black people in stereotypical burlesque "minstrel" shows became popular in the 1920s, Minstrelsy includes comedic performances of "blackness" by Whites in exaggerated costumes.

Also rising in popularity in Maine in the 1920s was the Ku Klux Klan. These racist caricatures and stereotypes of Black people perpetuated the fallacy that Black people were inferior.

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About This Item

  • Title: Portland School of Art, Portland, 1928
  • Creation Date: 1928
  • Subject Date: 1928
  • Location: Portland, Cumberland County, ME
  • Media: Glass Negative
  • Dimensions: 8.3 cm x 10.8 cm
  • Local Code: Coll. 1949, 2005.061.16358
  • Collection: Portland Press Herald glass negative collection
  • Object Type: Image

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For more information about this item, contact:

Maine Historical Society/MaineToday Media
489 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
(207) 774-1822 x230
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This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. No Permission is required to use the low-resolution watermarked image for educational use, or as allowed by the applicable copyright. For all other uses, permission is required.

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