"Glee Club University of Virginia," four photographs by Rufus W. Holsinger taken on March 6, 1917. An additional photograph by the same title was taken on March 7, 1917 (X04890B).

There are several times that the Glee Club was photographed by Holsinger; the photographs below are of interest in that three of them are of members in "blackface." 

The University of Virginia library catalogue describes the photographs by the keywords "blackface entertainers," "transvestism," "actors," "costumes and clothes" and notes that "X04887B1-X04887B4 and X04890B appear to be in a sequence. 

These photographs are included here in that, although not posed studio portraits of African Americans, they show the then-common practice of "blackface." For an in-depth examination of the practice, read "UVA and the History of Race: Blackface and the Rise of a Segregated Society."

More information about the photographs will be added as it is found.

NOTE that the name with which the portrait is labelled (or, labelled "untitled") is not necessarily the name of the sitter(s) in the portrait, but rather the name of the person who paid for the portrait when it was taken (the date and name associated with each photograph is from the business ledgers of R. W. Holsinger).

Below: X04887B2

Below: X04887B3

Below: X04887B4

Below: X04890B

Sources

- "Glee Club University of Virginia," 03-06-1917 photograph in UVA Library Catalogue (X04887B3)

- "Glee Club University of Virginia," 03-06-1917 photograph in UVA Library Catalogue (X04887B4)

- "Glee Club University of Virginia," 03-06-1917 photograph in UVA Library Catalogue (X04887B2)

- "Glee Club University of Virginia," 03-07-1917 photograph in UVA Library Catalogue (X04890B)

- "Glee Club," date unknown, photograph in UVA Library Catalogue (U00152C)

- Schmidt, Ashley and Kirt von Daacke. "UVA and the History of Race: Blackface and the Rise of a Segregated Society." UVA Today. September 4, 2019. Accessed 16 December 2020. 

SEE ALSO:

Holsinger Image Gallery of African Americans

J. F. Bell Funeral Home Records

Charlottesville City Directory, 1914-15 [Hathi Trust] 

1870 & 1910 U. S. Census - Charlottesville & Esmont Communities

Return to the Holsinger Main Page or African-American Portraiture List of Names