Inside the minstrel mask

The blackface minstrel show occupies a central and contested space in the history of American popular culture. Its imitations and parodies helped shape society's perceptions of African Americans - and of women - and made their mark on national identity, policymaking decisions, and other entertainment forms such as vaudeville, burlesque, the revue, and, eventually, film, radio, and television.

Gathered here are rare primary materials - including firsthand accounts of minstrel shows, minstrelsy guides, jokes, sketches, and sheet music - and the best of contemporary scholarship.