'De cake-walk queen', 1900. 'Featured as a Dance by the Wonderful Bessie Clayton at Weber & Fields Music Hall ; March Characteristic by John Stromberg; words by Harry B. Smith'. Portrait photograph of Broadway, vaudeville and burlesque dancer Bessie Clayton. From a collection of sheet music, some examples of which depict African Americans in a derogatory way. Other examples are songs by white musicians purporting to be black.

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Size: 4030px × 5456px
Photo credit: © Heritage Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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