1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:04,120 Speaker 1: Welcome to steph you missed in history class from how 2 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot Com. Hello and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:18,520 Speaker 1: I'm Tracy V. Wilson and I'm Holly Fry. Today we 4 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: have someone I first learned about from the people of 5 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 1: Color in European art history, Tumbler also known as medieval PoCA, 6 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 1: which is excellent. I love that tumbler. It's excellent. It 7 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:34,199 Speaker 1: is Irah Frederick Aldridge, who was a Shakespearean actor in 8 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:37,200 Speaker 1: the eighteen hundreds, and you might even call him the 9 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:42,720 Speaker 1: first famous American Shakespearean actor, although there was another American 10 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:45,560 Speaker 1: named Edwin Forrest, who was popular in both the United 11 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 1: States and Britain at about the same time. There is 12 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 1: actual debate over which of them should be called the 13 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: first famous American Shakespearean actor, which amuses me. But to 14 00:00:56,120 --> 00:01:01,120 Speaker 1: return to the story, uh Aldridge has originally been excluded 15 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: from biographies of Shakespearean actors and from histories of the 16 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 1: theaters where he performed and the like. In some cases, 17 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:12,559 Speaker 1: there were even like histories of the theater written in 18 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 1: in France, for example, that were then translated into English, 19 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:19,760 Speaker 1: and in the English language versions from you know, the 20 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:24,400 Speaker 1: late nineteenth early twentieth century, just kind of excluded from 21 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 1: the translated version. He's a little hard to find information 22 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:31,040 Speaker 1: about there not that many books about him. But he 23 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 1: was one of the first Americans to achieve fame as 24 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 1: a Shakespearean actor, as we said, and he was definitely 25 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:40,039 Speaker 1: the first black man to really do so. He had. 26 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:43,320 Speaker 1: There were a couple of other black actors performing Shakespeare 27 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 1: at about the same time, but none of them got 28 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 1: nearly the international renown that he did. He became a 29 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 1: really famous figure on the Victorian Shakespeare stage. And there 30 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 1: is some haziness about Aldridge's parents in his early life, 31 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 1: and part of it is thanks to the wholes records 32 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:02,920 Speaker 1: and documentation that come up pretty often on our show, 33 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 1: especially the Farther Back You Go. But complicating that was 34 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 1: a heavily romanticized story of his ancestry that floated around 35 00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:14,480 Speaker 1: as part of the publicity for his acting career, and 36 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:18,680 Speaker 1: that kind of nebulous version was also picked up by biographers. 37 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 1: The most basic version of this story was just that 38 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:27,519 Speaker 1: Aldridge was from Senegal and descended from royalty there. An 39 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: African prince newly arrived from Senegal would have been at 40 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 1: the time somewhat more acceptable to white theater audiences than 41 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 1: an American black man descended from slaves. So it's possible that, 42 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 1: however this story came to be, it was motivated at 43 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 1: least in part by appeasing the white theater crowds sensibilities. 44 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 1: Logically probably also just as a publicity move. But at 45 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 1: least one biographer went so far as to detail a 46 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:59,239 Speaker 1: whole saga of Irish father whose named Daniel, being brought 47 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 1: to the United States by a missionary to be educated 48 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:06,960 Speaker 1: and to flee a conspiracy playing out among the Senegalese nobility. 49 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:09,800 Speaker 1: And in this story, Daniel Aldridge married while he was 50 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 1: in the States and then returned to Senegal with his 51 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 1: wife after the danger had passed, and that would be 52 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:18,519 Speaker 1: just before IRA's birth. As this is told, this is 53 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 1: a very very dramatic story. It's probably also just a story, 54 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 1: although it's really unclear at this point exactly when Aldridge's 55 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:30,960 Speaker 1: ancestors were brought to North America or how they ultimately 56 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 1: came to be free people living in New York. Daniel 57 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 1: Aldridge's birthplace was either New York or Baltimore. His death 58 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 1: certificate says New York, and his obituary says Baltimore. Yeah, 59 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 1: We've had a few of those where like different documents 60 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 1: say completely different things. Uh, And at that point all 61 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:53,120 Speaker 1: you can kind of do is shrug. Ira himself was 62 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 1: born in New York on July eighteen o seven. He 63 00:03:57,040 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 1: had several siblings, but only one older brother, Joshua, survived. 64 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:05,400 Speaker 1: Their mother, Laurna, was either from North Carolina or Delaware, 65 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:08,360 Speaker 1: depending on which record you're looking at, and she died 66 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 1: in eighteen seventeen, when Ira was ten and Joshua was 67 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:16,920 Speaker 1: approximately twelve. Although New York had passed a Gradual Emancipation 68 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 1: Act in seventeen ninety nine, many enslaved people born before 69 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:24,480 Speaker 1: that year weren't freed until eighteen twenty seven, and census 70 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:28,240 Speaker 1: records reported that about seventy five enslaved people were still 71 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 1: living in New York in eighteen thirty. So while Ira 72 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 1: and his family were free, there were also enslaved people 73 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:38,240 Speaker 1: as well as people who were working out in dentures 74 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 1: that were required by the Gradual Emancipation Act living in 75 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 1: New York City at the same time. And in addition 76 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:48,240 Speaker 1: to this stratification in terms of freedom for the black community, 77 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:52,520 Speaker 1: public facilities were segregated, including the schools and the theaters 78 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:56,240 Speaker 1: that Ira would attend as a young man. Iris early 79 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:59,280 Speaker 1: education was at the African Free School, which had been 80 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 1: founded by the New York Manu Mission Society. The African 81 00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 1: Free School was open to children up until the age 82 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 1: of fifteen, but it seems as though i re styed 83 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:12,760 Speaker 1: until he was fifteen or possibly sixteen, perhaps because he 84 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:16,200 Speaker 1: had enrolled when he was already a young teenager. In 85 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:20,919 Speaker 1: about eighteen twenty, William Alexander Brown, who had previously worked 86 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 1: as a steward on a ship that sailed from New 87 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 1: York to Liverpool, opened a theater. This was the African Grove, 88 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 1: sometimes just called Brown's Theater or the African Theater. In 89 00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 1: this theater, which was in Manhattan's West Side, he was 90 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:36,680 Speaker 1: building on the success of an ice cream garden he 91 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:39,840 Speaker 1: had previously opened, and this ice cream garden serves tea 92 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:43,120 Speaker 1: and ice cream and also functioned as a performance space. 93 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 1: It was one of the very very few such venues 94 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 1: in the city that was open to black patrons, and 95 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 1: it was one of a string of Brown's social and 96 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:56,680 Speaker 1: performing arts venues that he opened over the years. At first, 97 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 1: the coverage of the African Grove theater from the white 98 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 1: press was largely negative and dismissive, but eventually it grew 99 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:06,600 Speaker 1: so popular that it had to designate a section for 100 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:10,040 Speaker 1: white audience members. It was certainly not the only New 101 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 1: York theater that was run by and for its black residents, 102 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:16,919 Speaker 1: but it was the most ambitious and successful. In addition 103 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 1: to other works, its stage adaptations of Shakespeare, and one 104 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 1: of its star performers was a man named James Hewlett. 105 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:26,479 Speaker 1: So when Aldridge most likely both watched from the audience 106 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:31,920 Speaker 1: and eventually acted alongside. In eighteen one or eighteen two, 107 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:35,560 Speaker 1: Ira and Joshua Brown both landed roles at the theater. 108 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:38,839 Speaker 1: Ira would have been fifteen or sixteen at that point, 109 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 1: but their father was not a fan of this idea. 110 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:44,359 Speaker 1: He pulled them out of the show, possibly because he 111 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:48,560 Speaker 1: wanted them to become ministers instead of actors. But Ira 112 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 1: would not be deterred. At the age of about seventeen, 113 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:54,480 Speaker 1: he started trying to build a career as a professional 114 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:58,039 Speaker 1: actor full time, and this was a difficult time to 115 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:01,080 Speaker 1: be a black actor, both in New York specifically and 116 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:04,839 Speaker 1: in the United States in general. The African Grove burned 117 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:08,880 Speaker 1: down under mysterious circumstances about three years after its opening, 118 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:12,160 Speaker 1: and that had followed a general theater closure during a 119 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:16,160 Speaker 1: yellow fever outbreak, and even before that, the African Grove 120 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:18,920 Speaker 1: had been the target of complaints from white neighbors about 121 00:07:18,960 --> 00:07:22,280 Speaker 1: noise and crowds, as well as sabotage attempts from a 122 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 1: rival theater company. It strikes me as so strange that 123 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:33,640 Speaker 1: there were theater rivalries, including sabotage outside of New York. 124 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 1: Opportunities for black entertainers, which had not been all that 125 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:40,520 Speaker 1: numerous in the first place, were really dwindling. In the 126 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 1: early mid eighteen hundreds, menstrel shows performed by white actors 127 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:48,320 Speaker 1: and black face, often in a way that offensively lampooned 128 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 1: and caricatured black characters, were becoming more and more popular. 129 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 1: The stock character Jim Crow became part of menstrrel shows 130 00:07:56,720 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 1: by eighteen twenty eight, and the name Jim Crow would 131 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:03,040 Speaker 1: be used as a racist slur. Within a decade, menstrel 132 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 1: shows performed by white people in black face started crowding 133 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 1: out opportunities for black performers, sometimes while simultaneously copying those 134 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 1: performers original work. With all of this going on not 135 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:20,720 Speaker 1: long after his decision to become a professional actor. Aldridge 136 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:23,080 Speaker 1: also decided that he would do so in Europe and 137 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:26,679 Speaker 1: not in the United States. According to a pamphlet about 138 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:29,720 Speaker 1: Aldridge which was published during his lifetime, one of his 139 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:33,120 Speaker 1: former classmates quote was in the habit of taking Mr. 140 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:37,120 Speaker 1: Henry Wallack's dresses to the Chatham Theater. Henry Wallack and 141 00:08:37,160 --> 00:08:39,960 Speaker 1: his brother James were both British actors who had become 142 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 1: a staple in New York's white theaters. At this point, 143 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:45,640 Speaker 1: the theater scene in New York was thriving so much 144 00:08:45,679 --> 00:08:48,640 Speaker 1: that a lot of British actors are being drawn to 145 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:53,479 Speaker 1: New York to perform there, much to the chagrin of 146 00:08:53,559 --> 00:08:58,480 Speaker 1: the theaters, especially in London. This was the case with 147 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:03,400 Speaker 1: the Wallack brother. So Ira Aldridge renewed his acquaintance with 148 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 1: this former classmate who had been delivering the costumes to 149 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:10,400 Speaker 1: the theater for the Wallacks, and through his friend, he 150 00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:13,720 Speaker 1: got an introduction to the two men. Both of them 151 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:17,040 Speaker 1: took an interest in Aldridge in his career, and even 152 00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:20,640 Speaker 1: though his acting opportunities had been limited at this point, 153 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:24,439 Speaker 1: he seemed to have already shown some clear talent. Henry 154 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:28,840 Speaker 1: wrote him a letter of introduction and James, possibly by coincidence, 155 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:33,160 Speaker 1: booked passage on the same ship to Liverpool that Aldridge 156 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:36,160 Speaker 1: had secured employment on. He was going to work as 157 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:40,080 Speaker 1: a steward basically to get across the Atlantic Ocean into 158 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:43,720 Speaker 1: England once they were on board, though James requested aldred 159 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:47,200 Speaker 1: does his personal assistant, and Aldredge got to Liverpool in 160 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:50,640 Speaker 1: eighteen twenty four and in a year he would make 161 00:09:50,679 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 1: his debut with top billing, and we're going to talk 162 00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:54,720 Speaker 1: about that, but first we are going to pause for 163 00:09:54,760 --> 00:09:57,800 Speaker 1: a moment and uh talk about one of the sponsors 164 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:05,960 Speaker 1: that keeps the show going. In the fall of eighteen 165 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:10,560 Speaker 1: twenty five, Irah Frederick Aldridge made his London debut, starring 166 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:13,920 Speaker 1: in West Indian and African melodramas at the Royal Coburg 167 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:17,520 Speaker 1: Theater under the pseudonym Mr. Keene. He would have a 168 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:20,559 Speaker 1: variety of pseudonyms, especially early in his career, and at 169 00:10:20,559 --> 00:10:23,640 Speaker 1: this point he was only eighteen, and we don't really 170 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:26,160 Speaker 1: know the story of how Aldridge went from a new 171 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:30,319 Speaker 1: arrival in London to securing top billing in his debut performance, 172 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:34,520 Speaker 1: albeit at one of London's minor theaters. It's likely that 173 00:10:34,640 --> 00:10:38,000 Speaker 1: Henry Wallack's letter of introduction really helped, as well as 174 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:40,920 Speaker 1: the novelty of having a black actor on the stage. 175 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:43,840 Speaker 1: Aldridge was, we should be clear, certainly not the first 176 00:10:43,880 --> 00:10:46,120 Speaker 1: actor of color in Britain, but there weren't that many 177 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 1: before this point. Audiences seemed to love him in these 178 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:55,439 Speaker 1: first performances at the Coburg. Newspaper reports uh talk about 179 00:10:55,440 --> 00:10:59,199 Speaker 1: really long and loud applause for his performances, and audiences 180 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:02,920 Speaker 1: who just seemed raptured with him. Some of the reviews 181 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:06,440 Speaker 1: were positive, but a lot of them, though, were frankly 182 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:10,719 Speaker 1: just hostile. They painted a caricatured picture of his appearance, 183 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:14,240 Speaker 1: exaggerating his facial features and his skin color, and in 184 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:17,120 Speaker 1: one case claimed that the shape of his lips made 185 00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:21,640 Speaker 1: it impossible for him to pronounce proper English if you 186 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:25,240 Speaker 1: read like the His biographies collect a lot of these, 187 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:28,680 Speaker 1: and if you read them, they are terrible. While performing 188 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:31,200 Speaker 1: at the cobourg Aldrich meant the woman that he would 189 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:34,480 Speaker 1: soon marry, Margaret Gill, who was from a laboring family. 190 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:38,840 Speaker 1: Similarly to the story that Aldridge was really descended from 191 00:11:38,880 --> 00:11:43,040 Speaker 1: African royalty, Margaret was often presented as the daughter of 192 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 1: a Member of Parliament, and while the faux history of 193 00:11:46,160 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 1: Aldridge's parentage made him more appealing to the audience, the 194 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:52,200 Speaker 1: idea that she was the daughter of an MP gave 195 00:11:52,280 --> 00:11:55,320 Speaker 1: Margaret a little more social protection than she had as 196 00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:59,960 Speaker 1: the daughter of a poor family. Soon after his engagement, 197 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:02,600 Speaker 1: it at the Coburg ended. Aldridge and his new wife 198 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:04,600 Speaker 1: moved on to Brighton and then they went on a 199 00:12:04,679 --> 00:12:08,040 Speaker 1: tour through the UK's provinces. He took on both comedic 200 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:10,920 Speaker 1: and dramatic roles, and since he could sing, he performed 201 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:14,360 Speaker 1: in variety shows. Most of his roles were those of 202 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:17,840 Speaker 1: black characters, who at that point had typically been played 203 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:20,920 Speaker 1: by white actors in black face. Some of his most 204 00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:25,000 Speaker 1: common roles were Othello, which is probably the most obvious 205 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:29,600 Speaker 1: at the time, and another was Orinoco in The Revolt 206 00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 1: of Surinam. Almost immediately he was being billed as the 207 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:38,320 Speaker 1: African Roscius, and Roscius was a Roman actor who became 208 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:42,600 Speaker 1: sort of the go to nickname for particularly successful actors. 209 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:45,520 Speaker 1: Later on, I wonder why that fell out of favor. 210 00:12:45,559 --> 00:12:48,320 Speaker 1: We could be using that today, I know, and I 211 00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:51,160 Speaker 1: it was one of those things where I was so 212 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:55,679 Speaker 1: many people were referring to it uh in the in 213 00:12:56,559 --> 00:12:59,480 Speaker 1: you know, articles about him and things like that. I 214 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:01,320 Speaker 1: had to go look it up because I was like, 215 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:05,320 Speaker 1: but contextually, this is a nickname for a famous actor, 216 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:09,280 Speaker 1: but it is not really in common use. Now, let's 217 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:13,640 Speaker 1: bring it back. Even though his performances were well received 218 00:13:13,679 --> 00:13:16,679 Speaker 1: and he found work really often, he and his wife 219 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:21,560 Speaker 1: really struggled financially at first. His engagements only gave him 220 00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 1: a lot of the times a few days of work 221 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:26,440 Speaker 1: at a time, and without a steady employment or a 222 00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:30,240 Speaker 1: patron at times he would go for weeks without pay, 223 00:13:30,920 --> 00:13:34,559 Speaker 1: especially in the earlier parts of his career. Aldridge falls 224 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:37,120 Speaker 1: in and out of the historical record. Sometimes the only 225 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:39,640 Speaker 1: trace we really have of him is in playbills and 226 00:13:39,720 --> 00:13:43,480 Speaker 1: theater advertisements. We do know that he returned to London 227 00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:45,880 Speaker 1: in eighteen thirty three to take over the role of 228 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:50,199 Speaker 1: Othello at the Covent Garden Theater. He was picking up 229 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:53,120 Speaker 1: the role from another famous actor, Edmund Keane, who had 230 00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:56,880 Speaker 1: unexpectedly died, and once again he got a generally warm 231 00:13:56,920 --> 00:14:01,079 Speaker 1: reception from the audience and a fairly vicious one from critics. 232 00:14:01,559 --> 00:14:04,640 Speaker 1: Before he even performed, there were articles attacking him as 233 00:14:04,679 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 1: being unfit for the stage because of his color. Reviews 234 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:11,800 Speaker 1: were filled with racist descriptions of his voice and appearance, 235 00:14:12,120 --> 00:14:15,440 Speaker 1: and an outraged, pitying response to his co star Ellen 236 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:19,320 Speaker 1: Tree and the quote indignity of being pawed about by 237 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:22,760 Speaker 1: him in her role of Desdemona. Although he was at 238 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:26,880 Speaker 1: this point still a relatively inexperienced actor, the critical response 239 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:31,040 Speaker 1: was really just truly cruel and frequently threaded through with 240 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:36,120 Speaker 1: very thinly veiled racism, if veiled at all. Yeah, sometimes 241 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:38,840 Speaker 1: it was very explicit and written before he had even 242 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:44,040 Speaker 1: performed the part. Isn't that how reviews work? They're prescient, Yeah, 243 00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:49,320 Speaker 1: it's It's somewhat unclear why the critical receptions his work 244 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:53,840 Speaker 1: was somewhat kinder outside of London. I'm not suggesting that 245 00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:56,760 Speaker 1: there was none of that in the reviews from other 246 00:14:57,080 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 1: parts of the UK, but it seemed to at least 247 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:04,400 Speaker 1: toned down a little bit. Also not totally clear why 248 00:15:04,520 --> 00:15:08,200 Speaker 1: the reviews seemed so vastly out of step with the 249 00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:12,680 Speaker 1: audience response to his performances. One theory is that in 250 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:15,320 Speaker 1: London the critics knew that he was really an American 251 00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:18,920 Speaker 1: from New York and not a prince from Senegal. Another 252 00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 1: is that social conditions in London, including the rise of 253 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:26,960 Speaker 1: trade unions and class consciousness among workers, was priming working 254 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:30,120 Speaker 1: class audiences to really like the idea of an actor 255 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:34,800 Speaker 1: who was struggling against oppression in a way that journalists 256 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:40,600 Speaker 1: weren't quite in touch with, regardless of what the causes 257 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:45,040 Speaker 1: were for this sort of disparity between critics and theater goers. 258 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:48,280 Speaker 1: After his run as a Fellow, Aldrich returned to acting 259 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:51,160 Speaker 1: in London's minor theaters as well as in smaller British 260 00:15:51,240 --> 00:15:54,400 Speaker 1: towns and cities. He started to get more steady work, 261 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 1: developing a following of passionate fans and building up in 262 00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:01,680 Speaker 1: a steady income at multi popol venues. Critics wrote about 263 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:04,600 Speaker 1: his having to basically carry along cast members who were 264 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:07,280 Speaker 1: not as skilled in their performance or didn't even know 265 00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:11,480 Speaker 1: their lines. Eventually, he began to expand his repertoire into 266 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:15,240 Speaker 1: Shakespearean roles that were typically cast with white men, including 267 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:20,200 Speaker 1: Shylock Richard, the Third Hamlet, Macbeth, and Lear. Using makeup 268 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:24,560 Speaker 1: to lighten his skin, he basically became a Victorian era 269 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:27,160 Speaker 1: equivalent of a movie star, complete with the legion of 270 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:31,040 Speaker 1: adoring fans and a steady stream of female admirers, and 271 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 1: this was mainly a true still outside of London, he 272 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:37,520 Speaker 1: never really caught on in the eye of London society, 273 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:42,400 Speaker 1: but outside of it he was incredibly popular, including developing 274 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:44,840 Speaker 1: a string of patrons who made his financial life a 275 00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:48,600 Speaker 1: lot more comfortable. In July of eighteen fifty two, he 276 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:52,600 Speaker 1: started his first major European tour, including royal performances and 277 00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:55,880 Speaker 1: heads of state in the Audience, which was again incredibly 278 00:16:55,920 --> 00:16:59,160 Speaker 1: well received, but still did not win critics over to 279 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:02,040 Speaker 1: his side. When he made yet another go in London. 280 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:05,840 Speaker 1: He also started adapting works of his own, including a 281 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:10,119 Speaker 1: complete redoing of Titus Andronicus, in which it's Moorish character 282 00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:14,120 Speaker 1: is the hero. I would love to see that, right, 283 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:17,840 Speaker 1: I'm kind of intrigued. Apparently it was kind of uneven 284 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:22,240 Speaker 1: in his execution. Uh And if you're familiar with Citus 285 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:24,800 Speaker 1: andronics like, the Moorish character in that play is not 286 00:17:24,880 --> 00:17:29,720 Speaker 1: a hero at all, So uh yeah, I have not 287 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:32,000 Speaker 1: I don't even know if an adapt tate, like a 288 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:36,640 Speaker 1: copy of that adaptation even still exists, but I am 289 00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:41,640 Speaker 1: quite intrigued. This tour of the continent also came just 290 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:45,000 Speaker 1: a few months after Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin 291 00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:47,560 Speaker 1: had first been published, first in the United States and 292 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:51,000 Speaker 1: then in Britain, and this book stoked anti slavery sent 293 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:54,480 Speaker 1: sentiment on both sides of the Atlantic, and it started 294 00:17:54,680 --> 00:17:59,359 Speaker 1: to further shift the perceptions of Aldridge's performance, particularly in 295 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:02,600 Speaker 1: the role of a fellow. While that eighteen thirty three 296 00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:05,760 Speaker 1: Coming Garden Theater performance had been met with pamphlets saying 297 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:07,639 Speaker 1: that a black man was unfit to be on the 298 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:11,479 Speaker 1: stage in Russia, in eighteen fifty eight, one review read quote, 299 00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:15,320 Speaker 1: I am firmly convinced that after Aldridge, it is impossible 300 00:18:15,359 --> 00:18:18,520 Speaker 1: to see Othello performed by a white actor, be it 301 00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:22,240 Speaker 1: Garrick himself. And that's a reference to David Garrick, who 302 00:18:22,280 --> 00:18:26,719 Speaker 1: was a famous British Shakespearean actor. Although he would briefly 303 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:29,840 Speaker 1: return to Britain and even be granted British citizenship on 304 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:34,200 Speaker 1: November seven of eighteen sixty three, his overwhelmingly positive receptions 305 00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:37,040 Speaker 1: in France and Russia meant that he spent most of 306 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:40,160 Speaker 1: the last six years of his career there, ultimately making 307 00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:43,160 Speaker 1: a name for himself as one of history's great tragedians 308 00:18:43,359 --> 00:18:47,919 Speaker 1: and becoming a bigger draw than Russia's most famous actors. Apparently, 309 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:54,320 Speaker 1: Russia in particular loved him a lot. France also, especially 310 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:59,320 Speaker 1: especially Russia. Although shifting perceptions of race and of the 311 00:18:59,359 --> 00:19:03,119 Speaker 1: institution of slavery had also changed the way audiences and 312 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:06,800 Speaker 1: the press were regarding him. Uh, that doesn't mean that 313 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:10,240 Speaker 1: the racism was magically over. The later part of his 314 00:19:10,359 --> 00:19:15,520 Speaker 1: career was beset by unfounded rumors that on stage he 315 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:22,200 Speaker 1: had stabbed Iago's and suffocated Desdemona's for real. This led 316 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:24,840 Speaker 1: to his co star in Moscow refusing to take the 317 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:28,600 Speaker 1: stage with him and her role as Desdemona. His response 318 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:31,040 Speaker 1: was quote, I have played that role more than three 319 00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:33,440 Speaker 1: hundred times in my life, and in all these times, 320 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:37,159 Speaker 1: I have suffocated possibly two maximum three Desdemonas, and I 321 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:43,960 Speaker 1: stabbed I think one. Iago obviously was a joke. It 322 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:50,159 Speaker 1: riled people up more. UH biographers Herbert Marshall and Mildred Stock, 323 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:53,439 Speaker 1: who wrote the first really definitive biography of him in 324 00:19:53,440 --> 00:19:56,359 Speaker 1: the nineteen fifties, described this whole incident as quote and 325 00:19:56,480 --> 00:20:00,440 Speaker 1: out and out case of color prejudice. It was really 326 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:05,200 Speaker 1: a completely unfounded rumor based on nothing, because people were 327 00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:08,200 Speaker 1: scared if he had been an actor at the Glonguigo. 328 00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:12,399 Speaker 1: It would have made him more popular. Oh yeah, no, 329 00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:16,600 Speaker 1: he's really he's really smothering people. Aldredge continued to tour 330 00:20:16,640 --> 00:20:18,639 Speaker 1: and perform for the rest of his life, although his 331 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:22,600 Speaker 1: wife Margaret eventually stopped accompanying him a few years before 332 00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:25,520 Speaker 1: her death on March twenty five of eighteen sixty four. 333 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:28,320 Speaker 1: She was about a decade older than Ira, and her 334 00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:31,080 Speaker 1: health had been poor. At that point. Aldridge had been 335 00:20:31,119 --> 00:20:34,880 Speaker 1: supporting her and an illegitimate son, Ira Daniel, who had 336 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:38,120 Speaker 1: been born in May of eighteen forty seven and who 337 00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:42,879 Speaker 1: Margaret raised as her own. It's also unclear whether she 338 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:45,320 Speaker 1: knew about this, but he had been supporting a second 339 00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:48,280 Speaker 1: family as well. He'd had two more children with a 340 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:53,520 Speaker 1: Swedish woman named Amanda Pauline von Brandt. These were Irene 341 00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:56,480 Speaker 1: laur Ana Pauline, who was born in eighteen sixty and 342 00:20:56,640 --> 00:20:59,439 Speaker 1: Ira Frederick Olaf known as Fritz, who was born in 343 00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:03,640 Speaker 1: eighteen six two. And similarly to how Margaret had been 344 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:07,879 Speaker 1: described as the daughter of an MP, Amanda Pauline was 345 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:10,760 Speaker 1: said to be a baroness, she was definitely not. She 346 00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:13,960 Speaker 1: was the daughter of a fairier. Over the course of 347 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:17,359 Speaker 1: his life Aldridge had actually fathered several other children as well. 348 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:21,720 Speaker 1: In eighteen fifty five, another actor, William Stothard, sued him 349 00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:24,840 Speaker 1: over an affair with his wife Emma, after she delivered 350 00:21:24,840 --> 00:21:29,000 Speaker 1: a biracial baby. Aldridge was found guilty of criminal conversation 351 00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:33,800 Speaker 1: and sentenced to pay a fine. Ira married Amanda Pauline 352 00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:36,200 Speaker 1: in eighteen sixty five, and after that they had two 353 00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:39,960 Speaker 1: more children, Amanda Christina Elizabeth, born in March of eighteen 354 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:43,400 Speaker 1: sixty six, and Rachel Margaret Frederica, who was born four 355 00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:46,720 Speaker 1: and a half months after Aldred to the death. Ira 356 00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:50,280 Speaker 1: died in Poland on August seventh, eighteen sixty seven, and 357 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:54,480 Speaker 1: he was buried there. Although he made specific plans to 358 00:21:54,560 --> 00:21:57,399 Speaker 1: return to the United States at various points, it seems 359 00:21:57,440 --> 00:22:00,880 Speaker 1: that he never did. When the new Memorial Theater reopened 360 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:05,040 Speaker 1: at Stratford upon Avon in n Aldridge's name was included 361 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:09,480 Speaker 1: among other great Shakespearean actors commemorated with plaques among the seats. 362 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:13,040 Speaker 1: He is the only black actor of the thirties three included. 363 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:16,520 Speaker 1: As I noted, Aldridge became quite successful in his career 364 00:22:16,640 --> 00:22:20,320 Speaker 1: and he developed a pretty healthy income. He started giving 365 00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:25,120 Speaker 1: a significant portion of that income to abolitionist causes, and 366 00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:27,960 Speaker 1: he also played a part in an abolitionist work of 367 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:30,280 Speaker 1: art outside of the theater, which we will talk about 368 00:22:30,359 --> 00:22:39,639 Speaker 1: after another brief sponsor break. Ira Frederick Aldridge was the 369 00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:43,520 Speaker 1: subject of several works of art during his lifetime. One 370 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:46,480 Speaker 1: was head of a Negro in the character of Othello, 371 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:49,480 Speaker 1: which was painted by James Northcote in the first year 372 00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:54,119 Speaker 1: that Ira himself appeared as Othello on stage. So although 373 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:58,399 Speaker 1: the artist didn't specifically say this is Ira Aldridge, the 374 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:02,199 Speaker 1: widespread conclusion is that's who the paint the painting is of. 375 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:06,879 Speaker 1: But another came back into the public eye only very recently, 376 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:09,439 Speaker 1: after having been in private collections for a hundred and 377 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:13,320 Speaker 1: eighty years. It's by John Phillip Simpson and it's called 378 00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:16,240 Speaker 1: The Captive Slave, and it was acquired by the Art 379 00:23:16,240 --> 00:23:20,159 Speaker 1: Institute of Chicago in two thousand nine. Yeah, before this, 380 00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:23,800 Speaker 1: people knew that the that it existed, and there was 381 00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:27,800 Speaker 1: a really poor quality reproduction of it, but the original 382 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:31,800 Speaker 1: painting had been out of the public eye. The Captive 383 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:34,840 Speaker 1: Slave was painted sometime in the late eighteen twenties, and 384 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:37,320 Speaker 1: it's a painting of a young black man sitting on 385 00:23:37,359 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 1: a bench wearing manacles. He's wearing an orange jumpsuit and 386 00:23:41,359 --> 00:23:44,960 Speaker 1: for modern viewers it will probably immediately bring to mind 387 00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:48,840 Speaker 1: the idea of a prison jumpsuit. He's looking upward and 388 00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:53,400 Speaker 1: his face carries this impression of nearly tearful sorrow and lost. 389 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:56,520 Speaker 1: This is the painting that first went on exhibition at 390 00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:59,760 Speaker 1: the Royal Academy of the Arts in eight and it's 391 00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:03,600 Speaker 1: in Tree. In the exhibition catalog included lines from Charity, 392 00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:07,560 Speaker 1: which is an anti slavery poem by William Cowper. It's 393 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:10,720 Speaker 1: clearly meant as an anti slavery work. And the man 394 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:14,440 Speaker 1: portraying the slave in the painting is Irah Frederick Aldridge. 395 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:17,679 Speaker 1: And we're going to put a link to the whole 396 00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:22,119 Speaker 1: Medieval People of Colored Tumblers collection on Ira Ira Aldridge 397 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:24,879 Speaker 1: because there are so many portraits that are just lovely 398 00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:28,880 Speaker 1: and that is where Tracy and thus I heard about 399 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:32,320 Speaker 1: him for the first time. Yeah, and there's a really 400 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:36,480 Speaker 1: great post in that whole collection, um from the Medieval 401 00:24:36,520 --> 00:24:40,600 Speaker 1: poc Tumbler that talks specifically about this painting and how 402 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:44,240 Speaker 1: important it was that like, this is a painting that 403 00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:51,000 Speaker 1: he clearly actively took part in as an abolitionist statement, 404 00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:54,600 Speaker 1: not a painting of an enslaved person who had no 405 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:57,800 Speaker 1: choice in the matter. So I found that to be 406 00:24:57,960 --> 00:25:04,280 Speaker 1: very interesting reading as well. That is Irah Frederick Aldridge. Um. 407 00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:06,320 Speaker 1: A lot of people don't know that there was an 408 00:25:06,359 --> 00:25:10,680 Speaker 1: incredibly famous black actor doing Shakespeare in Victorian Europe and 409 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:14,480 Speaker 1: especially England, even though they didn't love him in London, 410 00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:22,359 Speaker 1: but everywhere else they super Ah, is there a listener 411 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:26,920 Speaker 1: mail this week? Yes, there is. It is from Elizabeth, 412 00:25:27,119 --> 00:25:29,919 Speaker 1: and Elizabeth says, Dear Holly and Tracy. I've been a 413 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:32,000 Speaker 1: listener for about two years end of late you've been 414 00:25:32,040 --> 00:25:35,360 Speaker 1: calling a siren song and both the professor of African 415 00:25:35,440 --> 00:25:38,240 Speaker 1: art history and a consulting curator of African art. And 416 00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:40,199 Speaker 1: I first said to myself, I really should write in 417 00:25:40,320 --> 00:25:42,840 Speaker 1: during your episode on the history of beer. You'll see why. 418 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:45,880 Speaker 1: Then there was the Great Zimbabwe episode, and now I'm 419 00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:48,760 Speaker 1: listening as I typed the wonderful Carol Thompson. Hi, Carol, 420 00:25:49,600 --> 00:25:52,359 Speaker 1: Like Carol, I'm a Midwestern girl from Iowa instead of 421 00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:55,639 Speaker 1: Minnesota who found a path into African art. I've often 422 00:25:55,720 --> 00:25:58,639 Speaker 1: used some of the same phrases Carol expressed, and in 423 00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:01,600 Speaker 1: explaining my path. Why would I be interested anymore in 424 00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:05,760 Speaker 1: the art of Italians, then South Africans or Zimbabweans. It's 425 00:26:05,840 --> 00:26:09,600 Speaker 1: all amazing art. Very long story short. A study abroad 426 00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:13,160 Speaker 1: to Zimbabwe started a lifetime of study teaching writing and curation. 427 00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:15,960 Speaker 1: But I can't forget the main reason for writing is beer. 428 00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:19,600 Speaker 1: That you mentioned that there are many global beer histories, 429 00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:22,280 Speaker 1: which was fabulous. There was no mention of African beer. 430 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:26,159 Speaker 1: I've spent the last fifteen years studying beer pots in 431 00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:31,600 Speaker 1: from South Africa, especially from Zulu speaking artists. My specialization 432 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:34,280 Speaker 1: is on the way that beer pots, like the ceramics 433 00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:37,439 Speaker 1: of the Pueblos and the American Southwest, have become a 434 00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:41,400 Speaker 1: lauded and increasingly gallery sold art form, as well as 435 00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:45,239 Speaker 1: the continued use of ceramics and important to spiritual and 436 00:26:45,320 --> 00:26:48,880 Speaker 1: social life. Folks in Southern Africa have been drinking beer 437 00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:52,320 Speaker 1: for well centuries. I'll refer to the Zulu beer I 438 00:26:52,359 --> 00:26:57,840 Speaker 1: know best, Sorghum beer Wwala is more traditional Zulu beer 439 00:26:57,880 --> 00:27:00,760 Speaker 1: that has served to ancestors and to gatherings of people 440 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:03,399 Speaker 1: during all sorts of life events in both rural and 441 00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:07,960 Speaker 1: urban places, weddings, funerals, coming of age, ceremonies, etcetera. A 442 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:11,800 Speaker 1: black ceramic pot decorated with abstraction and geometry is the 443 00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:14,640 Speaker 1: best as it appeals to the aesthetics of the ancestors. 444 00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:17,960 Speaker 1: The great thing about Zulu ceramics and pottery in many 445 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:21,400 Speaker 1: parts of Africa is that it's also a women's art form. Historically, 446 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:25,439 Speaker 1: this means when you see abstract decorative motifs of African 447 00:27:25,520 --> 00:27:28,359 Speaker 1: vessels and art museums, which happens more and more thanks 448 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:31,680 Speaker 1: to a range of amazing scholars, you're likely seeing women's 449 00:27:31,720 --> 00:27:35,480 Speaker 1: contributions to artistic traditions. Much of the African art that 450 00:27:35,560 --> 00:27:39,320 Speaker 1: was first collected in Europe and North America, wooden sculptures 451 00:27:39,359 --> 00:27:42,520 Speaker 1: or masks, was made by men, so women's artistic expression 452 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:46,399 Speaker 1: was often absent from African art collections and museums. Many 453 00:27:46,480 --> 00:27:49,560 Speaker 1: scholars are working hard to balance both media and gender 454 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:53,640 Speaker 1: representation in Africans collections, as well as so many other 455 00:27:53,720 --> 00:27:56,199 Speaker 1: parts of the art world. I could go on and on, 456 00:27:57,160 --> 00:28:02,480 Speaker 1: but also wanted to say keep up the good work. Um. 457 00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:06,439 Speaker 1: She also notes that if we are ever in Raleigh 458 00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:10,880 Speaker 1: or Greensboro, which I am, I will say pretty often, uh, 459 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:12,840 Speaker 1: she would love to give us a tour, So I 460 00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:14,199 Speaker 1: don't know if I will be able to take her 461 00:28:14,280 --> 00:28:16,359 Speaker 1: up on that, but I'm glad to know it. So 462 00:28:16,480 --> 00:28:19,960 Speaker 1: thank you so much Elizabeth for writing to that. One 463 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:22,480 Speaker 1: of the things, uh, that I wanted to try to 464 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:25,000 Speaker 1: make sure to do when we talked about beer in 465 00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:27,400 Speaker 1: that episode was the touch on the fact that beer 466 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:29,600 Speaker 1: is from all over the world, but we were definitely 467 00:28:29,680 --> 00:28:32,680 Speaker 1: lacking in specific examples from Africa. So I am so 468 00:28:32,760 --> 00:28:36,399 Speaker 1: glad to have that information from Elizabeth and to have 469 00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:40,760 Speaker 1: the information about how it applies to art history. Uh. 470 00:28:40,760 --> 00:28:45,000 Speaker 1: It's not often that we get email that ties so 471 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:49,560 Speaker 1: clearly to two different episodes that were that were two 472 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:54,440 Speaker 1: like I was the lead person running the beer episode 473 00:28:54,440 --> 00:28:56,959 Speaker 1: with our interview with Eric Lars Meyers, and then you 474 00:28:56,960 --> 00:29:01,560 Speaker 1: were the lead person talking to Carol about um about 475 00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:05,560 Speaker 1: art history. So that's that's It's not all that often 476 00:29:05,560 --> 00:29:08,320 Speaker 1: that the whole ven diagram is just a gigantic circle 477 00:29:08,360 --> 00:29:11,440 Speaker 1: in that way. If you would like to write to 478 00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:13,600 Speaker 1: us about this or any other podcast, we're a history 479 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:16,400 Speaker 1: podcast at how Stuff Works dot com. We're also on 480 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:19,080 Speaker 1: Facebook at facebook dot com slash missed in history and 481 00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:21,720 Speaker 1: on Twitter at miss in History. Are tumbler is missing 482 00:29:21,800 --> 00:29:24,240 Speaker 1: History dot tumbler dot com, and we are on Pinterest 483 00:29:24,280 --> 00:29:28,640 Speaker 1: at pinterest dot com, slash miss in History our Instagram 484 00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:31,360 Speaker 1: also miss in History. You can come to our parent 485 00:29:31,400 --> 00:29:33,560 Speaker 1: company's website, which is how stuff Works dot com to 486 00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:36,560 Speaker 1: find all kinds of articles on just about anything your 487 00:29:36,560 --> 00:29:39,680 Speaker 1: heart desires. And you can come to our website, which 488 00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:42,040 Speaker 1: is missing history dot com. Do you find a whole 489 00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:46,240 Speaker 1: archive of everything else we have ever done on this show? Uh, 490 00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:48,680 Speaker 1: show notes for all of the episodes that Holly and 491 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:51,720 Speaker 1: I have worked on together, lots of other cool stuff, 492 00:29:51,720 --> 00:29:53,280 Speaker 1: So you can do all that and a whole lot 493 00:29:53,320 --> 00:29:55,600 Speaker 1: more at house toff works dot com or miss in 494 00:29:55,720 --> 00:30:02,960 Speaker 1: history dot com. For more on this and thousands of 495 00:30:02,960 --> 00:30:17,560 Speaker 1: other topics, visit how stuff works dot com.