Years ago, when Jay Cimbak was a framer at Max’s Art Supplies, he was in the alley nearby, between Post Road East and Jesup Road.
Workers were busily dismantling part of Toquet Hall. Jay knew it well: His shop used part of the upstairs for storage. In the 1800s and early 1900s Toquet had been an opera house, and the site of many other types of entertainment.
Jay was always fascinated by the section underneath the stage, which had been a dressing area. On the inside of doors were posters for long-ago shows.
Unfortunately, the demolition crew had already done most of their work. Not knowing — or perhaps not caring — about the unique doors, they’d smashed all that history to smithereens.
Except one.
Jay Cimbak, with his stage door. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Jay salvaged it. For years, it’s hung in his home.
Part of the poster had already peeled away. But the section that remains offers a glimpse into America’s strange past.
The stars of the “comedy sketch” show were John Whiteside and Margaret King.
She was a pianist.
He was a “parody singer.” And a “black face comedian.”
A very different era, for sure.
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Interesting find. White performers in blackface played exaggerated, dehumanizing stereotypes of Black people. They were portrayed as lazy, foolish, and. buffoonish. Remember Amos n Andy in the 1950s? There was that character “Lightning.”
what a wonderful find! Thank you, Jay, for sharing it
with us all!
I would add that Jay is a framer extraordinaire including having once framed Jerry Garcia’s briefcase.
Between 1900 and 1910, newspapers were used as insulation in homes that were built.
“Strange” past? Or rather, a sadly racist relic from the Jim Crow era right here in our town.
Susan, Blackface was popular in film like “ The Jazz Singer” from 1927 and even Amos n Andy on radio. You have no idea how many stories I have both living and working in Jamaica and being old enough to remember.
Great ‘Jerry Garcia’ comment,Michael Tomashefsky!! 🙂