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'Female Christys Amazonian Scene ... Twelve Unrivalled Lady Artistes', Masonic Hall, Loch Parade, Douglas

Date(s): 1881

Creator(s): unknown

Scope & Content: Illustrated in colour with drawing of twelve women in costume and one man in the centre. The troupe are billed as being on their eighth grand provincial tour and come from Niblo's Grand Opera House, New York 'in their great and glorious Amazonian scene which has never been attempted by any other troupe in the world before and acknowledged by all to be the greatestand most startling novelty of the age.'

Administration / Biographical History: An American minstrel show troupe composed of mixed-race women, the Female Christys arrived on the Isle of Man for the 1881 summer season - they frequently toured around Britain and had visited the Island a decade earlier.

Performing in the Masonic Hall on Loch Promenade, Douglas the Amazons were described in almost sensational terms in Manx newspapers. The Manx Sun of Saturday 6 August declared them to be '... a perfect Glitter of Gold and Silver…' wearing '... Costumes of Rich and Rare Beauty'. The physical description of these ladies of colour was of the era - 'A bevy of beauty [...] the Octoroons, the Quadroons, the Malattos, and [...] beautiful Creoles'. The group's name itself mimics the successful American blackface group formed by Edwin Pearce Christy.

An Isle of Man Times advertisement on 6 August 1881 promotes a three week run of shows featuring this troupe of 'Lady Artistes' under the direction of Mr Andy Merrilees, the 'first legitimate organised troupe of Female Minstrels in the world'.

Language: eng

Extent: 32 x 37 cm

Item name: poster

Collection: Print & Poster Archive

Level: ITEM

ID number: P.6532

Record class: Private

Subject tags : #MM100

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