[Bust portrait of smiling African American facing front] – Historic Poster Reproduction
![[Bust portrait of smiling African American facing front], 1900 — vintage poster](https://images.jameslantos.com/img/52/5201960b6cb7-L.webp)
(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)
Description
[Bust portrait of smiling African American facing front] comes to life in this vintage poster, reproduced from the original with every detail intact. The original is held by the Library of Congress, so what you hang is a true record of its time.
The framed print arrives ready to hang; the unframed option suits custom framing. Perfect for a home, office, library or classroom wall, and a gift with a story behind it. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past has been bringing history to the wall since 2001, for tens of thousands of customers worldwide.
[Bust portrait of smiling African American facing front]
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The poster is built around a single smiling face, and its lettering names Bob Manchester and his show, "Cracker Jacks," which gives the image its specific identity. Issued in 1900 as a color lithograph by the Courier Company of Buffalo, New York, it was a commercial advertisement meant to draw audiences to a traveling minstrel production. Minstrel shows were among the most popular entertainments of the era, and their posters often leaned on exaggerated, stereotyped depictions of Black people. Viewers today should look at the image with that history in mind, since the cheerful expression was a deliberate selling device rather than a neutral portrait.
| Created / published | 1900 |
|---|---|
| Medium | 1 print (poster) : lithograph color ; 73 x 53 cm. |
| Notes | D625 U.S. Copyright Office Created and copyright 1900 by The Courier Co. Courier Litho. Co. Buffalo N.Y. No. 605. · Manchester Bob. Russell-Morgan Print. Bob Manchesters Cracker Jacks. |
| Subjects | African Americans--Performances & portrayals. Smiling. Minstrel shows. |
| Source | Library of Congress, Performing Arts Posters |
| Original scan | 2,157 × 2,950 px · prints to 7 × 10 in at 300 dpi |
| Reference | AMZ-SOTP-THR-271938 |
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