A photograph taken around 1900 of a parade “float” in Pitman, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Note that the occupant of the float is in “black-face.” The man pictured is not identified and the actual occasion for the parade is unknown. However, the “float” is identified as representing the Woodmen of the World.
White men and women who blackened their faces and paraded emphasizing negative stereotypical behavior that they attributed to African Americans for the purpose of getting laughs, were often the most prominent people in the community.
This photo was found in the Larona Heim Collection at the Hermitage, Pitman, and is identified as #21..
____________________________________
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.