Williams, Bert. (1874 - 1922) & Walker, George W. (1873 - 1911)
Autograph Signatures in advance of the 1908 opening of "Bandana Land"
Ink signatures of the great Bert Williams, George W. Walker and the playwright Jesse A. Shipp and others on a calendar page printed and again inscribed in ink "January 20, 1908" and "Bandanna Land," [sic] penned in advance of the show's opening on Broadway the following month (February 3, 1908). 4 1/2" x 5 1/2". Mounting remnants on verso, toned around the edges, together with an inkjet printed copy of the cover of the original sheet music, featuring inset photographs of Williams and Walker.Rare autographs from the first commercially successful black entertainers. Bert Williams was the pre-eminent black entertainer of his day, and one of the most popular stage comedians for all audiences of his time. Williams performed solo and with his partner George Walker; the two men billed themselves as ''The Two Real Coons,'' and Williams wore blackface to hide his light complexion. Walker played the part of a flashy, smooth-talking urban hustler, while Williams' persona was a shuffling, slow-witted, down-on-his-luck bumbler. Together they starred in a series of enormously successful and critically acclaimed musicals, including In Dahomey, the first African-American musical. Williams' performance of ''I'm a Jonah Man'' was considered to be the highlight of that show. The two men are also responsible for popularizing the Cakewalk. Walker retired in 1909, and Williams went on to become the first black performer in the Ziegfeld Follies. W.C. Fields called Williams, ''The funniest man I ever saw and the saddest man I ever knew.''
"Bandana Land" is "significant as the last musical in which Williams & Walker appeared as a team; Walker became ill in 1909 and died in 1911. The show was almost universally praised for its good, clean humor and its songs. It included a cakewalk finale at the end of Act II." (Bernard L. Peterson, Jr. "A Century of Musicals in Black and White," p. 27) (11489)
Signature