Today, the Cincinnati Music Commemorative Silver Half Dollar Coin remembers the first published engagement of the Virginia Minstrels on February 6, 1843.
Similar to Stephen Foster, highlighted on the coin, Dan Emmett of the Virginia Minstrels wrote songs using the colloquial pronunciations of the South.
Perhaps his most famous song today, Mr. Emmett wrote “Dixie” in 1859.
But of his start, an excerpt from the Harvard Library Notes of October 1920 provided insights:
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The first Minstrel Troupe, which was purely accidental and originated with William Whitlock, is best told in his own words:
‘One day I asked Dan Emmett, who was in New York at the time, to practice the fiddle and the banjo with me at his boarding-house in Catherine Street. We went down there, and when we had practiced, Frank Brower called in by accident.
‘He listened to our music, charmed to his soul! I told him to join with the bones, which he did. Presently Dick Pelham came in, also by accident, and looked amazed.
‘I asked him to procure a tambourine and make one of the party, and he went out and got one.
‘After practicing for a while we went to the old resort of the circus crowd — the ‘Branch,’ in the Bowery — with our instruments, and in Bartletts’ billiard-room performed for the first time as the Virginia Minstrels.
‘A program was made out, and the first time we appeared upon the stage before an audience was for the benefit of Pelham at the Chatham Theatre. The house was crammed-jammed with our friends; and Dick, of course, put ducats in his purse.’
Concerning the first public performance, all four of the troupe seem to be agreed that it was for the benefit of Dick Pelham, Jan. 31, 1843, at the Chatham Theatre.
The New York Clipper, however, prints the following as the first announcement that they have been able to find: —
“Bowery Amphitheatre Monday Evening, Feb. 6, 1843.
“first night of the novel, grotesque, original and surpassingly melodious Ethiopian Band, entitled
“The Virginia Minstrels
“being an exclusively musical entertainment, combining the banjo, violin, bone-castanets, and tambourine, and entirely exempt from the vulgarities and other objectional features which have hitherto characterized negro extravaganzas.”
The first programme of this minstrel troupe in Boston is owned by Mr. Quincy Kilby, who kindly lent it to the library, so that it could be reproduced herewith, in reduced facsimile.
The original measures 406 by 118 millimeters.
The Theatre Collection has a programme dated Mar. 23, 1843, which bears the following announcement — ‘Great Olympic Circus — Tremont Theatre, Mar. 23, 1843. …The Ethiopian Olio, By the Virginia Minstrels who have been so liberally patronized at the Masonic Temple, will appear and give their chaste and elegant Entertainment in which they defy competition.’
And on March 24th: ‘Complimentary Benefit to the original Virginia Minstrels. . . .The Ethiopian Olio.
By the Virginia Minstrels
Song — ‘What’s a Going On,’ Full Chorus.
Song— ‘GitOutObDeWay,’ Full Chorus.
Song— ‘Neber Do To Gib it Up,’ Full Chorus.
Song — ‘ Floating Down de River,’ Full Chorus.
Song — ‘Sambo was a Gentleman,’ Emmit.
Song — ‘ Lucy Long,’ Full Chorus.
Conundrums and Explanations by Brower & Pelham’
L. A. H.
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The playbill for their Boston concert included several testimonials from their New York performances:
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The Virginia Minstrels. — Among the most curious, as well as the most pleasant musical novelties lately presented to the public, is the Band of Whitlock, the incomparable banjo player, assisted by Emmit, the very Paganini of violin players; Brower, who performs upon a pair of Bone Castanets equal to the divine Fanny; Pelham, who also thumps and jingle his tambourine with infinite address. The instrumental performance of this Band is entirely original, being composed of the accompaniments of a Southern Congo medley, and played with a skill and mettle not equaled by any other four instruments that can be brought together. Emmit has a perfect library of negro music, which his ready ear has enabled him to collect at various places in the South, many pieces of which are the most exquisite musical gems in existence. Scarcely one of them has ever been published, or even heard in this part of the country, before. The harmony and skill with which the banjo, violin, castanets, and tambourine are blended by these truly original minstrels in their Ethiopian characters, is a redeeming feature to this species of amusements and cannot fail of making it acceptable to the most refined and sensitive audience. — N. Y. Courier.
The Virginia Minstrels — The four representatives of the song, laugh and humor of the Southern descendents of Ehiope’s clime, who have recently introduced a full and complete set of original glees and music, at the Park Theatre, take a benefit in evening, prior to their departure for merry England, ho! where they will delight and surprise those who have been partially astonished at the peculiarity of the musical graces of the sable sons of our Southern territory. — N. Y. Herald
The Virginia Minstrels — “Old Dan Tucker, & Co.” is the general title of this fantasy, composed of four of our best negro extravaganzists, viz: —Messrs. Pelham, Whitlock, Emmit, and Brower. On Thursday evening last, they gave a concert at the Cornucopia, on Park Row, and were greeted with a full house. Each plays a negro-like instrument. One uses the Banjo, a second a Violin, a third the Tambourine, and a fourth the Castanets made of bone. Their performances are very amusing, melodious, and what is better than all, entirely original. — Plebian
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The Cincinnati Music Commemorative Silver Half Dollar Coin shows with an image of an advertisement for the Virginia Minstrels, date unknown.
