Tin windup toy of "Ham and Sam The Minstrel Team"
date: label: Date
content: 1921
name: label: Manufactured by
content: The Ferdinand Strauss Corporation, American, 1914 - 1927
notes: label: Description
content: Tin windup toy depicting two African American musicians; one figure plays the banjo while the other figure remains seated and plays the piano. The piano and chair that the pianist sits in have painted images of caricatured African Americans. The sheet music on the piano reads [DIXIE BLUES] at the top of each sheet. A tasseled blanket illustration drapes over the top of the piano and has black lettering which features prominently on the front of the piano. The text reads [HAM AND SAM/"THE MINSTREL TEAM"/TRADE MARK]. The banjo player, standing to the right of the piano player, is wearing red and white checkered pants, a green jacket with white and red trim, and a yellow top hat. The piano player is wearing a faded red and green outfit, with a red and green cap. A white sticker on the back of the piano in the bottom left corner reads, [LAST WOUND-UP/$650]. The Strauss Toys logo, a clown standing on a globe holding a banner aloft which reads [STRAUSS] with red text reading [TOYS] printed on the globe, is situated at the bottom center of the piano back. Beneath the logo is scripted black lettering which reads, [THE FERDINAND STRAUSS CORPORATION/New York, U.S.A./PATENTED BY UA M Co. OCT. 1921/OTHER PATENTS PENDING]. The metal loop on the PR side of the piano is used to wind the toy.
label: Statement
content: Objects depicting racist and/or stereotypical imagery or language may be offensive and disturbing, but the NMAAHC aims to include them in the Collection to present and preserve the historical context in which they were created and used. Objects of this type provide an important historical record from which to study and evaluate racism.
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Caricature and cartoons
label: Topic
content: Minstrel (Music)
label: Topic
content: Stereotypes
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Collection title
content: Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
label: Classification
content: Toys and Games
label: Classification
content: Racist and Stereotypical Objects
label: Exhibition
content: Taking the Stage
label: On View
content: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 054
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Collection of James M. Caselli and Jonathan Mark Scharer
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2007.7.474
objectType: label: Type
content: windup toys
label: Type
content: chromolithographs
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Public Domain
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: tin, oil paint
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: 7 1/2 × 6 1/2 × 5 in. (19.1 × 16.5 × 12.7 cm)