Early in the 20th century, blackface branched off from the minstrel show and became a form in its own right. By the middle of the century, blackface minstrel shows had become a distinctive American artform, translating formal works such as opera into popular terms for a general audience. In the United States, the practice became common during the 19th century and contributed to the spread of racial stereotypes such as the 'happy-go-lucky darky on the plantation' or the ' dandified coon'. West minstrel show poster, originally published by the Strobridge Litho Co., shows the transformation from a person of European descent to a caricature of a dark-skinned person of African descent.īlackface is a form of theatrical makeup used predominantly by non- Black people to portray a caricature of a Black person.
