Title

'If that's society, excuse me', 1900. Creator: Bert Cobb.

Caption

'If that's society, excuse me', 1900. 'Words by Rosamond Johnston; music by Bob Cole'. Two well-dressed black man stand in front of a building bearing the sign 'Geo[rge] Washington Whitewashing'. From a collection of sheet music, some examples of which depict African Americans in a derogatory way. Other examples are songs by white musicians purporting to be black.

Credit line

Photo12/Heritage Images/Heritage Art

Reference

HRM23A08_432

Model release

NA

Property release

NA

License type

Rights managed

Available size

79,2Mb (3,1Mb) / 15,4in x 20,0in / 4624 x 5985 (300dpi)

Keywords

unusual building buildings people black male library man men hat house houses music shopping shop shops arts country sign entertainment rich guy clothes color design dress location century gesturing clothing print score concept language offensive top hat top hats controversy African American African-American APPAREL sheet music whitewash hand gesture afro-american public library song controversial racism United States of America Colour vaudeville graphic design whitewashing 1900s 20th century New York Public Library NYPL racist American America USA united states Johnson Johnston Howley Cole tophat Heritage Art Dresser Rosamund Bob scores clothing & dress fashion & clothing implied racism racial stereotype derogatory Notated music coon song Bob Cole Bert Cobb Cobb Bert Albert Andrews Cobb Cobb Albert Andrews Haviland & Dresser Rosamond Johnson Rosamond Rosamond Johnston John Rosamond Johnson J. Rosamond John Rosamond Rosamund Johnson Howl