Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Sir Lenny Henry performed on The Black and White Minstrel Show in the 1970s - Kevin Holt/Shutterstock Sir Lenny Henry has said he ...

In the 1840’s, across stages in America, minstrelsy was born. During performances, white actors would blacken their faces with burnt cork and wear tattered and unkempt clothing to mock African slaves.

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. John Boulter applies his make-up before the final performance of the Black and White Minstrels stage show at the Victoria Palace ...

Some of these blackface items date from before the formalization of the minstrel show in the 1840s, however most of the material dates from the 1840s-1850s. Many of the sheets have illustrated ...