alb3805873

The Cakewalk, 1897

The Cakewalk, July 6th, 1897. The Cake-Walk or Cakewalk was a dance developed from the "Prize Walks" held in the late 19th century, generally at get-togethers on black slave plantations in the Southern United States. Alternative names for the original form of the dance were "chalkline-walk", and the "walk-around". At the conclusion of a performance of the original form of the dance in an exhibit at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, an enormous cake was awarded to the winning couple. Thereafter it was performed in minstrel shows, exclusively by men until the 1890s. The inclusion of women in the cast "made possible all sorts of improvisations in the Walk, and the original was soon changed into a grotesque dance" which became very popular across the country.

Share
Pinterest
Twitter
Facebook
Copy link
Email

Add to another lightbox

Do you already have an account? Sign in

You do not have an account? Register

Buy this image. Select the use:

Title: The Cakewalk, 1897

Caption: The Cakewalk, July 6th, 1897. The Cake-Walk or Cakewalk was a dance developed from the "Prize Walks" held in the late 19th century, generally at get-togethers on black slave plantations in the Southern United States. Alternative names for the original form of the dance were "chalkline-walk", and the "walk-around". At the conclusion of a performance of the original form of the dance in an exhibit at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, an enormous cake was awarded to the winning couple. Thereafter it was performed in minstrel shows, exclusively by men until the 1890s. The inclusion of women in the cast "made possible all sorts of improvisations in the Walk, and the original was soon changed into a grotesque dance" which became very popular across the country.

Category: people • Historical & Fine Arts • black & white

Credit: Album / Science Source / Library of Congress

Releases: ? Model Release: No - ? Property Release: No
Rights questions?

Image size: 4770 × 3858 px | 52.7 MB

Print size: 40.4 × 32.7 cm | 1878.0 × 1518.9 in (300 dpi)

Keywords: 1890S • 1897 • 19TH CENTURY • AFRICAN-AMERICAN • AMERICA • AMERICAN FLAG • AMERICAN • AMUSEMENT • BLACK & WHITE • BLACK (SKIN COLOUR) • BLACK MALE • BLACK MAN • BLACK MEN • BLACK WOMAN • BLACK WOMEN • BLACK • CAKE-WALK • CAKEWALK • CELEBRITIES • CELEBRITY • CHALKLINE-WALK • DANCE • DANCER • DANCING FAD • DIVERSION • DIVERTISSEMENT • ENTERTAINMENT • ENTERTAINMENTS • FAMOUS PEOPLE • FAMOUS • FASHION • FASHIONABLE • HISTORIC • HISTORICAL & FINE ARTS • HISTORICAL • HISTORY • IMPORTANT • JULY 6 • JULY 6TH • MAN • MEN • NOTABLE POPULAR • OLD GLORY • PEOPLE • PHOTO • PHOTOGRAPH • PRIZE WALK • STARS AND STRIPES • TOP HAT • TOPHAT • TRADITIONAL • TUX • TUXEDO • UNITED STATES • US • USA • WALK-AROUND • WELL-KNOWN