The Web 1930 "The Odds and Ends"

The Web 1930 "The Odds and Ends"

This collage of photographs of of Westhampton College students  features a photograph on the bottom left which showcases a woman dressed in blackface. The woman is in costume and is standing next to another woman who is wearing what looks to be a white suit. The woman in blackface is dressed in a costume that was typical of the stereotypical "Mammy" representation. The "Mammy" figure is an archetype for a Southern black woman during the Antebellum period and the term itself is known as a derogatory and racist word due to the fact that it represents the oppression of many black women during slavery.  The image of the "Mammy" character usually includes dress that would be appropriate for completing housework (i.e.: an apron, a bonnet or head wrap, a basic dress), as the Westhampton student seems to be dressed in the photograph. It is included on a page called "Odds and Ends" which features candid shots of other Westhampton College women's activities.

Virginia Baptist Historical Society, The Web 1930: 238.

The Web, University of Richmond

1930

English

Web.238-1930.jpg

Richmond (Va.)