"Jazzbo Jim" Wind Up Toy

This catalog is an ongoing project as we continue adding new pieces and researching listed items. If you have any information about an object in this collection, please reach out to us at info@aahafauquier.org

Description:

1921 "Jazzbo Jim: The Dancer on the Roof” tin wind up toy. This object depicts a black man playing a banjo on top of a miniature house. The words “Jazzbo Jim” can be seen on the front and back of the house, alongside stereotypical black caricatures. These caricatures appear on all sides of the house. The wind up feature on the left side no longer works but would have originally produced music and caused the man to dance while strumming his banjo.

Product Origin:

The U.S.A.

Background:

To learn more about this caricature read "The Coon Caricature"

To learn more about minstrel shows read “Blackface: The Birth of An American Stereotype”

Statement: We understand these objects may inflict offense through their embodiment of racist ideology by depicting stereotypical and discriminatory imagery and language. However, we hope to educate our community and encourage personal reflection through interacting and understanding the historical context of these objects, rather than ignoring them.