Minstrel Frolic of April 1913

In August 2025 the Jamaica Plain Historical Society acquired this program from an online reseller. The JP Council of the Knights of Columbus occupied a building (not extant) at the corner of Green and Rockview Streets. But they rented out the New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall for this 1913 show.

Editor’s Note: The JPHS doesn’t condone the racial stereotypes of minstrel shows. However, we present this program as a snapshot of attitudes and retail establishments in Jamaica Plain in 1913. For more on the history of blackface and minstrel shows in America we encourage you to read this article from the National Museum of African American History & Culture https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/blackface-birth-american-stereotype

Cover

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3 with cast list

Page 4

page 5 - second part of the programme

Page 6 - final list of cast

Page 7 - auxiliary cast

Page 8 - further auxiliary cast