The Mammy Archetype: A Black Maiden Syndrome
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Nancy Green
While Beavers’ continued success and notoriety in the film industry is important, what is even more intriguing is the concept behind Beavers’ character in Imitation of Life. Aunt Delilah was a character conceived from the Aunt Jemima pancake mix Mammy, portrayed by Nancy Green from 1890 until her death in 1923. Nancy Green born a slave in Kentucky in 1834; was hired by the R.T. Davis Milling Company (1890) to represent ‘Aunt Jemima. The brand was conceived after being mentioned in a minstrel show song performed by Billy Kersands-an African-American comedian and dancer, entitled Old Aunt Jemima (1875).
With executives of the company looking for a Mammy caricature to publicly advertise their brand, the company hired Green; after her successful showing at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exhibition. A recent depiction of ‘Aunt Jemima’ has been transformed from the Mammy archetype, into a more befitting image of a Black woman.
Nancy Green, a former slave, served as the original model for Aunt Jemima.
Portrait of Nancy Green as “Aunt Jemima” by A. B. Frost
“Aunt Jemima was a minstrel “mammy” character most likely first performed by a white man in drag and blackface makeup, possibly as early as the 1840s.
Nancy Green was hired to embody her by the RT Davis Milling Co.with the slogan, “I’s in town, honey!” at the 1893 Columbia World’s Fair, or “World’s Columbian Exposition.”
That exposition was famously protested by Ida B. Wells for its savage “African Village” exhibit and lack of fair representation of Black performers.”
” Nancy Green (November 17, 1834 – September 23, 1923) was a storyteller, cook, activist, and one of the first African-American models hired to promote a corporate trademark as “Aunt Jemima. Green was born into slavery on March 4, 1834, in Montgomery County, Kentucky. She was hired in 1890 by the R.T. Davis Milling Company in St. Joseph, Missouri, to represent “Aunt Jemima”, an advertising person named after a song from a minstrel show. Davis Milling had recently acquired the formula to a ready-mixed, self-rising pancake flour from St. Joseph Gazette editor Chris L. Rutt and Charles Underwood and was looking to employ an African-American woman as a Mammy archetype to promote their new product.
In 1893 Green was introduced as Aunt Jemima at the World’s Columbian Exposition held in Chicago, where it was her job to operate a pancake-cooking display. Her amicable personality and talent as a cook helped establish a successful showing of the product, for which she received a medal and certificate from the Expo officials.
Aunt Jemima at 1893 Expo-Ladies Home Journal
After the Expo, Green was offered a lifetime contract to adopt the Aunt Jemima moniker and promote the pancake mix. This marked the beginning of a major promotional push by the company that included thousands of personal appearances and Aunt Jemima merchandising. Nancy Green maintained her job with Davis Milling (which was renamed Aunt Jemima Mills Company in 1914) until 1923 when she died” –
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
NANCY GREEN
As with food advertisements, the Mammy caricature also appeared in numerous cartoons throughout the 1940s; the most recognizable figure was that of ‘Mammy Two Shoes’, in the Tom and Jerry Cartoon series.
First appearing on Feb 10, 1940, in the Puss Gets the Boot episode, ‘Mammy Two Shoes’ was voiced by Lillian Randolph and had a high-pitched, Black southern colloquial dialect. Randolph, who also had earlier roles on The Beulah Show, was said to have been chosen because show’s producers were searching for someone to voice a character similar to that of Hattie McDaniel’s ‘Mammy’ from GWTW. ‘Mammy Two Shoes’ appeared within the series for twelve years and was later redrawn into a thinly framed white woman; the face of ‘Mammy Two Shoes’ was never shown except briefly in the ending credits of one episode.
The Mammy archetype has long existed within our history and has provided opportunities for Black actresses to pursue entertainment careers. Although many of their careers were limited, and the Mammy archetype was derived from insensitive cultural understanding during the post-slavery era, many Black actresses still face the challenges of being cast into subservient roles today. We as a culture have not entirely moved away from our obsession with the Mammy archetype, as recently seen with The Help (2009).
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“The woman we know as Aunt Jemima is, in fact, a real person, but her real name was actually Nancy Green. The famous Aunt Jemima recipe is not hers, but she was one of the first African American models in history to become the face of a popular food product.
It was actually two white guys, Chris L. Rutt and Charles Underwood, who came up with the idea to create a ready-mixed, self-rising pancake flour with a Black woman’s face on the box. Rutt came up with the name after watching a white actress perform in blackface during a minstrel show. During her performance, she sang a song called “Old Aunt Jemima” and he thought the name had a ring to it.
They filed the “Aunt Jemima” trademark in 1893, but the Aunt Jemima pancake mix did not debut until 1889. At that time, Rutt and Underwood had sold the brand to the R.T. Davis Milling Company in St. Joseph, Missouri, who decided to hire a model to be the face of Aunt Jemima.
Nancy Green was the woman they hired, and the product was an instant hit across the country.
Green reportedly earned a lot of money, was very well-recognized, and worked for 33 years helping to promote the brand. In her personal life, she even became known and well-respected for her work as an advocate who spoke out against poverty and equal rights in Chicago.
Unfortunately, Green died on August 30, 1923, in Chicago after being in a car accident.”
“The branding of the syrup was a tribute to this woman’s gifts and talents. Now future generations will not even know this beautiful woman existed. What a shame. The world knew her as “Aunt Jemima”, but her given name was Nancy Green and she was a true American success story. She was born a slave in 1834 Montgomery County, KY. and became a wealthy superstar in the advertising world, as its first living trademark. Green was 56-yrs old when she was selected as spokesperson for a new ready-mixed, self-rising pancake flour and made her debut in 1893 at a fair and exposition in Chicago. She demonstrated the pancake mix and served thousands of pancakes, and became an immediate star. She was a good storyteller, her personality was warm and appealing, and her showmanship was exceptional. Her exhibition booth drew so many people that special security personnel were assigned to keep the crowds moving. Nancy Green was signed to a lifetime contract, traveled on promotional tours all over the country, and was extremely well paid. Her financial freedom and stature as a national spokesperson enabled her to become a leading advocate against poverty and in favor of equal rights for all Americans. She maintained her job until her death in 1923, at age 89. This was a remarkable woman, and sadly she has been ERASED by politics. I wanted you to know and remind you in this cancel culture time period.”
From August 1955 to July 1970 Aunt Jemima’s Kitchen was in Disneyland, overlooking the Rivers of America. Today, this space is know as the River Belle Terrace.
ETHEL WATERS
The Woman Many Consider The First Black American Superstar, Singer/Actress, Ethel Waters, Died September 1, 1977. Born October 31, 1896, Waters Began Her Career Was A Nightclub Singer, Using The Stage Name, “Sweet Mama Stringbean.” During The 1920’s And 1930’s She Recorded Numerous Hit Songs Including “Stormy Weather,” “Am I Blue?,” “Dinah,” “The Saint Louis Blues” And “Oh Daddy.”
“ETHEL WATERS WAS THE FIRST BLACK TELEVISION STAR.”
“Ethel Waters’ life (1896-1977) spanned an entire music, radio, television, film and Jim Crow era.”
“Ethel Waters was the first African American star in a sponsored and syndicated coast-to-coast radio show.”}
She Made History, When She Starred As Hagar In Mamba’s Daughters, A 1939 Broadway Production. She Was The First Black Woman To Play A Lead Role On Broadway. During The War Years Ethel Waters Appeared In Movies Such As Cairo (1942), Stage Door Canteen (1943) And Cabin In The Sky (1943). She Was Nominated For A 1949 Academy Award, For Her Role As The Grandmother, In The Film, Pinky. She Was Nominated For An Oscar A Second Time, In 1955, For Her Role As The Cook In The Movie, The Member Of The Wedding. Waters Received The New York Critics Award For That Same Role In The Stage Version Of The Member Of The Wedding. It Was Also In The Stage Version That She First Sang What Would Become Her Signature Tune, “His Eye Is On The Sparrow.”
Ethel Waters, and Fredi Washington on the set of the Broadway play “Mamba’s Daughters” – Empire Theatre, (1939)
The Martin Beck Theatre (now the Al Hirschfeld) on October 25, 1940: “Cabin in the Sky,” with music by Vernon Duke, lyrics by John La Touche, and vocal arrangements by Hugh Martin, under the direction of George Balanchine, and with the Katherine Dunham Dancers, opens, beginning a run of 156 performances.
The star is Ethel Waters, and she is joined by Ms. Dunham, Georgia Duke, Rex Ingram, and Dooley Wilson.
“Cabin in the Sky,” with Ethel Waters, Lena Horne, Rex Ingram, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington, would be the first feature film for Vincente Minnelli, in 1943.
Born in Chester, Pennsylvania, Waters went to New York City in 1919 after singing and dancing on the East Coast and the Southern vaudeville and cabaret circuit. Due to her slender appearance, she was billed as Sweet Mama String-bean. In 1921, she cut two songs for Cardinal Records and became the first artist to release a blues record on the Black-owned Black Swan label, recording “Down Home Blues” and “Oh Daddy.”
“Supper Time” is a popular song written by Irving Berlin for the 1933 musical As Thousands Cheer, where it was introduced by Ethel Waters. The song is about racial violence inspired by a newspaper headline about a lynching.
In performing the song Waters drew on her experience of staying with a family in Macon in Georgia. A man of the family had been lynched shortly before Waters’ arrival in Macon and she spoke of the fact that “nothing was said, but oh the grief that, you know, and the fear. …you never sensed the pall that comes over it. Oh, it was just—you could feel it. You didn’t see nothing. This is an actual fact. I don’t know if I can express it the way that I would without the Lord’s help”. Berlin later said that people told him he was “crazy to write a dirge like that”, but felt that the satirical musical required a serious song. The song was inspired by the lynching of an African-American man in Florida that Berlin had read about
With smooth, well-defined phrasing and a meticulous sense of timing, the singing style of Ethel Waters rated with the best of the era’s vocalists. By the mid-1920s, Waters had stopped singing the blues. Her style changed to that of a successful pop singer. Waters performed in a number of revues, including “Africana,” “Paris Bound,” and “The Ethel Waters Broadway Revue.” In 1929 she landed her first acting role in the film “On with the Show.” She appeared in “Pinky” in 1949, which won her an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress.
THE TRINITY IN ADVERTISING:
“Ironically, Nancy Green, Frank Brown & Frank L. White, All Have Last Names, That Describe Colors!
They Were Also THREE (3) Of The FIRST BLACKS To Become LIVING TRADEMARKS, In The World Of Advertising!! They Comprise What Has Been Called, THE TRINITY IN ADVERTISING
AUNT JEMIMA: The World Knew Her As “Aunt Jemima,” But Her Given Name Was NANCY GREEN, A Black Storyteller Who Was Born A Slave, March 4, 1834, & One Of The First Black Corporate Models In the United States.
The Famous Aunt Jemima Recipe Was Not Hers, But She Became The Advertising World’s FIRST LIVING TRADEMARK. Miss Green Was Born A Slave, In Montgomery County, Kentucky. Chris Rutt, A Newspaperman, & Charles Underwood, Bought The Pearl Milling Company & Had The Original Idea Of Developing & Packaging A Ready-Mixed, Self-Rising Pancake Flour. To Survive In A Highly Competitive Business, The Men Needed An Image For Their Product.
In 1889, Rutt Attended A Vaudeville Show Where He Heard A Song Called “Aunt Jemima” Sung By A Blackface Performer Who, Was Wearing An Apron & Bandanna Headband. He Decided To Call Their Pancake Flour “Aunt Jemima.” Rutt & Underwood Were Broke, So in 1890, They Sold The Formula To The R.T. Davis Milling Company. Davis Began Looking For A Black Woman To Employ As A Living Trademark For His Product, & Found Nancy Green In Chicago. In1893 Green Was Introduced As Aunt Jemima At The World’s Columbian Exposition Held in Chicago. Green, As “Aunt Jemima,” Demonstrated The Pancake Mix! The Davis Milling Company Received Over 50,000 Orders. Nancy Green Was Signed To A Lifetime Contract & Traveled On Promotional Tours All Over the Country. Nancy Green Kept Her Job, Until A Car Crash In Chicago, Killed Her, On September 23, 1923. The Davis Company Also Ran Into Money Problems, & The Quaker Oats Company Purchased The Aunt Jemima Mills In 1925.
RASTUS: Rastus, The Cream Of Wheat Chef, Was Created Around 1890, By Emery Mapes, One Of The Owners Of North Dakota’s Diamond Milling Company. When Looking For An Image To Appear On Their Company’s “Middling” (Farina) Breakfast Porridge, Mapes, A Former Printer, Reportedly, Remembered The Image Of A Black Chef, Used On A Logo For A Skillet. Using The Skillet As A Template, & Calling His Product, “Cream of Wheat,” The First Packages Went Public. The Original Logo, Featuring The Chef, Named Rastus, Was Used Until The 1920s, When The Woodcut Image Was Replaced By The Face Of FRANK L. WHITE, A Chicago Chef Who Was Paid $5.00 To Pose In A Chef’s Hat & Jacket. The Face Of Frank L. White Has Been Featured On the Box, With Only Slight Modifications, Until The Present Day. Note: Rastus Was The General Name, Used To Describe A “Stereotypically, Happy Black Man” & Became A Familiar, Generic Character, In Minstrel Shows.
UNCLE BEN: The REAL Uncle Ben Was A Rice Farmer From Houston,Texas Whose Rice Crop, Continually Won Awards For Its High Quality In The 1940s. Gordon L. Harwell, Who Later Became President Of The Uncle Ben’s Converted Rice Company, Was Dinning In A Chicago Restaurant With His Partner – Planning The Development Of The Company, When He Saw The Person Whose Familiar Face Is Now Widely Known As Uncle Ben. Harwell & His Partner Decided To Name The Company After Deceased Farmer, Uncle Ben. To Represent Uncle Ben, The Men Used The Restaurant’s Maitre d’, FRANK BROWN. Many Black Americans Object to the Term “Uncle” (or “Aunt”), When Used In This Context, As It Was A Southern Form Of Address, First Used With Older Enslaved Peoples, Since They Were Denied Use Of Courtesy Titles.”
Lena Richard
(September 9, 1892 – November 27, 1950)
Chef, cookbook author, restaurateur, frozen food entrepreneur, and television host from New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1949, Richard became the first Black woman to host her own television cooking show.
Her show aired from October 1949 – November 1950 on local television station WDSU.
Richard began her culinary training working as a domestic worker employed by the Vairin family of New Orleans.
Alice and Nugent Vairin would later send Richard to the Fannie Farmer Cooking School in Boston.
After graduation in 1918, Richard returned to New Orleans and a few years later started a catering business. During the next two decades, she started multiple businesses and also worked as a cook at the Orleans Club, an elite organization for White women.
In 1937, Richard and her daughter, Marie, started a cooking school. As historian Ashley Rose Young writes, “Richard’s school targeted young Black men and women. She sought to train them in the culinary sciences so as to give them a chance to make a career for themselves in a city that historically disenfranchised African Americans.”
“In 1939, Richard self-published Lena Richard’s Cook Book. A year later, Houghton-Mifflin reissued her book with a new title, New Orleans Cook Book.”
Richard traveled to promote her book in the New York City, where she sold 700 copies during a one-month trip. She was also featured in both the New York Times and The Times Herald Tribune. Richard was recruited to be the head chef at Bird and Bottle Inn in Garrison, New York, where she worked for 18 months starting in 1940.
Richard soon returned to New Orleans and opened Lena’s Eatery in November 1941.
She was recruited by Colonial Williamsburg to be the chef at the Travis House, where she cooked for dignitaries and military leaders from 1943 until 1945.
In 1946, Richard started a frozen food business, creating fully cooked packaged dinners that were flown across in the United States. The meals were prepared by Bordelon Fine Foods Company of Metairie.
In 1949, Richard opened her last restaurant, The Gumbo House.
It employed most of Richard’s family and remained open after her death.
Information taken from various Internet sources.
Photo: Lena Richard on the set of her cooking show. c1949
