NMAH copy Purchased from the NMAH Library Endowment. "The history of American dance reflects the nation's tangled culture. Dancers from wildly different backgrounds watched, imitated, and stole from ...

The "Colored 400" was a term for the Black elite in Elmira and other cities during the Gilded Age. These social groups hosted elaborate balls and events, including cakewalks, for entertainment.

IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more. (Translated: The Cake Walk danced at ...

Five African Americans--three men and two women--perform a cakewalk, a dance featuring fancy strutting that was named after the prize awarded in the original contests. The dancers wear rather formal ...