Portrait of William H. "Billy" West
- Metadata
Title
Portrait of William H. "Billy" West
Series Title
Collection Guide (External)
Created Date
November 8th, 1901
Description
This portrait of minstrel performer and owner William H. West is autographed to John Morrisey with the following note: "To John Morrisey, My friend since 1871 and your friend always. W.H. West. Paso Robles Cal. Nov. 8, 1901". The photo would have been signed a few months before West's death from cancer on February 15, 1902. William H. West (June 18, 1853 - February 15, 1902) was known as the "Progressive Minstrel", who emulated the British minstrel owner Sam Hague and became one of the first white owners of a minstrel troupe composed of black performers in the United States. Photograph was taken by Frederick Bushnell. Founder of one of the major West Coast photographic studio chains, Frederick Bushnell was originally an employee of Theodore C. Marceau. Bushnell established a chain of franchises, hiring photographers for the San Francisco studio, training them, and setting them up in various West Coast cities.
Creators and Contributors
Creator:
Bushnell, Frederick H.
Subject Topic
Subject Entity
Spatial Coverage
Media Type
Format
Photograph
Extent
2
Pages
Dimensions
8.33
x
10.875
in
Generation
Original
Copyright Statement
Public domain. No restrictions on use.
Country of Creation
United States
Contributing Organization
Call Number
000.009.035
Internet Archive (External)