- Title:
- Beyond the exhibit : Zulu experiences in Britain and the United States, 1879-1884
- Creator:
- Bell, Erin Elizabeth Barbara
- Date Created:
- 2011
- Degree Awarded:
- Master of Arts
- Subjects:
- History African Americans History
- Geographical Focus:
- South Africa US Britain
- Supporting Materials:
- n/a
- Description:
- This thesis focuses on the experiences of a group of Zulu performers from South Africa who toured Britain and the United States from 1879 until 1884. It has two aims. First, this project will demonstrate that some Africans chose to negotiate, influence, and resist the terms under which they were being exhibited. They did so using a wide range of methods. Second, although negotiating their labour was an important part of their experiences, this thesis will demonstrate through the use of specific examples involving the Zulu troupe, that many African performers had a multitude of encounters, experiences, and relationships that had little to do with their performances. This thesis provides a more multifaceted, balanced, and comprehensive narrative of the African experience of performing in exhibitions than typically offered in the existing literature. By keeping the African experience at the forefront of analysis and narrative, this thesis challenges historical assumptions about African performers in exhibitions during the nineteenth century.
Source
- Preferred Citation:
- Bell, Erin Elizabeth Barbara. 2011. "Beyond the exhibit : Zulu experiences in Britain and the United States, 1879-1884", Department of History, Carleton University
- Link to this page:
- https://cuhistory.github.io/grads/items/hist_109.html
Rights
- Rights:
- Copyright the author, all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.