Exotic characters were an interpretation of fanciful ideas of the "other." In the way they chose to portray these characters, ballgoers reveal both their fascination and their ignorance. The fact that such portrayals were highly acceptable at the time shows how deeply rooted such ethnocultural and racial stereotypes are.
Ballgoers could improvise their garb from materials at hand, or they might wear actual costume collected from the peoples they portrayed. In some cases they used dark makeup.
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Miss Meredith as a Maid of Athens Ottawa, 1876 W.J. Topley National Archives of Canada, PA-197367 |
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Mr. Allan dressed as a Chinese Mandarin in 1876 and wore elements of the same costume on later occasions. While he believed he was wearing "a real Chinese nobleman's costume," his garment is actually a Chinese theatre costume associated with female roles.
Mr. Allan as a Mandarin |
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