by Tiffany Cruz
In exploring the lives and legacies of these individuals, we uncover common threads of resilience, artistry, and trailblazing contributions within their respective artistic fields. Ira Aldridge, celebrated for his Shakespearean performances and activism, broke racial barriers in theater. George Bridgetower, a child prodigy and esteemed violinist, captivated European audiences and collaborated with Beethoven. Fanny Eaton, a muse for the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, inspired numerous works of art with her natural beauty and presence. Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, an innovative composer, fused African-American folk music with classical traditions, gaining acclaim in both Britain and the United States. Finally, Pablo Fanque, a pioneering circus proprietor, captivated Victorian audiences and left a lasting legacy, even inspiring The Beatles. Together, their stories highlight the profound impact of Black artists and performers on 19th-century culture.
IRA ALDRIDGE
Alridge was born in New York City on July 24th, 1807. Born to a family of pastors, Aldridge was able to obtain a classical education at the African Free School where he was introduced to the arts. He began acting at 15 and apprenticed under James Hewlett, a fellow Black Shakespearean actor. He soon realized that the United States wasn’t the place he wanted to be, the rampant racism towards Black actors made him emigrate to England in 1824.
In 1825 The Royal Coburg Theatre (now called the ‘Old Vic’) held a production of the Revolt of Surinam written by Thomas Southerne, an adaptation of Aphra Behn’s novel Oroonoko . Aldridge starred as Oroonoko. At the Covent Garden Theatre in 1833 Alridge took on the role of Othello replacing Edmund Kean after his sudden death. This role would be one of many Shakespearean characters he went on to play which gave him the nickname the “African Roscius.”
Aldridge played at more than 250 theaters across Britain and Ireland and throughout mainland Europe. He spoke out against enslavement and racial injustice making him a pivotal influence in the arts scene of the nineteenth century.
“True feeling and just expression are not confined to any clime or colour.“
Ira Aldridge
GEORGE BRIDGETOWER
Bridgetower was a musician of Polish and African ancestry approximately born in the 1780’s (his exact date of birth is debated). His father worked in the household of Prince Esterhazy in Hungary. The castle had an opera house which exposed Bridgetower to the arts at a young age.
He became a child prodigy having his debut performance in April 1789 in Paris, France at just ten years old. He traveled with his father holding concerts in London, Bath, and Brighton. King George III attended the concert in Bath praising Bridgetower’s performance.
Ludwig von Beethoven composed his Kreutzer Sonata for Bridgetower and they performed this together. He spent his final years in London and was buried in the Kensal Green Cemetery.
FANNY EATON
Eaton was born in Jamaica in 1835, her mother brought her to London when she was an infant after the abolition of enslavement in the British colonies. She married James Eaton who was a horse-cab driver and they had ten children. It was during this time that Eaton started to model at the Royal Academy of the Arts.
Eaton was called the “Pre-Raphaelite Muse.” The Pre-Raphaelites were an art movement that was founded in London in 1848, they opposed the Royal Academy’s resurgence of Raphaelite inspired art wanting to go back to a more natural style that depicted realistic subjects. She became a popular model inspiring many portraits during her modeling career.
SAMuEL COLERIDGE-TAYLOR
Coleridge-Taylor was born in Croydon, England in South London in 1875. His father was a doctor in Sierra Leone but he came to England when his son was born but he could not practice medicine so he left again leaving Coleridge-Taylor with his mother. At the age of five he began to play violin, joining a choir in Croydon. He was guided by H.A. Walters who helped him get into the Royal College of Music, located in South Kensington in 1890.
Coleridge-Taylor was famous for incorporating African-American folk songs into his compositions combined with his classical training. This allowed him to become popular in the United States and he toured in 1904, 1906, and 1910. He taught at Trinity College of Music and continued to conduct and compose music until his death in 1912.
PABLO FANQUE
Fanque, born William Darby, was born in Norwich in 1810. Recounts of his early life are filled with different contradictions so not much is known. At the age of ten he became an apprentice to William Batty, a circus proprietor In 1847 he made his London debut at Astley’s Amphitheatre on Westminster Bridge Road. The Queen and Royal family were in attendance.
His circus operated for thirty years where he performed all over England, Ireland, and Scotland. His legacy was explored through the Beatles song, “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!” released in 1967. In this song the lyrics come from one of a promotional poster of Fanque that John Lennon found in an antique shop in Sevenoaks. This song allows for Fanque’s life to be celebrated.
Work Cited
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Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! (Remastered 2009), 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJVWZy4QOy0.
“Fanny Eaton: Jamaican Pre-Raphaelite Muse | Art UK.” Accessed July 9, 2023. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/fanny-eaton-jamaican-pre-raphaelite-muse.
George Bridgetower – Henry: A Ballad – Arr. String Quartet, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpporM2P-UQ.
“George Bridgetower (1780-1860) •.” Accessed July 9, 2023. https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/bridgetower-george-1780-1860/.
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Traditional: Deep River (Arr. Coleridge-Taylor, Kanneh-Mason). Accessed July 9, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_KMY_D9W4M.
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