The Two Real Coons #1318

Caption from poster:_      George Walker (right) and Egbert Austin Williams (below) were a  vaudeville comedy team and had one of the most renowned and successful stage partnerships in American theatrical history. They started in separate careers and decided to team up when they met  in San Francisco in the early 1890s. Their first success came when they billed themselves "The Two Real Coons." This was at a time when minstrel shows featuring white actors in  black face were popular. Williams and Walker pioneered a new kind of "black" humor and eventually developed their own company. With musicals shows such as "Clorindy, the Origin of the Cakewalk," "Sons of Ham," "Bandana Land," and "In Dahomey," they opened the door for other African-American actors, singers, dancers and musicians and redefined the boundaries of legitimate Negro theater. Additionally, their efforts were a big influence on the development of American musical  comedy theater.   Bert Williams and George Walker