Ira Aldridge: Theatrical Trailblazer

Ira Aldridge as Othello
lithograph by S. Bühler, Mannheim, Germany, from a photograph by J. Chailloux
1854
12 × 912 in.; hand-colored
This fine example of a print has been hand-colored to give it a more life-like appearance and shows another version of Aldridge’s signature Othello costume. Note Aldridge’s autograph, addressed to Herr Weber, “with the kindest regards of Ira Aldridge.” Aldridge counted among his admirers many people from what are present-day Germany, Poland, and Russia, where he toured extensively. When he performed in these countries, he typically delivered his lines in English while fellow cast members performed in their own languages.

Exhibit content on this microsite is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.