In an act approved on March 21, 1906, the legislature made it unlawful for anyone "to present, or to participate in the presentation of, or to permit to be presented" in any "opera house, theater, hall, or other building under his control" any play "that is based upon antagonism alleged formerly to exist between master and slave, or that excites race prejudice." Violations of this act were to be punished by fines of not less than one hundred dollars or more than five hundred dollars or imprisonment for not less than one month or more than three months or both fine and imprisonment.
Uncle Tom's Cabin poster, ca. 1880. This poster may have been used to promote the production of Uncle Tom's Cabin at the Louisville Opera House. Author Harriet Beecher Stowe's famous, overly sentimental antislavery book was turned into unauthorized theatrical plays, called "Tom Shows." The shows spread common stereotypes about African Americans, many of which endure to this day. The negative associations have overshadowed the historical impact of the book. Donated by Wade Hall, 1998.86.62. Kentucky Historical Society Collections.
