NANTUCKET ATHENEUM RESEARCH
This page serves as a repository of original research conducted by the Atheneum reference staff, drawing on a diverse range of sources, in particular the historical newspaper archives available through our website.
Dragged Onstage: Nantucket’s first cross-dressing performer
Marshall S. Pike was a 19th-century performer known for his cross-dressing act as a female impersonator. Pike became the first female impersonator to perform for a president, James Polk, in 1847. Pike’s cross-dressing performances, often in exaggerated “old lady” roles, were a highlight of his shows. During the Civil War, he served as drum-major in the 22nd Massachusetts Infantry and was captured and imprisoned, returning to his music career after he was released. Pike retired in the 1860s and died in 1901, remembered for his pioneering role in cross-dressing performances.
All In The Family: family singers at the Nantucket Atheneum
In early America, music was central to life, shaped by diverse cultures and religious fervor. The Second Great Awakening used music to inspire social reform, including abolition and temperance. By the 1840s, music became commercialized, influenced by European performers and immigrant groups like the Rainer and Hughes families. The Hutchinson Family Singers rose to fame by blending hymns with activism, advocating for abolition and women’s rights. They performed for President Tyler, toured with Frederick Douglass, and helped shape a uniquely American musical identity while championing progressive causes.
Look Out for Scoundrels: Master Juba and the Georgia Champions
Minstrel shows, an American theater form from the early 19th century, featured white actors in blackface, reflecting racial prejudices of the time. The Georgia Champions, a troupe formed in 1845, included Master Juba, a pioneering Black dancer whose style influenced American dance.
While touring Nantucket, the troupe faced financial troubles, low attendance, and accusations of fraud, leading to their dissolution. Juba later gained international fame in London but struggled upon returning to the U.S.