George N. Christy (born George Harrington) (November 6, 1827 – May 12, 1868) was one of the leading blackface performers during the early years of the blackface

minstrel show The minstrel show, also called minstrelsy, was an American form of racist theatrical entertainment developed in the early 19th century. Each show consisted of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music performances that depicted people spec ...

in the 1840s. Born in Palmyra, New York, his career began as a star performer with his stepfather E. P. Christy's troupe

Christy's Minstrels Christy's Minstrels, sometimes referred to as the Christy Minstrels, were a blackface group formed by Edwin Pearce Christy, a well-known ballad singer, in 1843, in Buffalo, New York. They were instrumental in the solidification of the minstrel s ...

; in two and a half years with them he earned $19,680, a fortune for those times. Jim Comer credits him with inventing "the line", the structured grouping that constituted the first act of the standardized 3-act minstrel show, with the interlocutor in the middle and "Mr. Tambo" and "Mr. Bones" on the ends.It is possible that he has him confused with E.P. Christy. He died in New York City from

cerebral edema Cerebral edema is excess accumulation of fluid ( edema) in the intracellular or extracellular spaces of the brain. This typically causes impaired nerve function, increased pressure within the skull, and can eventually lead to direct compres ...

in 1868.

Notes

Sources

''The National cyclopaedia of American biography'', Volume 7

References

* Belcher, W.H.

originally from ''Passaic County Historical Publication'', Vol. II, No. 1, September 1, 1931. Retrieved September 6, 2005. * Comer, Jim
Every Time I Turn Around: Rite, Reversal, and the end of blackface minstrelsy
Retrieved September 6, 2005. * Lott, Eric. ''Love and Theft: Blackface Minstrelsy and the American Working Class''. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993. .

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