The McCormick minstrels on stage for the first of two winter performances at the McCormick Recreation Centre in Toronto on December 28, 1916.
Blackface was first brought to Toronto in 1841 when travelling American circuses visited the city. Archival documents show that blackface spread to areas outside traditional theatre such as athletic clubs, high schools, public parks, private businesses, and churches.
Image Credits: City of Toronto Archives
Toronto's adoption of Minstrel
