New exhibition on Lawrence-born Black theater performer to open Thursday at Watkins Museum

photo by: Austin Hornbostel/Journal-World

The Watkins Museum of History is pictured Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022.

A new exhibition celebrating the life and cultural contributions of a Lawrence actor, writer and producer who revolutionized Black American theater during the early twentieth century will open at the Watkins Museum this week.

“In the Spotlight: Lawrence’s George “Nash” Walker,” features items from the personal collection of Daniel Atkinson, the co-curator and the author of a recent book, “The Rediscovery of George “Nash” Walker.” The collection includes photographs, ephemera of Walker’s performances and business ventures and recordings of Walker’s performances, according to a press release.

Walker was among the first Black actors to break into Vaudeville shows — the first mass-produced entertainment in the U.S., which was popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. When Black characters were portrayed in these shows, they often were played by white actors wearing blackface and were stereotyped as intellectually inferior.

Walker and his acting partner, a fellow Black actor named Bert Williams, subverted the racist stereotypes in their act, which became hugely popular with audiences in the 1890s. The two later starred in “In Dahomey” in 1903, which was the first full-length Black musical staged on Broadway.

Atkinson said having the opportunity to share his research materials at the Watkins brings the 10-year process of working on the biography of Walker “full circle.” He said bringing the story of Walker back to Lawrence 150 years after his birth is something he is “overjoyed to be a part of.”

Andrew Stockmann, the curator of exhibitions for the Watkins Museum, thanked Atkinson in the release for the research of Walker’s life, saying it “has long been underappreciated.”

“Atkinson’s work and this exhibition shine a light on this deeply impactful figure who got his start just a few blocks from the museum,” Stockmann said.

The museum noted that quotations and documents in this exhibition are presented in their original context, and some include offensive images and language and may be inappropriate for some viewers. Content warning signs will be posted to direct visitors looking to bypass the parts of the exhibition in question.

The exhibit will be on view in the museum’s second floor gallery from Thursday, Oct. 23, until April 4, 2026, with a special event for the opening of the exhibit Thursday night from 7 to 8 p.m.

The museum, 1047 Massachusetts St., is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday. Admission to the museum and the new exhibition is free.