Photo postcard showing a group of Black people dressed in white for the Chautauqua days in Sac City Iowa. They might be jubilee singers. White tents can be seen in the background.
The back has the publishers name on the left side: “F.C. Hoyt publisher Sac City, Iowa”
The message reads “Dear Miss Longman, I will be on train Saturday. Will look for you at Cedar Falls. Ethal H.” it is addressed to in pencil “2322 Olive” and in pen: “Miss Effie Longman Cedar Falls Iowa Normal Hill”
INFOHAWk+ states: “Founded in 1874 by businessman Lewis Miller and Methodist minister, later Bishop, John Heyl Vincent, Chautauqua’s initial incarnation was in western New York state on Lake Chautauqua. ;;;To its supporters it meant a chance for the community to gather for three to seven days to enjoy a course of lectures on a variety of subjects. Audiences also saw classic plays and Broadway hits and heard a variety of music from Metropolitan Opera stars to glee clubs to bell ringers. Many saw their first movies in the Circuit tents. Most important, the Circuit Chautauqua experience was critical in stimulating thought and discussion on important political, social and cultural issues of the day…..Numerous Jubilee Singers companies, based on the original from Fisk University, could be seen on the Circuits every summer. For the largely white audiences these spirituals demonstrated a very different way of seeing African Americans in performance than minstrelsy offered.” https://www.lib.uiowa.edu/sc/tc/
According to Traveling Culture: Circuit Chautauqua in the Twentieth Century: “Chautauqua assemblies represent an early embodiment of the American drive for self-realization and self-improvement.” “The first circuit Chautauqua appeared in 1904 and traveled to fifteen towns in Iowa. As with the early lyceum movements and Chautauqua assemblies, the goal of the circuit Chautauqua was to deliver educational, spiritual, and cultural stimulation to rural and small-town America. The standardized program consisted primarily of lectures (some motivational, instructional, or inspirational and others provocative or humorous), musical performances, variety acts, and dramatic readings.” https://sdrc.lib.uiowa.edu/traveling-culture/about.html