Negro Dudes
by Judith Lile and Jim Sneed
The Schoenhut Negro Dudes |
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| Schoenhut called this figure the "Negro Dude". He appears to have been modeled after the minstrels popular at the time of the Humpty Dumpty circus. Minstrels were most usually a stage act. | |
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Two-part Head The two-part head dude was dressed with a black coat, black or light brown shoes, black (rarely white) hat, checkered pants tied to the shoes, a white vest (rarely yellow), a white shirt with red dots or other small designs, and a red and green bowtie. The pants are cut so that the pattern runs diagonally. The pants are usually black and white but sometimes found in brown and white. He has a collar made of stiffened shirt material. This one still retains his lapel flower. Keller Style I - Very Scarce
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One-part Head The one-part head was dressed in a yellow vest, purple
coat, and white hat. He has the same pants which are untied and cut so
that the pattern is horizontal. Notice the different design of the leg
ankle.
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One-part Head There can be a lot of differences in the face expressions of these pieces.
One-part Head The machining groves are evident on the head of this example. This head shows the same design as that of the one-part head clowns. Notice the forehead pattern. |
African Native - Faced Dude After Schoenhut stopped producing its Teddy Roosevelt sets, they
found that they had a number of African native heads remaining in their inventory,
so they added leather ears and made Dudes. Some collectors consider them
as another version of the African Chief for Teddy Roosevelt sets but it
is more likely that Schoenhut's intention was to substitute for Dudes.
Evidence of this are the addition of leather ears that protrude from the
head like other circus actors and the version's
relative abundance compared to other Teddy Roosevelt figures. This Dude's
vest is usually yellow but orange ones are sometimes found.
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Reduced size The reduced size negro dude was dressed much like the regular size. His hat, however, was made of wood.
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 Photo by Jim Sneed from the collection of Jim Sneed |
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