It's a perennial event.
Practically every scholastic year
since the invention of photographic printing,
students around America
gather on some well lit portico
to have their class pictures taken
for the annual school yearbook.
Practically every scholastic year
since the invention of photographic printing,
students around America
gather on some well lit portico
to have their class pictures taken
for the annual school yearbook.
A skilled photographer wastes no time,
as a seemingly endless parade of students
must march onto the steps
and arrange themselves for the camera.
The shutter clicks for every athletic team.
Coaches assemble all their players for
baseball, basketball, football,
soccer, hockey, track, and more.
Then there is metal shop, wood shop,
as a seemingly endless parade of students
must march onto the steps
and arrange themselves for the camera.
The shutter clicks for every athletic team.
Coaches assemble all their players for
baseball, basketball, football,
soccer, hockey, track, and more.
Then there is metal shop, wood shop,
French club, debate club, chess club, drama club,
glee club, ukulele club, honor societies, service sororities,
academic and hobby clubs,
glee club, ukulele club, honor societies, service sororities,
academic and hobby clubs,
and of course the school's band and orchestra.
These young musicians are dressed
in their very best suits and frocks.
The number of sweaters, vests, and coats
suggest it is autumn weather
which no doubt worries the photographer
that wind, clouds, or rain will spoil his work.
in their very best suits and frocks.
The number of sweaters, vests, and coats
suggest it is autumn weather
which no doubt worries the photographer
that wind, clouds, or rain will spoil his work.
Standing on the right beside his musicians
is the school's music director
holding a very long baton.
is the school's music director
holding a very long baton.
Their smiles and grins speak for the comradery
in the teamwork required of any musical ensemble.
Placed front and center is the bass drum
with the ensemble's name stenciled on the drumhead.
in the teamwork required of any musical ensemble.
Placed front and center is the bass drum
with the ensemble's name stenciled on the drumhead.
High School
of
Commerce
Band
and
Orchestra
of
Commerce
Band
and
Orchestra
Like most orchestras
the strings are in front
and the winds and brass at the back.
Later in the spring when the yearbook is published
everyone will try to guess the little face
smiling through the door window.
the strings are in front
and the winds and brass at the back.
Later in the spring when the yearbook is published
everyone will try to guess the little face
smiling through the door window.
Altogether there are 34 musicians
in the High School of Commerce.
Surprisingly nearly all are string players
and almost half are girls.
And yet one young man on trumpet
sticks out as the only African-American.
in the High School of Commerce.
Surprisingly nearly all are string players
and almost half are girls.
And yet one young man on trumpet
sticks out as the only African-American.
Beneath the large 8" x 10" photo
is a caption written in ink.
Photo by Bosworth Studio
1932
is a caption written in ink.
Photo by Bosworth Studio
1932
The photo's back has a penciled note:
Springfield, Mass.
but it was easy to confirm the location
as once a photographer finds a good background
he sets his camera in the same place every year.
Springfield, Mass.
but it was easy to confirm the location
as once a photographer finds a good background
he sets his camera in the same place every year.
This next image is the Springfield, Massachusetts
High School of Commerce Band and Orchestra
from the school's 1929 yearbook, The Caduceus.
The director that year was Mr. Leroy W. Allen.
He is at the back center,
but he is not the same man
as in the 1932 photo.
High School of Commerce Band and Orchestra
from the school's 1929 yearbook, The Caduceus.
The director that year was Mr. Leroy W. Allen.
He is at the back center,
but he is not the same man
as in the 1932 photo.
 |
| Springfield MA High School of Commerce 1929 The Caduceus yearbook Band and Orchestra |
The High School of Commerce was built around 1910,
and the building is still standing in Springfield
with little change to the distinguished front portico entrance.
and the building is still standing in Springfield
with little change to the distinguished front portico entrance.
 |
| Springfield, MA High School of Commerce |
Vintage photos of school bands and orchestras
from the 1930s and earlier are very common.
Based on my observation of the many photos
in my collection, girls and boys did not often mix
in co-educational musical groups until the 1920s.
This may be because in most primary and secondary schools
extracurricular activities like sports, clubs, and bands
were not formally supported by school systems in the 19th century.
from the 1930s and earlier are very common.
Based on my observation of the many photos
in my collection, girls and boys did not often mix
in co-educational musical groups until the 1920s.
This may be because in most primary and secondary schools
extracurricular activities like sports, clubs, and bands
were not formally supported by school systems in the 19th century.
However finding a person of color
in an antique photo of mostly young white musicians
is very uncommon.
America's history of segregation
and the struggle to achieve equality and justice
for African-Americans is long and complicated.
It is very rare to find
photographic examples of exceptions
to how our society was once subject
to the divisive separation by race.
in an antique photo of mostly young white musicians
is very uncommon.
America's history of segregation
and the struggle to achieve equality and justice
for African-Americans is long and complicated.
It is very rare to find
photographic examples of exceptions
to how our society was once subject
to the divisive separation by race.
But even more extraordinary
is that this photo of a high school orchestra
with a single black musician
is the second photo like this
that came from Springfield, Mass.
is that this photo of a high school orchestra
with a single black musician
is the second photo like this
that came from Springfield, Mass.
I wrote a story about the first one in May 2013
entitled The Springfield Technical High School Orchestra.
entitled The Springfield Technical High School Orchestra.
Seated on the front steps around the bass drum
are three young ladies of color with violins.
are three young ladies of color with violins.
This photo did not have any caption or note
to date it accurately
but I believe it was taken
sometime between 1918 and 1928.
In 2019 the Technical High School has moved to a new location,
but in the 1920s - 30s the two Springfield high schools
were both off of State St. about 1/2 miles apart.
Certainly within earshot for the sound of drums and brass.
to date it accurately
but I believe it was taken
sometime between 1918 and 1928.
In 2019 the Technical High School has moved to a new location,
but in the 1920s - 30s the two Springfield high schools
were both off of State St. about 1/2 miles apart.
Certainly within earshot for the sound of drums and brass.
This curious coincidence raised questions
about how many students of color attended these schools.
I found no precise answer but
several yearbooks from both schools had photos
of other student groups besides the orchestras
which showed African-Americans students.
And though individual class photos
showed that they represented just a tiny percentage
of the total student population,
it was clear that in the decade prior to WW2
the Springfield public school system
allowed some black students to attend largely white high schools.
Furthermore in the early 1940s, just as America joined the Allied effort in WW2, this city in Western Massachusetts established a progressive educational program that became widely known throughout the country as the Springfield Plan. The plan was developed by Columbia University Associate Professor Clyde R. Miller to promote a national model for citizenship and multicultural education.
From the Wikipedia article, "the stated purpose of the plan was to foster democracy and eliminate racism from schooling. It involved innovative advances in curriculum, including the use of cooperative learning and democratic living classroom activities. Students also participated in projects where they learned about the history and culture of other groups in their broader community. Beyond the school, the plan expanded education into local factories where adult workers were provided with citizenship classes. Lastly, it included new methods for teaching students how to recognize racist propaganda, while it was also innovative in producing positive propaganda, publicizing the advantages of inter-group education for the entire nation."
During the war and shortly after, the Springfield Plan became a target for Southern bigots who claimed its approach to multi-cultural integration would undermine their so-called "traditional Southern values" of racial segregation. For reasons far too complicated for me to explain here, the Springfield Plan attempted to fight racism but ultimately failed to change many attitudes in America. It would be nearly twenty years before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 put an end to discrimination and implemented equal opportunity education systems across the nation.
These two beautiful school photos are only brief moments
in a long timeline of social history
and probably have no direct connection
to the Springfield Plan of the 1940s
that encouraged teaching tolerance
between our fellow citizens.
But they do illustrate how
this Massachusetts community
was atypical for its time
when it offered young people
an education with
freedom, equal opportunity, and music too,
that was then not available
to most children in America.
in a long timeline of social history
and probably have no direct connection
to the Springfield Plan of the 1940s
that encouraged teaching tolerance
between our fellow citizens.
But they do illustrate how
this Massachusetts community
was atypical for its time
when it offered young people
an education with
freedom, equal opportunity, and music too,
that was then not available
to most children in America.
6 comments:
Every school I attended from elementary school, through junior high school, and high school had music in the form of band, orchestra, and chorus. There were also after-school classes in various dance styles. I sang in all choruses, and participated in folk dancing. In junior high and high school, there were art classes. Because the art teacher in high school taught both commercial art and fashion art in the same classroom at the same time, I took both classes for a single grade. I guess, perhaps, I was fortunate to have attended schools with such programs available!
Wonderful glimpses into past era's school bands.
Good to spot and comment upon the mixed race phenomenon in those years in schools. At least it wasn't in the south, where it would have been unlikely thanks to Jim Crow laws. That's probably why the northern US states were where blacks would flee in hopes of opportunity throughout the years.
Things we need to acknowledge and talk about. When I was going through yearbooks looking for things about my debating great uncle, I also found photos of just one or two African American students - it was Iowa after all. All of the seniors were given nicknames. My great uncle was "Deacon." I can't remember now the nickname given to the student of color, but it was based on stereotypes and demeaning, in my opinion.
A big drum roll for Springfield, MA for its progressive, inclusive education policies. And kudos to you for writing about these two remarkable photos that show the policy in action. Massachusetts was a strong center of abolitionism long before the U.S. Civil War and offered refuge to African Americans fleeing slavery -- in addition to providing some of the staunchest fighters for the Union during the war itself. So the Springfield Plan may have sprung from those early roots.
Oh Mike - this is such a wonderful post. I just loved the photo for starters. All the "kids" looked relaxed and such lovely people and the band master too. I felt like they could step off the screen and say "Hello" and we'd be instant friends. And then of course, you took us all a bit further and got us to look closer and think about what we were looking at. I was very conscious that our prompt was all blokes and white ones at that and wondering at how much things have and haven't changed. Thank you for keeping us all thinking. That's what I love about Sepia Saturday.
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