The name for the brand came from a song called old aunt jemima that rutt heard being sung by a blackface performer in a similar headscarf and. The mammy stereotype. The shows usually featured white actors in blackface but african american comedian billy kersands wrote and performed old aunt jemima.
In 1889 chris rutt started using the name aunt jemima to market his pancake flour after he heard the song old aunt jemima in a minstrel show. Nancy green actually worked with the aunt jemima brand until 1923. Aunt jemima is based on a real woman nancy green who was a storyteller cook and missionary worker.
Donald king associated press by. The name and image of aunt jemima syrup which began 131 years ago will be replaced on products and advertising by the end of the year quaker oats announced. The song became the inspiration for the aunt jemima brand of pancakes as well as several characters in film television and on radio named aunt jemima.
Old aunt jemima is an american song composed by african american comedian songwriter and minstrel show performer billy kersands c. In regards to the mammy caricature richardson explained how the image portrayed a devoted and submissive servant to her white owners. She mentioned how the aunt jemima name came from a minstrel song old aunt jemima white performers performed minstrel songs in blackface.
It is currently owned by the quaker oats company of chicago a subsidiary of pepsico. By 1915 it had become one of the most recognized brands in us history and changed us trademark law. The aunt jemima pancake mix debuted in 1889 the first ready mix.
Aunt jemima is a brand of pancake mix syrup and other breakfast foods. The brand s parent company pepsico acknowledged the brand was. Aunt jemima is changing its name and logo after 130 years of using a black woman as the staple feature of the brand s marketing.
The full page color advertisements ran regularly in ladies home journal good housekeeping and the saturday evening post and told tales of the leisure and splendor of the plantation south.
Aunt jemima blackface advertisement. An original ad for aunt jemima s pancakes 1909. Notice the obvious blackface. The first aunt jemima characters were a white man in blackface who performed at minstrels shows that stereotyped blacks in the late 1800s early 1900s. The ads became popular in 1910 but it was in the 1920s and 1930s that the aunt jemima ads reached the height of their fame.
The ads became popular in 1910 but it was in the 1920s and 1930s that the aunt jemima ads reached the height of their fame. The first aunt jemima characters were a white man in blackface who performed at minstrels shows that stereotyped blacks in the late 1800s early 1900s. Notice the obvious blackface.
An original ad for aunt jemima s pancakes 1909.
