Entering the Stephen Foster Memorial museum, visitors are presented with curated images that present Foster’s life and historical impact. Of these visuals, one of the most striking displays the children's cartoon character Bugs Bunny, another an infamous historic image depicting black face minstrelsy. Stephen Foster has become a controversial figure in music history. His music, widely recognizable and commonly heard in school systems demonstrates the everlasting influence of the songwriter. His work, having been featured in shows such as “Loony Toons,” has become associated with childhood. The connotations surrounding his work, however, alter upon understanding the context in which they were delivered. The 2017 removal of a statue depicting the songwriter with a black man at his feet, illustrates the conflicted outlook on Foster (Bauder). The songwriter’s positioning in American history has become unsettled. While some historians interpret his ballads as sympathetic to the anti-slavery movement, the context in which his work was performed, in minstrelsy shows complicates this view (“Blackface Minstrelsy”). The shift in Foster’s image necessitated a reexamination of the songwriter’s work and the way in which the museum portrayed him.
The recent renovation of the Stephen Foster Museum aimed to look beyond Foster, by presenting his relationship to enslaved people in order to paint a complete picture of the song writer’s history for the contemporary visitor. With this the museum aims to show a nuanced view of Foster and to place his work in historical context. This contrasts with the some of the original impact of the museum which, without this acknowledgement, cleansed the image of Foster. In doing so the space acted to praise him as a pro-abolitionist figure without acknowledging the complete context surrounding his work. The renovation marks a shift in the perspective used in reflecting on Foster’s life. These new designs are aimed to create a flexible position, open to future change. However, the building itself still maintains its shrine like qualities. The memorial originally began construction in January 1935, and later dedicated in June 1937 (“Stephen Collins Foster Memorial”). Its twentieth-century development has left lingering signs of a previous hagiographic cherishing take on the songwriter. The gothic cathedral appearance of the shrine attributes a praising or worshiping tone supporting of the memorial’s original purpose and vision, to be a shrine to a composer viewed as a sacred figure in Pittsburgh history. The designs of stained-glass artist Charles Connick, whose work is also seen in Heinz Chapel and the Cathedral of Learning, were used for the memorial (Donovan). This design is ideal for the memorial’s uses as multiple theatres and historic archives but can conflict with the more critical approach of the museum. This inevitably creates a space of worship to praise Foster, continuing the shrine-like vision of the space’s original purpose
This is contrasted with other areas functioning as museums for Pittsburgh figures. The significance of the Stephen Foster Memorial being an historical landmark gives it the narrative authority of Foster’s image. The museum is given the power over his historic portrayal and context. Another Pittsburgh space comparable in its responsibility to create an accurate image of a historical figure, as well as the context of the time period, is the August Wilson House. The space is also currently going through renovations to design an accurate image of Wilson and his time spent in the Hill district. The August Wilson House’s main concerns revolve around restoration and immersing visitors directly in August Wilson’s history. This is different from the position of the Stephen Foster Memorial Museum which has the responsibility to both honor Stephen Foster’s past while also using a contemporary perspective to reassess his history. This work is concentrated within the museum of the memorial, which acts as a narrative encompassing the complicated life and views which associated with Stephen Foster.
While displays can try to illustrate a balanced view of Foster’s life, different visitors will inevitably have their own preconceptions or reactions surrounding the song writer as well as the time period. With Foster’s global popularity, foot traffic in the Memorial can include many tourists or visitors from overseas. Stephen Foster’s music holds special significance for global visitors through the prevalence and popularity of his songs. Some of these people include visitors who have heard Foster’s songs in their school system growing up. This can create a feeling of connection to Foster, but these listeners may not necessarily have the background regarding the history of blackface minstrelsy and slavery in the United States. Even as the museum addresses this history, the experiences and bias visitors enter with will inevitably shape the outlook they leave with. Those unaware of minstrelsy and Foster’s role in it will take the information provided by the museum to create a conceived space influenced by curators. Those more familiar with the practice, having seen previous images and videos will have their own different spaces. This is not a challenge exclusive to The Stephen Foster Memorial; it’s the role of museums to try to level this gap in information and background through the displays and narrative featured. The displayed depictions can also contrast with the ingrained sacred presence given to Foster from the original design of the space. The renovation acts to correct the limitations of the previous concept for the museum yet is still influenced by this design.
The Memorial’s function as an archives balances this with the inclusion of artifacts illustrating Foster’s historical positioning. Using an extensive collection of Foster’s songs, drafts, and notes the Memorial traces the meanings and undertones of some of Foster’s classic music. This collected music includes an early draft of the song “My Old Kentucky Home” which sheds light on social contexts regarding race. The draft provides an image of Foster’s background surrounding race with illustrated influences and references to the novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin. While used in black face minstrelsy shows, the song became an abolitionist anthem and provides an opportunity for viewers to study Foster’s complicated views on slavery.
This is similar to the dichotomy of the museum wanting to evolve and be able to best illustrate the changing views regarding Foster’s work, while also being unable to distance itself completely from its original vision, which spatially places Foster on a pedestal. This parallels Foster’s own work which while still analyzed and viewed as defining songs in American history, has lingering remnants of its problematic past. This however strengthens the Memorial’s connection to Stephen Foster’s music, acknowledging the need for different voices to continue to shape a space, especially one which holds authority over the presentation of history. The curators spoke of in seeing Foster and references to minstrelsy with visions of both nostalgia and trauma, wanting to address both sorts of reactions upon seeing the material. This acknowledgement creates an additional layer to the presentation of Foster’s work which may be viewed differently by different visitors. The Stephen Foster Memorial recognizes this, using their collections to teach others. This renovation does not mean that the museum is now assumed to be complete; instead it acknowledges that changes can occur from new insights and points of view. A digital display will soon be added, allowing new ways to present information, and shifting perspectives and giving the museum ways to represent additional viewpoints.
Works Cited
Bauder, Bob. “Crews Remove Controversial Stephen Foster Statue in Oakland.” TribLIVE.com, 26 Apr. 2018, archive.triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/crews-remove-controversial-stephen-foster-statue-in-oakland/.
“Blackface Minstrelsy.” The Center for American Music at the University of Pittsburgh, 24 Feb. 2014, www.pitt.edu/~amerimus/Minstrelsy.htm.
Donovan, Sandra Fischione. “Pittsburgh Stained-Glass Artist's Work Beautifies Region.” TribLIVE.com, 23 Nov. 2008, archive.triblive.com/news/pittsburgh-stained-glass-artists-work-beautifies-region/.
“Stephen Collins Foster Memorial.” Historic Pittsburgh, historicpittsburgh.org/islandora/object/pitt:STFR02.UA.