A group of female performers from the German Africa show (Deutsche Afrika-Schau) sitting on a circus wagon. This photo was likely taken in Eisleben, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, around 1936-1937. Though early ethnographic shows like the Deutsche Afrika-Schau were exploitative by nature, artists originally had the ability to shape their own performances and how they were represented. After the Nazis came to power in 1933, this agency began to disappear. During the Nazi era, working in such shows was an increasingly propaganda-driven, demoralizing, and unpleasant experience.
People in the photograph from top to bottom: Hedwig Nyassa, Charlotte Rettig, Hildegard Overgrand, Josy Bachert, Juliette Hillerkus, Magdalene (“Leni”) Garber and Käthe (Kitty) Garber (Magdalene’s sister).
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