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Museum object · Racist and Stereotypical Objects

Aristocrat of Harlem

1935

New York City, New York County, New York, United States, North and Central America

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Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

This sheet music for "Aristocrat of Harlem" depicts a cartoon of a grinning man, outlined in black. Pictured from the shoulders up, he wears a top hat and polkadot bow tie, and holds a black and white tipped cane. The background is an orange and white pattern of abstract figures in tuxedos playing various instruments. The title runs across the top margin, black letters on a blank white field that read "ARISTOCRAT of HARLEM." In the top left quarter are the words "By PETER TINTURN/ BUDDY FEYNE/ AND/ NAT JAFFE." Along the bottom margin is the words "MILSONS" crossed with a winding ribbon with the words "Seventh Avenue/ Music Publishing Corp. / New York City." There is handwritten name written in blue ink on the lower right quarter.

Sources & collection details

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture — original record ↗

Source collection ↗

Catalog metadata · CC0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

Catalog reference: 2013.223.2

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