Have a question? Need assistance? Use our online form to ask a librarian for help.
Chat with a librarian, Monday through Friday, 12-2 pm Eastern Time (except Federal Holidays).
Chronicling America is a searchable digital collection of historic newspaper pages through 1963 sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.
Follow ChronAm by subscribing to email alerts and RSS feeds.
Also, see the Directory of U.S. Newspapers in American Libraries, a searchable index to newspapers published in the United States since 1690, which helps researchers identify what titles exist for a specific place and time, and how to access them.
"I can never remember the time when I did not sing," soprano Sissieretta Jones said in the July 4, 1896 issue of the San Francisco Call. Mme Jones and her touring group, "The Troubadours," are feted by immense audiences around the world, often inviting the tribute of tears to those who hear her magnetic voice. Read more about it!
The information in this guide focuses on primary source materials found in the digitized historic newspapers from the digital collection Chronicling America.
The timeline below highlights important dates related to this topic and a section of this guide provides some suggested search strategies for further research in the collection.
| March, 1889 | The Tennessee Jubilee Singers with Madam Matila Sissieretta Jones return from a West Indies/South American tour. |
|---|---|
| February 24, 1892 | Madame Sissieretta Jones, also known as Black Patti, sings for US President Harrison. |
| August 24, 1893 | Black Patti appears at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago. |
| September, 1893 | Black Patti appears at the Pittsburgh Exposition. |
| July 4, 1896 | Interview with Sissieretta Jones includes a brief description of her recent European tour. |
| April, 1904 | Madame Sissieretta Jones appears in Washington, DC. |
| March, 1907 | The Black Patti Troubadours appear at the Seattle Theatre in Seattle, WA. |
| April, 1909 | Black Patti sings in the musical comedy “Blackville Strollers" in San Francisco, CA. |
| February, 1911 | The Black Patti Musical Company presents a show “A Trip to Africa” in Orangeburg, SC. |
| March, 1911 | The Black Patti Musical Company appears at the Howard Theatre, Washington, DC. |
