Thomas Dilward facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Thomas Dilward
Dilward around 1860
Born	Thomas Dilverd c. 1817 Brooklyn, New York
Died	July 9, 1887
Resting place	Cemetery of the Evergreens
Occupation	Entertainer

Thomas Dilward (born around 1817 – died 1887) was a very special entertainer. He performed in shows called blackface minstrel shows from 1853 until the early 1880s. His stage name was Japanese Tommy. People also sometimes called him "The African 'Tom Thumb'" or the "African Dwarf Tommy."

Thomas Dilward was one of only two African-American performers known to have worked with white minstrel groups before the American Civil War. The other was William Henry Lane. Dilward was quite short, between 23 and 36 inches tall. This made him a "curious attraction." His small size allowed him to perform with white people when most black men could not. His stage name might also have helped hide his background. He was famous for his amazing singing, dancing, and violin playing. Some people even say he invented the word "hunky-dory," which means "everything is all right."

Thomas Dilward's Early Life

Thomas Dilward was born in Brooklyn, New York, around 1817. He started performing in 1853 with a group led by George Christy. He might have been a response to another famous short performer, General Tom Thumb, who worked for P. T. Barnum.

In the 1860s, Dilward performed with many popular minstrel groups. These included Dan Bryant's Minstrels, Wood's Minstrels, the Morris Brothers' Minstrels, and Kelly and Leon's Minstrels. He also performed with several black minstrel groups.

Traveling the World

Between 1866 and 1873, Thomas Dilward had a very successful career in Britain. He first performed with Sam Hague's Slave Troupe. Then he worked with other people and companies, like George Christy's Minstrels. He even traveled to Australia and New Zealand. In 1880, he returned to Britain with an Australian minstrel company. After this tour ended in 1881, he came back to America.

A Talented Performer

Thomas Dilward was about three feet tall. He quickly learned many talents to entertain people. This was the best way for him to support himself. He was great at singing, dancing, acting, and playing the violin.

Dilward performed in blackface minstrelsy. These shows were a popular form of entertainment in the mid-1800s. Most of these shows featured white people who used "blackface" makeup to pretend to be African-Americans. The shows had funny skits, dancing, and music. However, the humor often made fun of African Americans. A famous social reformer named Frederick Douglass said these shows were very unfair to black people. They showed them in a negative way.

His Unique Stage Name

Dilward's stage name was "Japanese Tommy." No one knows for sure why he chose this name. Some people think it was to hide that he was African-American. At that time, audiences often did not want to pay to see a black person perform. The name might also have been used to connect with a Japanese diplomat. This diplomat's arrival in America caused a lot of excitement, and he was also known as Japanese Tommy.

Thomas Dilward was one of only two African-Americans known to perform with white minstrel companies before the American Civil War. Black minstrel groups started appearing around the mid-1850s. These groups often said they were "genuine." But many of their performers still used burnt cork to make their faces black. When African-Americans started performing without "blackface," audiences were surprised to see how many different skin colors existed.

"Hunky-Dory" and High Pay

According to a book called Dictionary of Americanisms (1877), Thomas Dilward was credited with inventing the word "hunky-dory." This word means "everything is all right." Even though Dilward faced a lot of unfairness, he made the best of his situation. He used his unique height and race to earn money. He was allowed to perform in white minstrel shows because he was seen as an "oddity" at three feet tall.

"Japanese Tommy" was so unusual that many people wanted to see him perform. In 1871, a newspaper advertisement for the Morris Brothers minstrel show featured him. It even mentioned his "enormous salary" of $200 per week in gold! In many newspapers from the mid-1800s, "Japanese Tommy" was often the main star in advertisements for minstrel shows. Advertisers even called him "The Wonderful Japanese Tommy."

Thomas Dilward performed in many different minstrel shows. These included Dan Bryant's Minstrels, Wood's Minstrels, Morris Brothers' Minstrels, and Kelly & Leon's Minstrels. Some modern historians believe Dilward might have been one of the first black entertainers to show real black dance on the white American stage.

Minstrel shows began in the mid-1800s. Most of these shows had white performers using "blackface." When people saw how successful these groups were, minstrel groups made up of only black performers started forming. This gave African-American performers a chance to earn money. However, these shows often showed a lot of racism and used it for jokes. Overall, minstrel shows probably had a negative effect on civil rights for African Americans. The only good thing for black people was the money some performers like Dilward could earn.

Thomas Dilward was a pioneer in African-American culture and the entertainment world. He made the best of his situation. Even though he was three feet tall and black, Dilward's artistic talent was more important than his physical features. The fact that advertisers used "Japanese Tommy" as their main star, and didn't focus on his height or race, showed that Dilward was a better singer, dancer, and musician than many white performers at the time. He was so well known that others, like a Frenchman named Millet, even tried to use his fame when Dilward was traveling abroad.

His time performing in Britain, Australia, and New Zealand gave him a chance to perform in places that were less racist. While these places were not completely free of prejudice, his race did not seem to be a major part of his acts there. Instead, his height was what people focused on. One of the most popular parts of his act in Britain was a song called "The Mulligan Guard," which had an Irish theme.

Thomas Dilward's Death

Thomas Dilward died in Manhattan on July 9, 1887. He was buried three days later in his hometown of Brooklyn, at the Cemetery of the Evergreens.