Joseph Douglass was the first violinist of any race to record music for the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1914. He performed for several U.S. presidents, including William McKinley, Teddy Roosevelt, and Howard Taft. By 1910, he was performing at Carnegie Hall. Douglass also appeared at the Grand Military Concert sponsored by the U.S. Marine Band in Washington to commemorate the presidential inauguration of Grover Cleveland.
Unfortunately, his recordings with the Victor Talking Machine Company were never released.
Aside from his work in music, Douglass was a conductor at Howard University. He often played slave spirituals that he learned as a child for family members.
Douglass’ widow, Fannie Douglass, donated his violin (which was a copy of the German Stradivarius) to the U.S. Dept of Interior after his death in 1935.
Little Known Black History Fact: Joseph Douglass was originally published on blackamericaweb.com
