This final volume of Bernth Lindfors's definitive biography records the
remarkable achievements and experiences of Ira Aldridge in the last
years of his life, when he performed at theaters throughout Europe.
Ira Aldridge The Last Years, 1855-1867, the fourth volume of Bernth
Lindfors's definitive biography, places on record Aldridge's remarkable
achievements and experiences in the final phase of his life, when he
performed at theaters throughout Europe. His first Continental tour in
1852-1855 had been a spectacular success, and though he returned to
Britain periodically afterwards, he spent much of the remainder of his
career entertaining audiences in central and eastern Europe, mainly in
Ukraine and Russia. His Shakespearean performances in St. Petersburg in
1858 and Moscow in 1862 were among his greatest triumphs and led to
numerous appearances elsewhere in provincial cities and towns.
During his forty-three years on stage in Europe, Ira Aldridge traveled
more widely and won more honors, decorations, and awards than any other
actor of his day. He is remembered not only as a talented thespian but
also as a very visible representative of his race, someone who changed
European perceptions of black people through the sheer brilliance of his
artistry on stage. And by doing so, he helped to humanize the image of
Africans andtheir descendants in Europe at an important transitional
moment in history, when the movement to abolish slavery was gathering
force and winning international acceptance.
Bernth Lindfors is Professor Emeritus of English and African literatures
at the University of Texas at Austin.
