Left: One half of a posed genré stereoview, c. 1895, which nonetheless demonstrates the "chalk line walk."

Hear an electrically-transferred 1898 Columbia cylinder recording of Honolulu Cake Walk, performed by banjoist Vess L. Ossman in the "RealAudio" format. The most recent RealPlayer is necessary to hear this selection; be certain to select the "free" version.

Hear an electrically-transferred c.1900 Columbia cylinder recording of The International Cake Walk, #1642-13-12, performed by Patrick Gilmore's band, again in the "RealAudio" format.

3 Tom Fletcher, One Hundred Years of the Negro in Show Business, London: Burdge & Company Ltd., 1954, p. 19.

"Some of the masters would even go to town and buy music and, when the weather was okay, would let those slaves who wished come and stand outside the open windows of the house to listen. In that way they would catch on to the words and the tunes. Then, when company came to the big house, the master would send word down to the slave quarters for them to sing. The company would sit out on the verandah of the big house listening and, with the wind in the right direction, sweet and original harmony would be carried to their ears. Sometimes, on pleasant evenings, boards would be laid down for an impromptu stage before the verandah so the guests could have a good view of the proceedings and a real shindig would take place with singing and dancing. The "cake walk" ... at that time, was known as the "chalk line walk". There was no prancing, just a straight walk on a path made by turns and so forth, along which the dancers made their way with a pail of water on their heads. The couple that was the most erect and spilled the least water or no water at all was the winner."3