I was recently contacted, through this memoir, by distant cousin Saira Holmes, a curator, who came across this painting by James Northcote RA who also painted the portrait of my great, great, great grandfather, William Speaight (see Family Roots of this memoir).
It is a portrait of the great African Shakespearian, Ira Aldridge. Aldridge’s achievement was all the greater given the period in which he acted and he is by no means forgotten. He is honoured by a bronze plaque at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford -on-Avon.
He was born in New York in 1807 and later came to London in search of more roles.
He was the first African to play Othello in London at the Coburg Theatre (later renamed the Old Vic).
He made his mark in Europe and was especially popular in Prussia and received top honours from heads of state.
Aldridge was planning with typical energy a return to the US for a 100-show tour with his reputation secure but he died suddenly at the age of 60 in Lodz, Poland and a memorial to him still stands in the Old Evangelical Cemetery.
He was married twice, first to Margaret Gill and then to Amanda von Brandt. He had four children, two becoming professional opera singers.