Welcome to the Josephine Baker Stamp Collection

Josephine Baker was born Freda Josephine McDonald in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1906 and passed away in 1975. Baker was the first African American female to star in a major motion picture, to integrate an American concert hall, and tobecome a world-famous entertainer. She was given such nicknames the "Bronze Venus", the "Black Pearl", and the "Créole Goddess". She is also noted for her contributions to the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.

Josephine toured the United States with The Jones Family Band and The Dixie Steppers in 1919, performing various comical skits. When the troupes split, she tried to advance as a chorus girl for The Dixie Steppers in Sissle and Blake's production Shuffle Along. She was rejected because she was "too skinny and toodark." Undeterred, she learned the chorus line's routines while working as a dresser.

Josephine's immense popularity afforded her a comfortable salary, which she spent mostly on clothes, jewelry and pets. She loved animals, and at one time she owned a leopard (Chiquita), a chimpanzee (Ethel), a pig (Albert), a snake (Kiki), agoat, a parrot, parakeets, fish, three cats and seven dogs.