Today is Florence Mills’s birthday - read Trav S.D.’s post on her here.

lascasartoris:

1. Florence Mills and the chorus of the ‘Blackbirds’ rehearsing on the roof of the Pavilion Theatre, London.

2. Gwendlyn Graham the world champion charleston dancer (centre) with the chorus of the “Blackbirds”  during rehearsals, on the roof of the Pavilion  Theatre. 

3. Florence Mills, Johnny Hudgins on rehearing with the chorus of “Blackbirds”. 

(Sep 1926)

“Florence Mills became the toast of London… It is said the Prince of Wales saw the revue no less than twenty times, which was something unheard of.” 
- from Negro (1934)

Florence Mills fell ill during the 1926 run of Blackbirds in the UK. She returned to New York for treatment and died on 1st November 1927. For the first two weeks of November, major newspapers in New York, Britain and France gave front page coverage to her deaths and then her funeral in Harlem.