The Curtain Rises

Abstract

Chapter 3 identifies the role that the Carneses and Obears defined for Afong Moy as a hawker of their imported Chinese goods and as an exotic personage on the stage. This role development is illuminated by a lengthy diary description of her fall 1834 presentation in New York City by merchant Philip Hone, and by the accompanying lithographic view of the stage set by New York artists Risso and Browne. In New York, Atung, Afong Moy’s Chinese interpreter, joined the presentation. His theatrical presence enlivened the performance and gave visitors insights on Chinese life, on Afong Moy, and the objects that surrounded her.