Atlantic City's Sand Men Built Life-Size Sculptures—Then Racism Erased Them from History
Photographs of Atlantic City Sand Sculpture (ca. 1880–1920)
In the 1870s, Atlantic City's boardwalk became a stage for "sand men"—buskers who sculpted life-size scenes in the dunes for tips. Their ephemeral art, from a slain soldier to a buxom mermaid, survives in postcards. Historian Holly Metz reveals that dozens worked, including African American artists like one-armed Owen Golden, who crossed the color line to sculpt on segregated beaches. Many images of Black sand artists were retouched to appear white. By the 1940s, the tradition faded, and a 1944 hurricane washed away the last displays.
Unfortunately, many surviving images of African American sand artists were re-touched to make them appear white.