TWO ZEPHYRS, THE (ca. 1940) Photo

The Two Zephyrs. [Chicago, IL]: Maurice [Seymour] Chicago, ca. 1940. Vintage original 10 ¼ x 8″ (26 x 20 cm) double weight black-and-white photo, USA. A 5/8″ (1.6 cm) tear in middle right margin going slightly into blank background, marginal chip at extreme left blank bottom, and some soiling and general signs of handling, overall very good.

The earliest photo that we have seen of legendary African American comic Slappy White.

The Two Zephyrs were an African American comedy duo from the 1940s comprised of Slappy White and Clarence Schelle. They appeared on radio’s The Major Bowes Amateur Hour, and TV’s The Morey Amsterdam Show. We don’t know what happened to Clarence Schelle, but Slappy White went on to a long successful career! He partnered with Redd Foxx in the Chitlins Circuit of stand-up comedy in the 1950s. In 1969 he partnered with Steve Rossi to become one of the first integrated comedy duos, but they broke-up in the 1970s. He rebounded strongly, performing stand-up in Las Vegas shows and was a frequent guest on the Dean Martin comedy roasts. He passed away in 1995 at the age of 74.

This photo by Maurice Seymour Chicago features Slappy White while performing in his first successful act, as one half of the Two Zephyrs.