enlarged eyes. Dummies featured large features because audiences would be packed into large theaters and the enlarged features allowed audiences from as far back as the balcony to enjoy the show. John W. Cooper, now under the alias Hezikiah Jones, and Sam toured the country with The Major Bowes Original Amateur Hour. A few years later during World War II, Cooper and Sam independently performed in veterans hospitals as well as in the USO camp shows across the country. Alongside this, they made appearances at private parties and nightclubs including the well-known Kit-Kat and El Morocco clubs in New York City. Death and legacy He died in April 1966 in Brooklyn. Because dummies like Sam Jackson were used so often, it was not uncommon that performers would replace them with new figures. John W. Cooper's daughter, Joan Maynard (preservationist), is the custodian of Sam Jackson.In order to promote his legacy, Maynard set up exhibits about her father at the Brooklyn Historical Society. A series of documents and files containing genealogical information as well as letters sent to John W. Cooper during his career are parts of the exhibits. There are also various scripts and writings by Cooper relaying a dialogue between him and Sam. References External links Ventriloquists in the Vaudeville Years Stars of Vaudeville #592: John W. Cooper Transcript of PBS' History Detectives episode featuring Cooper Shari Lewis biography citing Cooper "John W. Cooper." - Biography and Facts "Cooper, John W. (1873-1966) | The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed." Profiles of African American Stage Performers and Theatre People, 1816-1960 John W. Cooper collection, 1887-2001 1873 births 1966 deaths African-American people American entertainers Vaudeville performers Ventriloquists Date of death missing Singers from New York City