Opera legend Marian Anderson receives a kiss from her mother, Anna Anderson, after her debut as Ulrica in Verdi’s “Un ballo en maschera” at the Metropolitan Opera 60 years ago today on January 7, 1955. Ms. Anderson, who was 57 years old at the time, was the first African-American soloist to sing at the Met. Her mother worked as a laundress to support her early in her career. Photo: Frank Mastro, Bettman/Corbis.
