Picturing Frederick Douglass: An Illustrated Biography of the Nineteenth Century’s Most Photographed American

This illustrious book collects all 160 photographs of renowned abolitionist Frederick Douglass and astutely places Douglass’s personal interest in photography into the context of his career and legacy. The photographs make up most of the book. Organized chronologically, each photo—reproduced in duotone—is given a full-page spread with biographical details on each photographer. In the following sections, the authors examine the effect of these photos on visual representations of Douglass in other mediums, both in his lifetime and after. They note how Douglass formed a philosophy of photography that underscored his determination to present himself as “a dignified and respected citizen.” He never smiled for the camera, refuting the myth of contented slaves. The final section reprints three of the four lectures on photography Douglass delivered during the Civil War, in which he describes the mighty power of picture making “as the process by which man is able to posit his own subjective nature outside of himself... so that it becomes the subject of distinct observation and contemplation.” This study provides a multifaceted, unique look at one of the most influential figures of American history. Illus. (Nov.)