Frederick Douglass escaped slavery, educated himself, and became a social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. He took a prominent role on the national stage during the time of Lincoln, the Civil War, and the struggle for black suffrage that followed.

This gorgeous volume contains 160 photographs of Frederick Douglass, the most photographed man of his century. The photos, taken from 1841 to 1895, are extensively annotated. The book also includes pictures of Douglass that are representations of him by others, including cartoons, sketches, and posters. Most importantly, it contains a biography and the text of a number of Douglass’s speeches, especially those on the importance of the visual image, and how images could and should change perceptions of Americans about the morality of slavery.

Douglass was way ahead of his time in many ways, one of which was his understanding of the power of pictures to mesmerize, to capture truth, to counter caricatures, and to stir the emotions. Recognition of the revolutionary potential of representation led Douglass to believe that photography would establish that blacks held as property were not in fact “things” but human beings. He capitalized on his own dignified appearance to help spread this message, distributing his own photos widely.

But as Douglass’s ancestor, Kenneth B. Morris, Jr., points out in an Afterword, it was not only the pictures of Douglass and others that established that all people were created equal:

"His words painted a portrait of profound depth and refinement, and they destroyed the enslaver’s hoax that there are people born for a life of servitude.”

The authors, in their Introduction, also credit the reinforcing influence of both Douglass's textual and visual avenues of communication:

"Indeed, his portraits and words sent a message to the world that he had as much claim to citizenship, with the rights of equality before the law, as his white peers.”


Evaluation: This book, of “coffee-table” quality, should be an essential part of any library on history as well as art. Frederick Douglass, had and still has, so much to teach us about heroism, persistence, intelligence, and integrity. ( )

In Picturing Frederick Douglass: An Illustrated Biography of the Nineteenth Century's Most Photographed American, authors John Stauffer, Zoe Trodd, and Celeste-Marie Bernier argue "the photographs are then a kind of visual autobiography. If Douglass wrote himself into public existence with his narratives, he also photographed himself into public existence, evolving across the years as a freedom fighter, steely visionary, wise prophet, and elder statesman" (p. xxv). Stauffer, Trodd, and Bernier organize their work into five parts: the photographs themselves, contemporary artwork based on or used in place of photographs, the photographic legacy, Douglass's writings on photography, and a catalogue raisonné.
In the first part, Stauffer, Trodd, and Bernier present the photographs chronologically with annotations about the photographers or similar photographs for which Douglass sat. They include with the photographs etchings based on them for newsprint, which nineteenth century readers considered as accurate as original photographs. The images show the transformation in Douglass's public image and demonstrate Douglass's own beliefs regarding photography.
Both the contemporary artwork and photographic legacy parts focus on artwork that used Douglass to send a message. The contemporary artwork became more lifelike over time, likely due to the proliferation of Douglass's photographs and a demand for accurate representations from consumers who now knew his true appearance without the filter of an artist. The modern artwork, appearing around the United States and in Ireland, uses Douglass's photographs as inspiration for murals, statues, stamps, and other public pieces. The choice of source photograph reflects the artist's message, with the elder Douglass appearing in more conservative pieces while revolutionary artwork makes heavy use of the younger Douglass.
Stauffer, Trodd, and Bernier's inclusion of three previously-unpublished Douglass lectures about photography and the power of image demonstrates the validity of their interpretation of the photographs with Douglass's own words. It is especially enlightening to read these lectures and witness the evolution of Douglass's ideas and read how he continually returned to the power of image to enlighten the public.
Finally, the catalogue raisonné is a nice touch and reaffirms in black-and-white (as well as sepia and other tones) the authors' claim that Douglass was the most photographed American in the nineteenth century (surpassed worldwide only by the British royal family).
Picturing Frederick Douglass deserves a place alongside Douglass's own autobiographies as well as among books on nineteenth century photography and monographs on image analysis. Stauffer, Trodd, and Bernier's multidisciplinary methodology allows readers of any background to find their own scholarly significance for this work. The large format enables the reader to fully appreciate the images and ensures that this work will appeal to those outside of academia. ( )