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

Frederick Douglass’s fiery speeches made him one of the most renowned and popular agitators of his age. Now, as a result of ground-breaking research, we can reclaim the ex-slave and abolitionist as a pioneer in photography, both as a subject and as a theorist. Included here are 160 photographs of Douglass-many which have never been publicly seen-combined with previously unpublished writings and speeches on visual aesthetics. The result transforms our understanding of photography and its place in the life and legacy of Douglass.