Forgotten Lives Behind the Photographs and Artifacts
In Honor of Juneteenth, Three Images from My Collection
I own just a few early photographs of African-Americans, for they are scarce and much sought after. I present them with love.
A gelatin silver bromide print of a beautiful African-American woman wearing full mourning. Despite her loss, she was clearly a survivor. Circa 1900.Of this enchanting young Creole woman, I know only that she was from New Orleans, Louisiana, and her name was probably Jois. This was likely a wedding photo. Ambrotype, circa 1855.Mrs. Della Powell, post-mortem albumen print, 1894, photographed by William Carroll, Walnut Ridge, Arkansas. Formerly in the collection of Ben Zigler and now in mine, this rare post-mortem image of an African-American woman, who may have begun her life as a slave, was published in the 2004 book “Mourning Jewelry and Art” by Maureen DeLorme.
"Your Dying Charlotte" 
The woman in the top photo looks like one of our attorneys doing historical re-enactment.
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She is utterly beautiful.
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