In an unprecedented move, Harvard University will relinquish historic photographs thought to be among the earliest images of enslaved people in America. This agreement concludes a protracted legal dispute with Tamara Lanier, an author asserting that she is related to two individuals featured in these powerful images.
Dating back to 1850, the photographs will be sent to the International African American Museum in South Carolina, the very region the subjects of the photos were enslaved. Harvard expressed its intent to place the photos in a more suitable context for public appreciation. The images, known as daguerreotypes, were taken 15 years prior to the abolition of slavery and were rediscovered by chance in 1976.
Tamara Lanier's legal battle began in 2019, revealing the moral complexities surrounding these images taken under controversial circumstances for pseudo-scientific research. While the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court dismissed some of her claims about ownership, it acknowledged Harvard's role in the unethical practices associated with the images.
Expressing joy over the outcome, Lanier emphasized the emotional significance of transferring the photos to South Carolina, calling it a "homecoming." Museum leaders are focusing on displaying the images with sensitivity and historical context to foster open discussions about slavery's legacy.
Dating back to 1850, the photographs will be sent to the International African American Museum in South Carolina, the very region the subjects of the photos were enslaved. Harvard expressed its intent to place the photos in a more suitable context for public appreciation. The images, known as daguerreotypes, were taken 15 years prior to the abolition of slavery and were rediscovered by chance in 1976.
Tamara Lanier's legal battle began in 2019, revealing the moral complexities surrounding these images taken under controversial circumstances for pseudo-scientific research. While the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court dismissed some of her claims about ownership, it acknowledged Harvard's role in the unethical practices associated with the images.
Expressing joy over the outcome, Lanier emphasized the emotional significance of transferring the photos to South Carolina, calling it a "homecoming." Museum leaders are focusing on displaying the images with sensitivity and historical context to foster open discussions about slavery's legacy.
